Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-09-24
Our European Letter.
LONDON, Eng. Sept. 8, 1877!

The parliament which for the sixth time
has been prorogued assembled at West
minister on the 9th Of March, 1874. At
the end of its sixth session it was there
fore five years, five months and ten days
old It's predecessor, which was dissolved
during the premiership of Mr.. Gladstone
on the Goth of January, 1874, had lasted
five years. one month and sixteen days.
and the parliament which was dissolved
in 1868 had an existence Of three years,
two months and twenty-seven days. The
present assembly is therefore its longest
lived since the parliament summoned by
Lord Derby on the 3lst of May. 1859. and
dissolved by Lord Palmerston on the 9Th
of July 1865, six years, one month and
six days. Although the present session
witnessed comparatively few changes,
taking the life of this parliament as
whole, the number of new members re-
turned is equal to that which has often
come back from the country as the result
off general election. Fifty-Yine members
have died-four in 1874, twelve in 1875,
fourteen in 1876, eight in 1877, fifteen in
1873, and six thus far in 1879. Mr..
Charles Gilpin was the first member re-
moved by death, Captain Stackpoole was
the last. Up to the end of 1877 the NOR
tallty was greatest amongst the conserva-
alive party, but since the beginning of
1873. of the twenty-one members who
have died only seven were supporters of
the administration, the remainder being
divided between the liberals and the home
rulers, much smaller body in the house
Of commons. OF the sixth deaths this
year three were amongst the home rulers
and two amongst the liberals; the only
conservative member who has died since
the beginning of 1879 was Mr.. Whitelaw.
1t is not only in telephones that London
is behind American cities; and though ia
this respect it is said that the metropolis is
shortly to be placed ahead of New York,
there is but little prospect of Improvement
in other directions. The conveyance of
luggage is one matter in which we are
terribly behindhand, yet nobody seems in
clined TO adopt a system of checks and
express wagons such as has been so profit
ably and conveniently established in the
United States. In the same way the
organization Of messengers who are TO be
obtained at any hour of the day or night
by the payment Of a ANAL annual fee has
never been attempted here, though they
would certainly be employed largely when
once the plan was understood. Even
when London has an advantage, it surren-
ders it without demand. A few years ago
the district telegraph enabled any one to
send a dispatch for sixpence. The govern
ment took the concern over and since then
all Londoners have had to pay shilling.
Nothing, indeed, can we'll be more surprs-
ing than the indifference of the population
of the largest city in the world to its own
convenience. In the matter of water a
stir is now being made; but how calmly
has the bad and insufficient supply been
tolerated for years. Private enterprise,
vigorous as it is in this country, seems at
times to fall unaccountably short of its
opportunities, while general grumbling
has far less effect in bringing about a
rapid change than is sometimes imagined.
Of all the manpuvres that will be at
tended this autumn by British officers,
commissioned by her majesty's govern
ment to witness and report upon these
magnificent exercises, the most interesting
and instructive will probably be those per-
formed by the army corps stationed in
Germany's western frontier. They will
take place under the personal command
and superintendent Of the venerable
German emperor, who for the first time
since its formation will inspect in the field
the splendid corps added to Germany's
national army by the annexation of Elsass-
Lothringen. This corps is almost exclu-
sively composed of leves raised in the
provinces that only nine years ago were
an integral part of the French empire. 1t
has been trained and is commanded by
Prussian officers, and will have the honor
when brought under the notice Of its war
rior monarch, of taking part in what are
called "Royel Manplvres" Shat is to say,
man9euvres' in which two entire army
corps act against each other, upon plans
of mutual attack and defence, roughly
sketchei out for their commanders by the
most eminent Prussian strategists Of the
day. Nearly sixty thousand men Of all
arms will be employed in these gigantic
operations of mimic warfare, which will
be followed by divisional name lvres in
every military district of Germany.
ALPHA.