The herald., 1895-12-29

been cast over the Christmas hold ,ys by
the showers of s!eet, clouds of cruel damp
ness and waves of icy cold which have been
the weather features of the week. driving
in doors almost every body but the home
less and the pol cemen, causing the streets
to labo- under Il D ainfuli, deserted appear
ance. and on he other hand, making the
happy ones hug their firesdes with an air
of well-saiis;ied conteutment most pleas
ant to contemplate Il was one of these
Christnases you read about but which you
do not frequently emf ". HowinR ice
laden winds made the interior of Lpndon's
modest habtations like heaven of SUI
preme enjoyment. Every little Christmas
tree. ever SO modest. seemed a shrine 70
worship at after glance at the black, de-
serted, bitterly cold streets.
The d lilcuty between Great Britain and
the United States regarding Venezuela Is
still the leading topic of debate and thought
in public and newspaper circles, but in err
est in the matter has diminished considers
bly,. as from &c standpni Vt of poll les the
crisis is regarded as being over. while at
tention cen ers in its financial aspect.
The reports cabed over here that the
United States commission which will in
quire into the boundary question is eX-
peced to include ex-Minster 4 ward j.
Phelps and ex-Minster Robert Il. Lincoln
met with moth ng but approval.
According TO one account, before send
ing the MESSAGE the prince of Wales en-
tered into communication with the
queen and with the marquis of Salisbury.
Her ajesty, who has followed every de-
velopment of the matter with eager and
anxious interest, is said to have assented
readily. The marquis of Salisbury, it will
appear, was less yielding. but discovering
that the action commended itself to the
royal family, whose dignity was most con-
cerned, he abandQned his scrupl es and APP
proved not only the Princes action, but
the precise terms of the message.
Although the &c neral opinion is expressed
in the specal cable dispatches from the
United States that the tariff revision bill is
not likely to pass the senate, the measure
has caused quite furry in commercial
circles. An Irish industrial organ points
out that the proposed increase in the duty
on wooens will inevitably check the grow
ing trade and that Irish industries suffer
in consequence. Owing to the great mea-
sure of interests centered in irish goods in
the United States by the exhibits made at
the Worlds fair, large orders have been
placed with the mills and hand loom wea-
vers in remote districts OF Donegal All
this development of industry will be stifled
if the tariff revision bill is adopted.
The war scare has had the effect of rous-
ing interest in the American and Canadian
military forces and elaborate and more ac-
curate comparisons between them have
been made.
i ne military correspondent Ol tne GiODe
says in regard to the American officers:
- heir tone is good. they are very keen
and their education is of tile best. doubt
if any country provides so sound system
of education for its young officers as the
West Point academy. Beyond that no on
portunities have been given the senior offi-
GERS for handling troops on large scale,
and few American generals have ever COM
manded more than battalion of infantry
or a regiment of cavalry"
The Globe correspondent EXPIRE sses the
opinion that the organized liua is not
nearly so well trained or reliable as the
British militia.
The. Morning Fost prints an article on
naval questions in the United States. dur
ing which it points out the alleged "dsloy-
atty ana often the dishonesty of officials
responsible for the administration of the
ooclSy ards and construction of the war;
ships" and declares that the navy depart
meni is a ''botbed of jobbery."