Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-01-16

I@@C ma Canal company, just held in Paris, more than 3,000 workmen were en- ployed in pushing forward the exoava- tion on the Emperado and the Oulebra in the year 1895, while during the pres ent year the force has been almost dou' bled. The report states that the more the directors advance in the accomplish ment of tho task they undertook tho more their confidence increases in the final result.
 Considerable excitement has been caused at Athens by the publication in the official gazette of Q proclamation calling out the reserves and deoreeing tho immediate formation of camp of exercise and instruction. The conviction is generally entertained that the king, who has recently returned from Vienna, would not have done this had he not acquired there the knowledge that grave events are imminent in the southeast of Europa
 A sentence of divorce has just been pronounced at Munich against the em- press of Austria Is niece, Countess George Larisch, who played so prominent and so questionable @ role In the scandal that eulminated in the tragic death of Crown Prince Rudolph at Meyerling Tho trial took place lin camera, " but i i6 Is generally understood that the grounds upon which tho count based his | demand for D dissolution of tho mar riage rested on the behavior of the countess in connection with tho affair, which, 1t may be remembered, resulted in her banishment from Austria.
 The agitation which has recently taken place in France regarding ox-Oap- tain Dreyfus, condemned to imprison- ment for life for betrayal of military state secrets, has had the effect of oaus- inR the government to institute addi- tionaI measures for the prevention of any escape of the captive. According tc circular inst issued by the minister of the colonies Ut Paris, the governor oi Guiana is ordered to change every three months tho guards charged with the duty of keeping watch on Dreyfus on the He du Diable, where ho isoonfned
 The report of tho Russian prisons dc partment has just appeared in St. Pc tersburg and contains some remarkable statistics. It appears that there are 67l prisons in Asiatic and European RRs sia, with the total number of 100,01t prisoners. The maintenance of this vasi army of criminals. many Of whom arr l merely political offenders, involves eI enormous cost, for which adequate pro vision Is not made by the state Tht consequence is that in the majority 9. cases the inmates of the prison havo tC endure the worst conceivable sanitary conditions, and tho official figures which are invariably optimistic show that no less than 80 per cent of tho pris on population suffer during the yeal from typhoid fever and kindred epidem ica
 A statue of Che late Count Ferdinand de Lesseps is about to be erected at Por Said, at point overlooking the harboi and tho entrance to tho Suez canal
 The commercial treaty between Aus tria and Bulgaria which was on tho point of being negotiated at the time when Prince Ferdinand made his hum ble submission to the ozar, and whiel has hung fire ever since, is finally abou to receive signature and ratification Bulgaria has only obtained this by means of sacrificing number of dc mands which Austria had formerly con sented 10 concede, but which she nov refuses to grant inasmuch, however, a most other countries had declined [, Ratify their new treaties of commerc with Bulgaria until that with Austrii had been arranged, there was practical Iy no other course open to Prince Ferdi pand. The treaty with Austria provide for 6 general Bulgarian duty of IA pc cent ad valoTem, while 90 specified ar tioles arc excepted. These include tim Der and agricultural machines, whiol pay 8 per cent; glassware. I3 per cent and sugar. Is per cent.
 It is reported at Brussels that Barol Dhanis, in command of the Kongo Ere 1 oudtO bLOOpS tn t41O G41H EhAAEys lltt been killed by the Mahdists to the nortI of Lado
 Ex-Cabinet Minister Baihaut, recent ly liberated at the conclusion of tn term of imprisonment for which he wa sentenced for fraud aud corruption, 0 which he had while minister of publi works rendered himself guilty in con l nection with the defunct Panama com ) pany, has, to the astonishment of every body, just been rearrested. It appear that he is still liable to the governmen to the extent of 801, 900 francs for fines costs and legal expenses. The courts re ? gently decided that the unfortunat ? man, who is completely ruined, shoul } either pay this sum at once or be i'm prisoned for another year. Naturally h chose the latter. and has now the con solation of knowing that every minut spent in the penitentiary is wiping of : roughly speaking, about 8 cents of hi : debt to the state.
 The English government has just es , tablished sanctuary for the Africa ' elephant in the coast area of Somaliland Within the reserve shooting of elephant