, 1885-07-26

LONDON. July %. popular interest on
politics has been again transferred from
parliament to the hastings. When the
Tories assumed power there was q gen
eral, though vogue, idea that they would
at once %lnaugurate u radical foreign policy
and public interest was centered on parlia-
ment But the Conservatives in office
have been ever less belligerent than the
Liberals were, and the people now await
new declarations of PRINCIPALS from both
parties. Many members of parliament
have already left London and gone to
their respective boroughs to arrange for
the coming struggle. All Indications show
that the next battle at the polls will be by
all odds the severest and rost closely con
tested which has been waged in England
since the famous campaign of 1896. At
present it wonld be hazardous to give odds
on either side. The Tory political agents
Of the provinces continue to send in prom
ising reports of their party's prospects.
Nearly every report received from these
gentry by the central association contains
confident assurances of victory in the
farming districts and minor boroughs over
the Radicals, as the Liberals are called
since the Wings have been so largely su-
perseded in the management of the affairs
of the Gladstone party. The Conserva-
tives have decided to contest every con-
s%tituency in Great Britain where there is
any chance for success. Tory candidates
will therefore, stand for every constituency
in England and Scotland except in about
forty, where the Liberals have such an
assured ~ascendancy, it would he a waste Of
energy to try to beat them. An enor-
nous fund for defraying election expenses
has already been accumulated by the Con-
servatives.
Col Frederick Stanley, secretary of
state for the colonies, has tacitly promised
to revive the negotiations which were
abandoned by Lord Derby, his predecessor
in office, for a commercial treaty between
the United States and the British colonies
in the West Indies.
The refusal Of the Bank of Ireland to
eoncede assistance to the Munster bank
has aroused the intense Indignation of all
Irish Nationalist. The Nationalist news
papers threaten to organize n crusade
against the bank as a foreign corporation,
whose notes the Irish people should re-
fuse, demanding gold" The United Ire
land, Parnells organ, declares the Bank
Of Ireland is a source Of danger to the
country. at is endowed, " declares the
United Ireland. with extraordinary pow
eE which are used solely for its W ag-
grandizement and tn the detriment of
Irish trade and credit, 1t is not an Irish
bank, it is merely a branch of the Free
Masons' Orange lodge. Of its eighty Off 1
GERS and agents, but eight are Catholics"
From Berlin it is stated that a commit
tee of Masons, which have been directing
the bricklayers strike, now admit the
strike is practically over. The committee
claims the Masons have been successful
and have more CONCESSIONS than were ex-
pected. 1t %justiies the strike, but com-
plains bitterly Of the Interference of the
authorities in favor OF the employers.
Many instances are given Of this i%nterfer-
enee. II is even declared thar the Berlin
postof6ce department attempted 10 break
the strike by intervening sums of money
sent TO assist the strikers by sympathizers
from different parts of the empire Des-
pite the virtual ending of the contest,
building in Berlin remains practically sus-
pended.