The herald., 1897-07-04

exciting great derision among the few
newspapers which have deigned to no.
tice the cruel and utterly unfounded re-
ports.
Truth, referring to the abdication
Sensation" says: "This very very an
cient fimflam has been imposed upon
during the last thirty-four years. The
queen has no more idea of abdicating
than she has of touring central Africa"
Regarding the sensation" cruelty en-
gineered by the New York newspaper
about the queens eyeslght. an official
who is in daily contact whit the queen
informs the Associated Press that the
statement to the effect that the queen
is almost totally blind is an absolute un-
truth.
There seems but little doubt but that
Ntcolini is dying. From friend of Nine.
Patti, who has just returned from visit
to her at Craig-y-nos. the Associated
Press learns that Nicolini is greatly
changed in appearance. He Is terribly
emaciated and spends most Of his time
in bed.
POLITICAL NOTES
NEW YORK, July ga Herald dis
patch from London says: 1.-THE only
possibility of war interesting Canada
is war with the United States and that
1 refuse to consider" declared Premier
Laurier when the proposition was made
to him here that Canada help the Brit
ish navy.
The World correspondent Is able to
give, on the highest authority, exclusive
particulars Of the conference between
Colonial Secretary Chamberlain and the
colonial premiers.
Three things have grown out Of the
presence Of the colonial premiers in
England for the jubilee which interest
the United States. One is the PROPOSE
tion for penny postage to all parts of the
empire; another the es -ablishment of q
naval reserve in the colonies and the
third, military cooperation with Eng
land on the part of all the colonies.
Thursdays conference brought out the
suggestion that penny postage to the
colonies be made an achievement of the
jubilee year. This Is tantamount to its
acceptance and it means that a letter
to New York from London would cost
five cents, while letter from London to
Montreal would cost two cents. A strik-
ing illustration of the discrepancy would
be furnished by Detroit, Mich, and
Windsor, Ont. They are only separated
by the Detroit river, but there would be
three cents difference in cost Of sending
letters from London.
In the naval matter Premier Laurier's
attention. was called to the facts that
Australia is to furnish a squadron and
Il NPr s-I- a.
battleship If Newfoundland would fur
nish the mem 1t is not quite certain
that this would be a violation of the
treaty with the United States.
In regard to the military no recruiting
for the English army is done at present
in the colonies. The proposition is to
have recruiting offices established in
the provinces. including Canada. The
Premier Of South Africa was especially
In favor Of this in order to give an op-
portunity to enroll imperial troops at
the Cape.
1t would give an opportunity to enroll
imperial troops against President Kru-
ger of the Transvaal on his own ground.
At the next meeting Of the Premiers
the rights of Great Britain with respect
to the Solomon Islands, New Hebrides
and the Pacific Islande generally will
come up.
Immediate annexation will meet Mr..
Chamberlain's views and undoubtedly
those Of the eleven Premiers. This is
interesting in view Of the papers COM
ment on Hawaii.
No London paper has mentioned one
word of this. Mr.. Chamberlain Is anx-
ious that is be kept very quiet.
More important than any OF these
matters to England is the proposition
which was seriously entertained at the
instance of Richard Seddon, the Pre-
mier of New Zealand, for Parliamentary
representation of all the colonies at
Westminster. At present Ireland, with
a population of four millions. has 1870
members of the House Of Commons and
is not satisfied, willis Canada, with five
millions population has none, yet shouts,
"God save the Queen" The Mail sug-
gests Sir Wlifred Laurier himself for
the House of Commons.