The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-08
FOREIGN NEWS.


FOREIGN NEWS.
It Is asserted that the women in Siberia
comprise only Is or 20 per cent OF the pOpula-
ton, and fearful state OF decentralization Is
the result.
1t is said that the phylloxera threatens the
utter extinction of the vineyards OF Carentes,
whence the finest brandy comes, and those OF
Portugal as well.
Direct communication from Vienna to Con-
stantinople by way OF the Danube, which had
been suspended for two years, was recently
resumed, and under such improved arrange
ments the distance is made In seventy hours.
The Paris Mint has commenced the coinage
OF 14,80O,OOO francs IN gold, silver and bronze
adopted Is that Of the Latin union. Servia
has no national money yet and business has
hitherto been transacted in the coins OF the
adjoining countries.
It Is expected that the St Gothard Tunnel
will be completed by the end of November.
1881 metres; that on the Goeschenen side 649
metres from the centre Of the mountain; and
it is expected that the junction Of the two
galleries will be made SOME 300 metres from
the centre Oh Its southern side.
June is was what Is now known In London
as Hospital Sunday. 1t Is there an estab-
lished annual custom for appeals to be made
In all the churches and chapels OF the metrop-
oils, upon stated Sunday, in behalf OF such
hospitals as are insuficlently endowed. The
contributions upon Hospital Sunday, 1878,
aggregated nearly S125,0O0.
1t is stated that among number of prop
critics destroyed by the lava streams Of Mount
Etna are the following, In the territory Of
Castlgltone: The country house and vineyard
| of M. Spolo, of Randazzo, valued at 100000
| francs; the vineyard Of M. CimfnO, at Cas-
| tglione, 10000 francs and q walnut wood be-
longing to M Pennisi- Iayazza, the value OF
which Is set down at over 900 francs.
| A strange occurrence Is reported from Wet
| ztkon, Canton Zurich, in Switzerland. On
June the commune was Invaded by an I'M
| mile wide, and SO long that the procession
| took two hours to pass. They were principal
ly Of the kind known In Switzerland as Dis
telfalter, which feed on nettles and thistles.
They flew from ten to thirty feet above the
ground, and went off In northwesterly d.
rectiOn.
The latest advices from China are to the
effect that Ii Yung Choi, the pretender to the
throne Of Annam but whose operations ex-
tend likewise over part OF the Chinese prov
tains o. the frontier Of Tonquin, and bids de-
fiance alike to the Annamites and the Impe-
rialists. The Chinese commander, Feng, Is
endeavoriny to draw away the followers OF
the rebel chieftafn by promising free pardon
to all who return to Their allegiance But
brave and astute as Ii Yung Choi has shown
himself to be, we suppose that his discOm-
future is but question OF time.
The failures Of farmers are becoming alarm
ingly frequent In England. In 1870 they num-
bered 1923; in 1875, 354; in 1876, 48o; in 1877,
AT; 10 1878, 815, and in the first half Of 1879,
no fewer than 614. In addition, the facts are
well known that farmers In many counties
are now losing their capital, that landlords
find great difficulty In reletting at any price,
and that the lemissions of rents have only
mo ion NJ hn tu ho Ia nd NJ
England becomes less and less able to COM
pete with that Of other countries in the growth
Of meat and cereal crops, the alteration In the
conditions will have an effect not only on the
persons INN ediately concerned, but on Eng
land as q whole.
The most costly school building In the
world is probably the new Polytechnic Insti-
tute In Hanover. The late King OF Hanover
commenced the construction of a magnificent
palace, upon which he expended about five
million dollars. When his government was
overthrow and the kingdom Of Hanover be-
| came province Of Prussia, the building was
| found in a half-tinished condition. For sew
eral years the windows were boarded up, and
the empty rooms became the residence OF
bats and birds. At last the German govern
ment resolved to alter the building and adapt
IT to the use Of the polytechnic school. The
work has been going forward for several
years, and Is now nearly ended.
Leprosy has made its appearance In several
4 pol w vi The spanish province OIL Alicante,
and the authorities, alarmed by the number
OF cases and the mortality, have taken steps
to establish special hospital for lepers.
In the province Of Valencia 116 cases were re-
ported last year, of which seventy-one proved
fatal, and ID this province there has existed
for long time a lepers hospital. Leprosy
Is known there under two names, the maIady
Of Maures and the malady of st. Lazarus
and it manifests itself under two forms-the
tubular, or leprosy Of the Greeks, and the
vulgar, OF leprosy OF the Jews. Cases of re-
covery are extremely rare. Full statistics
respecting II are net to be procured, as its
notion that leprosy is to be found now only
in Asia and Africa is erroneous; it is met
with in various countries OF Continental Eu-
| rope.
Prince Napoleon (Plon-Plon). the present
head OF the house of Bonaparte, reflected on
the Orleans family in speech in the French
Senate, and was challenged by the Due d'Au-
male, but declined, to the Indignation and