The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-04

Interesting Notes ON Matters That Are
Talked Of In Europe.

Interesting Notes ON Matters That Ar
Talked Of In Europe.
/ Reports current to the effect that tn
czar is SO alarmingly i'll as to call 70
the appointment Of q regency pending
his recovery are conclusively proved I,
be unfounded by his presence at the sol
emn ceremony Of the blessing OF the wa
ters Of the Neva, which has just taker
place at st Petersburg The function
in question, which was followed by an
imperial review Of all the troops of the
garrison in front of the Winter palace,
is both long and wearisome, involving
the monarch's remaining bareheaded
for a considerable length of time in
spite of the piercing cold Of st. Pc
tersburg winter. That Nicholas should
have been able to take the leading part
both at the religious ceremony and at
the subsequent military parade shows
that he cannot be as seriously i'll as has
been asserted.
Art collectors and owners Of picture
galleries in this country will be inter
ested to learn that not only are the old
masters Of Prince 6ciarra- Colonna about
to be brought to the hammer at Rome,
but also those Of the princely house Of
Borghese. Until now the heads of these
two great patrician families, who are
both of them bankrupt, have been de-
barred by the SO called Pasca law from
disposing Of their pictures, some of
which are well nigh priceless. But the
Italian government has now consented
to compromise, whereby, in return
for the gift to the nation of certain of
their masterpieces, the two princes re-
ceive permission to sell, either to native
or foreign purchasers, the remainder of
their paintings.
Much alarm has been created both at
Rome and in London by the altogether
unexpected news of an advance in force
by the Mahdi ON Kassala Although tho
abandonment of that most important
stronghold by the Italians to the Anglo
Egyptian government had already been
arranged, yet the transfer has not taken
place, and it is feared that, with its
weakened Italian garrison, it may fall
into the hands Of the dervishes before
either English or Italian nre-enforcements
can reach the city.
Cardinal Mertel, who in point of
age is the dean Of tho sacred college,
is now dying at Rome Of extreme old
age, being in his ninety third year. He |
is "a lawyer by profession and lay |
member Of the synod of cardinals. Min
ister Of finance and of the interior dur |
ing the temporal reign of Piux TX, he !
became after 1870 the principal legal !
adviser of the holy see.
Extraordinary preparations are being
made in Germany for the celebration
On March % next of the hundredth an
niversary of the birth of old Emperor
William. A magnificent monument fac
ing the palace i'll which he used to live
is to be unveiled OH that day in Berlin,
and most OF the sovereigns of the other
states OF the German confederation have
to come to Berlin to take part
N the festivities organized for the occa-
,ion
General Bourbaki, who for some
Tears past has lived in almost monastic
:etirement at Bayonnc, is reported to
DC dying. He played prominent part
ii the siege Of Metz and was one of the
principal dupes and accusers Of Marshal
BaZaine. On the rout of the unframed
evies which he commanded, which
crossed the frontier into Switzerland,
notly pursued by the German forces un-
der General Won Werdor he attempted
70 commit suicide, infiictins upon him
self dangerous wound, from which it
took him long time to recover.
The pope has ordered that the next
,anonizatlon shall be celebrated In st.
Peters, which will be beautifully
iraped for the occasion and lighted by
hundreds upon hundreds of great chan
1eliers. 1t will bc the first time that
has been celebrated in st.
Peters since 1867, and il is estimated
that the cost of the ceremony will ex-
ceed 500, 00O
The special commission sent to CEN
Iral Asia by the Russian government to
study the question of the possibility of
restoring the river Anu Daria to its
ancient bed has completed its labors
and returned to St Petersburg, where
e has reported in favor of the scheme.
It is declared perfectly feasible at a
small cost, and if put into
Execution will modify the entire eco
lomic and strategical condition Of CEN
raj Asia by establishing an uninter-
'uptcd waterway from the confines of
to the Baltic.
A curious legal action is reported
rom London in connection with the
kidnapping i'll London of the Chinese
ioctor Sun Vat Sen by the Chinese en-
'assy last October. An English servant,
Who had been in the employ Of the EN-
'assy for seven years, received n prom
Sc from the doctor and his English
rlpudS outside of a su,p ~ 90 S00 ~ |