National Republican., 1874-05-16
FOREIGN NOTES

lanches In Switzerland during the mSpth Of
April. -
The sum required in the ensuing year to meet
the claims Of officers arising out OF the abolt
! tioh Of the purchase system In the British army
is R657 900.
One Of the most recent advertising ucyelties
In London Is Q system Of printing advertise
ments upon eggs, and in several OF the windows
Of the provision merchants may be seen qsan-
tity Of them inscribed with all manner Of no
tices.
The number Of words dispstched on the teBe-
graphic wires from the twenty y-eight stations In.
Japan during the year 1873 was 1s6, 40, Of
which 167, ,1S3 were Japanese and Is, ,316 Euro
pean. The SUM received for them was IS ,5S9
yen 76 sen, and $I 23s.
A cheese show has been held, to which all
the principal Milanese cheese pfoducers and
many fFom France and Switzerland contributed.
The show was great success, giving s'strong"
proof Of what excellent cheeses are made In
Italy as well as elsewhere.
The Volks Zsitsng, OF Treves, states hat in
the diocese of Treves absolution and CON-
munion arc granted only to- those Catholics
who declare positively In the confessional that
they do not consider the state has the right TO
draw the limits between the secular and escle-
siastical powers.
Ever since the days Of Christopher Wren Che
idea of finishing st.. Paul's Cathedral, London,
has been entertained. Under Dean Mlmsn
and Dean Afford the. work was, fully carried
on, and during the last few years the dome and
the chancel have been repainted. A new
scheme Is now on foot suggested by Mr. Bur
ges, q London. architect.
! The Dolgorouky biscuit, with which the
Russian troops engaged in the Khivan cam
paign were fed, consists of equal parts of beef,
meal and sour krout. The biscuits may be
either eaten raw , dissolved in water, or made
into soup. The food is said 10, have become
very popular with the soldiers, and to have.
been found exceedingly wholesome.
The vicar of Richmond, England, created
some excitement In his parish by building
high wall in the church-yard so as to separate
the elect dead from the non-conformist dead.
The friends of the latter rallied and tore down
the wall, and an ecclesiastical court has pro-
hibited him from rebuilding it. A common
footPath now, as heretofore, divides the "dis-
senting" dead from the established" dead.
France, notwithstanding the late war, makes
a financial exhibit rivslng that of England.
Her revenue is the largest of any nation, that
of Great Britain standing second, of Russia
third, and of the United States fourth. The
debt Of Great Britain is greater than that of
France, but her revenues are so well managed
that her credit is good, and she is now enabled
almost every year to make some small reduc-
tion In the burden of taxation.
The Norwegian Storthing has voted for the
second time the resolution that the Norwegian
Ministers shall henceforth take part in the de-
bates of the Chamber. The Government would
consent to thi. If the Storthing would vote some
other constitutional changes which the Stor-
thing does not desire. If the resolution be
voted third time it will, according to the
Norwegian Constitution, become q law without
needing the consent of the Government.
The losses to the British army by the Ash
antee war are as follows: OF officers, six died
from the effects of wounds and eight from dis
ease; seven deaths occurred among the men
from wounds, and eighteen from disease. The
total number of admissions on board the Victor
Emmanuel up to the date of her departure
from the coast was, we are told, of officers
ffty-flve, seven being for wounds; and of men
five hundred and sixty-fve, of whom ffty-one
were from gunshot wounds.
The port of Brunei, Borteo, has been called
by travellers who have visited 1t "a water
city," the houses being built on piles driven into
the mud on either side of the main stream or
channel of the river. All communication is BY
water, but when the tide is out the mud Is len
bare under great part Of the town. The
river acts as a most efficient sewer for the
whole town, and though at low tide au un-
pleasant odor arises from the exposed mud, no
unwholesome effects are experienced. On the
contrary, the town is a remarkably healthy
one. Fever is almost unknown.
At the sixty anniversary dinner of the
London Society of Friends of Foreigners in Dis
tress, held lately at the Freemasons' Tavern,
it was stated that the society had afforded re-
lief to 131 ,759 distressed foreigners of all ma
tions, besides granting annual pensions to near
ly two hundred more who were advanced In
years or otherwise unable to support theni-
selves. Donations made during the dinner
amounted to SIC, sos, including donations from
both the Emperor of Germany ani the Emper-
or Of Austria. ....
The restoration of Nice to Italy is freely
talked Of In political circles. At banquet OF
French and Italian Syndics in connection with
the railway from Nice to Conf, NJ. PIGEON,
members for the department of the Maritime
of the Alps, said: SIN presence of these dear
Italian countrymen my heart beats with joy,
and feel all my old Italian aspirations and
sentiments revive. am confident that before
| long beautiful Nice, this heroic Iphigenia, the
victim of Italian independence, will be re-
stored to her true country. To that end am
prepared to sacrifice all my interests and those
of my beloved family. If when the de-
sired day comes I should not be here, my cleo
triied ashes will, am sure rise to rejoice in the
I general fete."