, 1877-02-21

prevalent on account OF the damp and the
miasma from the surface water, polluted
by sewage matter, and stagnating in cellars
and kitchens. but the sanitary authorities
are doing all in their power to mend mat
tiers by the liberal use of disinfectants.
The great difficulty now is to get the water
out Of the basement floors, and pumps are
everywhere at work e~ffecting q clearance.
Some accurate idea can now be cleaned
aS to the damage caused by the foods ct
Hampton. Molesey, Staines, Sunbury,
Wraysbury, and other places up the river.
The extent of the estimated damage has
in no way been exaggerated. Hayricks by
the dozen have been washed away or
spoiled. Root crops of various kinds, os-
peciaIly potatoes and turnips, stored in the
ground, have suffered in like manner, and
growing winter vegetables ore Uo much
I'M ured and rotted as to be worthless.
Matters have much improved at Tedding-
ton, Twickenham, and Richmond, except
that at the latter place the water still
keeps to a considerable height, and causes
much Inconvenience at the railway station.
The Mansion House fund for the relief
OF the sufferers now amounts to 10000.
1t is now aScertained that the foods have
done much damage to the growing crops
throughout the country.
THE EASTERN QUEsTIoN.-But for .
certain undercurrent of doubt and sus.
picion which will be easily understood
there is nothing in the present aspect of
affairs to cause any apprehension for the
peace cf Europe. The Turks are sup.
posed to be earnestly endeavOuring to
come to q good understanding with their
much-abused, though certainly rebeIlious
provinces, and the several rulers of the
aforesaid provinces are credited with being
DESTROYS of coming to terms with the
Porte. Russia even is supposed to have
forgotten all shout territorial a%ggrAndise.
ment, and in the midst Of warllke prepara-
tions-if not preparations for war-tO be
seized with a spirit of philanthropy and to
earnestly desire a peaceful solution of that
difficulty which she did so much to pro.
woke and the bulls and bears of the cono
t%inentAl, and Of our own, money market.
sharing, as it would seem. in what may,
after all, prove to be but an Elusive con.
hdence, have been operating tor q rise in
Turkish and Russian securities. Thus,
tueIo are HOC waiting sIBuS Ctlht ttHa aIl-ILn"
portant subject would. if left to itself, die
Of sheer inanition, were it not that we
know there is a good deal of life in it and
q good deal of political capital yet to be
made out of it. The truth is that the
bulk of the people who go in for trade and
" turning the honest penny" are tired of
it, because 1t has crippled Industry and
deprecated capital to an alarming extent.
Indeed. in a business and monetary sense
it is felt that war would have been far less
damaging, and while, therefore, the pre-
sent lulI is felt to be so full of suspicion,
we must not expect any very great im"
provement 10 trade. All the pIenipotentia"
ries have now left Constantinople, and we
shall lave to wait until they have sent In
their reports to their respective Govern
ments before we shall be able to determine
what the next move upon the board will
be. Meanwhile an opinion is gaining
ground that war is less imminent than it was
We learn from Berlin that, notwithstanding
war'ike preparations are still carried on
in the interior of Russia with apparently
undated vigour, it is stated that several
orders given by the Russian Government
to foreign firms for war material have been
countarmanded and the Independence Beige
of Brussels, publishes a telegram from