The San Francisco call., 1896-08-09

Irish peers were willing to support
this Irish mutiny on the vague general
ground that the landed people ought to
stand together. but what they saw of its
spirit, which was precisely that of a meet
ing of small shareholders in a doubtful
concern, eager to do any meanness which
would promise an additional half-penny
OF dividend. sickened them, and on Friday
they stayed away. Some of the papers are
talking wildly about Ministerial conster-
nation and impending designations.
This is nonsense. do not even believe
the land bill will be sacrificed. It is much
more likely that when the Commons re-
turn it to the Lords with their amend
ments mostly cancelled Lord Salisbury
will make speech for all there is in u
and will force the majority to save the
bill. The time is extremely limited, OF
course, but / imagine that is what will be
done.
1t is a rather curious reflection that all
this violent rush to wind up the session by
the 18th at the latest, which has made
necessary a wholesale sacrifice of intended
yet impotent Ministry the laughing stock
of the year, has no objectin the world save
to enable gentlemen of the House not to
miss more than the first week of grouse
shooting.
One of the Irish leaders on Thursday, in
denouncing the proposed extension OF
tenants' turbary rights, appealed touch,
ingly to this same spirit. What would
be the emotions of any of your leader
ships" he demanded, IF when you were
engaged with your party in pheasant
drive tenant should intrude upon the
scene to cut turf"
While the politicians and journals
which profess republicanism in Spain all
deprecate disorder, it is apparent that
there is powerful undertow in the other
direction which gives the authorities at
Madrid much concern. One OF the greatest
difficulties confronting the Government is
the fact that th local officials generally
are mere empty, pompous simpletons who
know nothing whatever about what is GO
ing on under their very noses, and the
minor army officers in charge of the gar
risons are no better. There is rooted
conviction in Spain that the Cuban rebels
and their sympathiZers in Latin America
generally are actively fomentinga revolu-
ton in the mother country and are sub
sidiZing anarchist and republican con-
spiraces.
The French are taking to heart the un-
pleasant showing of their new census
much more than they did five years ago.
Then the republic was il the first throes
of its ecstacy at the prospect of Russian
alliance, and consoled itself by the
lHOuRuL tudL IL lu6 FreQCn pOpuidtiOl1
did not increase the Russian expanded at
a tremendous rate But now good deal
Of gilt is off the gingerbread. Those
multiplying Muscovite hordes by no
means are SO definitely under the French
thumb as they were expected to be, and
the Russian alliance itself is openly de-
pendent on an unbroken succession Of
loans from French savings. These savings
still make France the richest country in
81 No. h,r4 olerN ia s1ir 1iT1r
attraction to outside robbers. Germany
has now 100000 more people than
France, and the disparity increases with
tragic certainty yearly.
England has gone crazy this year over
cricket to an extent which seems abnOr-
mai in even this land of sport Especially
has the contest with the Australian team
aroused extravagGnt interest, and the rub
Der match on Monday h&s been looked for
ward to by literally millions as the crown
ing event of the year. At the last moment
there was an awkward hitch, however.
The usual pay of player in an ordinary
good game is $50, but since this is to be
historical great game some of the best
Englishmen struck for higher wage, and
as 1t was refused they are not playing,
with result, it is feared, that England
will present only second rate team to
bitter national disappointment.
Still another illustrated six-penny
monthly, to be called the Temple Maga-
zlne. will appear next month. Silas K.
Hooking, who is here something what r.
P. Roe used to be in America. is to be one
of its editors, and the prospectus indicates
that it will make a straight appeal to the
vast middIe-class public, which loves the
ology in its literature.
A new Tory six-penny is being organ
lied, with w. II. Mallock as the chief
figure. 1t is to be the organ OF feudal
conservatism which the Saturday Review
has so conspicuously deserted in its revi-
vitied old age.
Justin Mccarthy is hard at work on the
third volume of his History of Our Own
Times" which will take mp the thread at
1880 and bring it down to date. Although
less worldly man than most men. Nc
Carthy will not deny that he has a certain
pleasure in the thoughtthat this volume
will bring in some money from America,
which the others practically did not
HAROLD FREDERIC.
copyright 1896 by the New York Tlmes-l