The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-11-22
Foreign Affairs.

was at her lavorite residence, BalmOral
Castle and the manner in which she
amused herself there is thus told
Shortly before six o'clock on Friday eve
ming the cottagers, gillies, and laborers
from the eastern part of the Balmoral es-
tate mustered some distance to the east
end of the castle, and four abreast, each
man carrying torch In this form they
proceeded up the western avenue, and were
met by Her Majesty, who, in her carriage,
was escorted by the tenantry on the west
ern part of her domains, also carrying
torchlights. The two bodies here Joined,
and all marched in the direction Of the
castle, headed by the Queens pipers, play
ing appropriate airs. On arriving at the
main entrance to the castle Her Majesty
alighted from her carriage, and, preceded
by the pipcrs and followed by the large
body of toreh-bcaring tenantry, walked on
foot by the west side of the castle, the pro-
cession again halted in front of the princi-
pal doorway, where dancing was begun, to
the strains of the bagpipes, by the light of
bonfire Reels and strathspeys followed
each other in quick succession, Her Ma
jcsty remaining aninterosted spectator until
a late hour in the night.
The Mexican citizens have just been
celebrating the passage by the Mexican
Congress of two public acts Of the highest
import By one of those acts the system
of peouage, or qualified absorption to the
soil-under which for ages the Mexican
peasantry have been reduced to practi-
cal serfdom--has been abolished. BY the
other the last of the fueros or special caste
privileges bestowed upon the church in
Mexico have been done away with, and
from this time forth an absolute freedom
of worship and complete independence
of the church upon the state are to reign
in Mexico.
There is great excitement in the French
Assembly. The committee on the prolon-
cation of the power of Marshal MacMahon
has made its report, proposing to continue
the Presidency of Mac Mahon for five years,
instead of ten also the definite establish
ment of Republic, and the appointment
of a committee Of thirty to prepare Con
stitutional bills. General Changarnier is
to move for an unconditional prolongatiou
of the Presidency for ten years.
English politicians are beginning to ap-
preciate the fact that the cry raised by
Mr.. John Bright in his Birmingham speech
against the Established Church is soon to
become one which must be listened to, and
that this question is likely to be the one
upon which the reorganization of parties in
Great Britain is to be effected. That and
the question of home rule for Ireland are
the two great issues of the immediate
future in England
The budget of NJ Magnc, the French
Minister of Finance, shows that the expen-
ses incurred during the war, together with
the losses on the taxes for 1871 and 1872,
amount to 3,739, 3lS,000 francs, which,
with the 5000 10000 paid to Germany,
make a total of 1898, 3lS, 900 francs. NJ
Magne reports deficiency of 5000, 900
francs, which sum is proposed to be met
by new taxes.
Recent European Journals state that at
Munich, where several cases of cholera have
occurred, the rocks and crows which flew
about the steeples and through the trees
of the public promenades have nearly all
emigrated and that the same thing hap
pened during the cholera seasons of 1886
and 1854.
Seventeen of the crew of the Virgiuius
who were shot were British subjects, and
it is thought that Great Britain will take
prompt action in the matter. 1t is not
improbable that the British Government
may at once despatch fleet from Jamaica
to Havana.
The Tichborne case was closed on Dc
tober "a, which was the hundred and
twenty-fourth day Of the trial. The last
witness for the defence in this now histor-
ical ease was no less person than Isabel
la, Lady Burnard, who was the two hun
dred and eighty-eighth witness.
The various unions Of agricultural labor
ers in England sent delegates to a meeting
held in London on November 4, at which
they formed themselves into general
union, to be called "The Federal Union of
Agricultural and General Laborers."
At a recent meeting of the Royal Geo
graphical Society in London it was stated
that the ransom for DIR. Livingstone had
been sent, but that the friends of the ex-
plorer were not inclined to trust entirely
in the report of his Imprisonment.
The passion for pilgrimages isnow prev
alent in Central Asia, and the Lerdm
Herald announces that body of about
thirty Khiyans arrived in Constantinoplc
by the Odessa steamer the other day on a
pilgrimage to Mecca.
The London Times thinks that it the
Democratic party we're in power in this
country the Virginius outrage would be
speedily avenged by the conquest and an
nexation of Cuba.
The forests and mines of Turkey are to
be turned to greater account than hitherto
by throwing open the concessions for
working these productive sources Of wealth
to public competition.
In London new company has been
registered with capital of f2O, 900, to be
raised to 100000 shares. of Is each. to
commemorate the Tichborn trial by
grand historical picture.
"Guy Fawkes's Day" was duly com
memoratcd in London on the 9TH, and was,
as usual, accompanied by many serious and
some fatal accidents from the indiscriminate
and careless use of gunpowder.
The rent roll of the Marquis of West
minister, from property within the limits of
London, is said to exceed $4,000, 900 per
amman.
General Garibaldi is said to be writing
an epic poem entitled The Thousand of
MARSHA"
There are rumors of an impending
ministerial crisis in Madrid in consequence
of the Virginius affair.
Bismarck has been again placed at the
head Of the Prussian Ministry.
The Madrid DiaTo Espdnothas advised
the Government Of Spain to send General
Sickles his passports.
The London Daily Telegraph does not
despair of peaceful solution of the Vir-
pinius difficulty and advises the limited