The record-union., 1898-01-06
QUEER SpRIGS OF GENTILITY.

Much comment has been created in
the court circles of Europe by the fact
that the Gar while at Darmstadt sub
1ected the reigning Prince of Montene-
gro TO an even worse snub than that
administered to the Grand Duke of
Bad"n. The ruler of Montenegro had
1ourneyed all the way from his own
capital for the purpose of quietly visit
Ing the Russian Emperor the journey
invoiving four days and nights travel,
but wa1s met at Baden-B Baden by a mes
sage from the Czar declaring that he
could not possibly find time to accord
MIN an audience. The Prince, consider
ably fatigued by his trip, stayed over
lWenty-four hours at Baden, and, un-
deferred by the curtness of the mes
sage received, addressed a request TO
the Car to reconsider his decision, but
without avail the second message from
the Russian autocrat being still less
friendly and courteous in tone than the
previous one.
Much put out and mortified, the
Prince of Montenegro left for Paris,
where, after a two days stay, he re-
turned to his dominions saddened by
the reflection that times had changed
indeed since the late Alexander III. in
a memorable speech had referred to him
as being the only true and trusted
friend of Russia" and by thought of
how different things might have been
if he present Car had married his
daughter as had been arranged.
The refusal Of young Emperor Mich
olas to receive him was all the more
pointed as Princess Francis Joseph of
Battenburg, who is a daughter of the
Prince Of Montenegro, was staying with
her husband at Darmstadt at the time.
She like all of her married sisters, is
indebted for her dowry to the reigning
house Of Russia, which, moreover, pro-
vid7 d7s the greater part of the income of
the always impecunious Prince Of Mon
tenegro, so that the latter is debarred
from resenting in any way the manner
in which he has been treated.
The King of Siam is a good deal of
a casuist. When he arrived at Mad
rid the other day he expressed anxiety
to witness a bull fight. This had not
been included in the programme orig
inaily drawn up for his entertainment,
for, in the first place, the Queen Re
gent abominates. that particular form
Of national diversion, and, secondly, it
was remembered that cattle play so
great a part in the Buddhist religion
that in India, during the great religious
festivals, English soldiers actually are
appointed to do sentry duty where the
sacred cattle are picketed in order to
prevent the holy beasts from being
harmed in any way by Moslem fanat-
les, the slaughter or manning of COWS
by Moslems during the religious festi-
walls Of the Buddhists and Brahmins
frequently having led to sanguinary
CONFLICTS between the Hindoos and the
followers of Islam, which were not ter
minated by British troops until thous-
ands of the natives had been killed
Indeed. riots of this kind take place
almost every year at Bombay and
other great Indian cities, and Of such
Importance is the military protection
of the sacred cattle regarded by the
BrItish authorities in the interests of
the maintenance Of peace that the SOL
diers have dubbed that particular form
of sentinel guard as st Cows Duty"
Under the circumstances it was feared
that the torturing and killing of cattle
in corrida would offend the religious
susceptbiities of his Siamese majesty.
The King, however, first of all inquired
as to the sex of the cattle that were
used for sport in the ring, and on learn
ing hat the animals were of the male
persuasion remarked that his religion
only forbade the slaughter of cows.
and that there was nothing to prevent
his seeing bulls put to death. Conse
quently the King witnessed a full-fedg-
ed bull fight at Madrid.
A story is in circulation at the court
of The Hague concerning the young
Queen of Holland which shows that she
fully shares the pronounced aversion
OF her subjects for Germany and in
every particular prefers the French. 1t
seems that on the last occasion when
she met Emperor William she insisted
on responding in French to the remarks
which he addressed to her in German.
and on his asking her why she did not
speak German she tartly replied that
1t was merely because she preferred
French" That she has a ready tongue
of her own is demonstrated by the fact
that the first time she met the Prince
of Wales she informed him that he was
the only aniable Englishman that she
had yet met
AAG tSAihSSc new SpdpEISt anu, Wnaf
is more, those organs which are recog-
nized as the semi-official organs of the
Austrian Government, are not only
calling attention TO the efforts of the
Bulgarian authorities to delay the
bringing to justice of those who are
responsible for the murder of the poet
Constantinoff last May, but likewise
declare IN the most positive and unre-
stricted manner that there is no doubt
that the man was assassinated by
Colonels Minkoff and Bobekoff by ord
er Of Prince Ferdinand
Colonel Bobekoff is VIGOROUSLY the
real murderer of the former Minister of
Finance, Beltscheff, who was assassin
ated one evening by a shot In the back
while walking through the streets of
Sofia in the dusk with his friend the
late Premier Stambuloff, who evident
ly was intended as the victim Of the
attack, Beltscheff being shot by mis-
take. In spite of this Colonel Bobe-
kof remains the most intimate friend
and constant associate of Prince Fer
dinand.
This is the first time that / can re-