Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-22
AFFAIRS IN EUROPE
Opposition in England to the 1.-THE
Rate Bill.
VOLUNTEERS FOR TIE BRITISH ARMY
London is Just Now Undergoing an
Era of Rehabilitation.
GERMANY'S NEW STAMPS

| position to its 1.-THE rate bill, which pro-
i poses to grant the sum of EST 900 per
mum to the clergy of the Church of Eng
| land. The liberals and radicals are fight
! ing the bill tooth and nail, but, of course,
| with a majority Of 1873 in commons, the
| conservatives will have their way. No one
| contests the fact that many of the clergy
| are poor, and that the tax rate presses
heavily upon them. Some poor parsons are
managing to keep respectable and support
| the proverbially large clerical family on in
| comes ranging from ESQ to 200 year. The
opponents to the bill, however think that
| the possessors of rich or fat" livings
| should disgorge for the benefit of their
poorer brethren.
| An examination of the bill discloses a
plan on the part of the government to COM
pei the already overburdened citizen of
| London to contribute annually 10000 of
| the sum needed. This eXcites the keenest
| opposition. There is no more patient being
| on the earth's surface than the average
| Londoner; but even he will wake upper
| chance tomorrow-and apprise mis- friends
| of the government that there are limits to
| the policy of pillage.
This policy will probably result in the
| liberals capturing the seats now being con-
| tested at bye elections, especially in Lon
! don, as they have secured four in the coun-
| try recently. The worst feature of the bill
is that it does not relieve only the poor
| clergy, but it is general measure that as
SiStS those who in no way need 1t. 1t has
| been ascertained that the rector of Hat
field. the son of the prime minister, will
receive f10O year under the bill.
! CIergymen's Wills.
| Some ingenious person has made ii his
business to look up recently proved wills of
| deceased clergynen and list has been
published giving the names of 122 clergy
| men who have left in the aggregate the
enormous sum of f15,677,9 4S The sums left
by each are appended to the individual
| names. This list is being distributed
| among electors at bye elections with the
| following comment added:
This is indeed record of hypocrisy and
avarce which should open the eyes of the
! English people 1t is u list of only few
| of the clergy, who, having spent their lives
| in preaching poverty to their fiocks, and
| appealing ceaselessly for aid for their less
| fortunate curateS, left by their wills enor-
nous funds invested in consols other
curities. The clergy are doing now as they
| have always done in the past, in all coun-
| tries, persistently accommodating riches;
| they know well that wealth means influence
| and power, and the religious principles
| which they enjoin on their focks they
| cretly ignore themselves. Let the clerical
| plutocrats sell out their stocks and shares
| and divide up, and there will be no need
| for any abatement of tithes or societies for
! the relief of poor curates.'
Indian Currency.
| There is general approval in parliamen-
| tary circles of the Fowler report on Indian
| currency. The recommendations proceed
| on the lines that had been foreseen, that
| there is the greater readiness in approving
| them. The bimetallists are, 1 lind, on the
| whole, reconeiled to gold currency. They
see that their fear of gold is no longer a
| reasonable ohe-that the great production
| of gold in South Africa and elsewhere has
| entirely changed the situation, and that
| in point of fact their agitation is out CT
| date.
| 1t is probable that Lombard street Will
| not be favorable to the proposals of the re-
| port, for its interest is to keep gold from
| flowing out to India, but the value of sta
| pity Is, 1t Is believed, so great as to out
| weigh all objections on that score. 1t is
| the hope in official circles that as soon as a
| staple exchange is assured capital will read
| lily find its way TO India and Will give her
enterprises and industries new stimulus.
In important mercantile quarters that hope
| is not strong.
1t will, it is believed, take some time be-
| fore confidence in the Indian currency IS
| thoroughly established, but that confidence
| will. it is believed, come, and will bring
with 1t all the advantages the government
| look for Much qualification is experienced
| at the news from Washington that the
| United States government regard the re-
| port with favor and that the gold standard
| Tor America is practically secured.
| British Volunteers
The British government has not yet de-
| c;ded to enforce compulsory conscription in
| order to fill up the ranks of the army, but
| war officials are constantly urging that
! something be done since it is so difficult to
| obtain sufficient men. At present the oblf-
| cations of the militia include liability to be
called out for garrison service in the united
! Kingdom, and, under certain conditions
even to be drafted for service at Malta
| Gibraltar or the Channel Islands But IL
vpllnteer bn cran ia1
passed last year, they at once become Liable
| to go on any war service to any part of the
world for period not exceeding twelve
months.
The special militiamen called Up for serv-
| ice under the act receives shilling day
| and ell found. If he be married the wife
receives eight pence day and each child
| two pence a day. the family. of course, re-
naming at their home. If he be wounded
| or killed the wife and family are to be
| dealt with under the regulations which ap-
| ply to regulars under the like conditions
The special militiaman also receives q
| pound extra bounty per annum. and when
he has completed his eight, ten or twelve
| months special service he is sent home and
given five pounds. Officers who have had
| to explain the section to their men tell me
| that they look on the scheme with suspi-
cion, and dislike the idea which it conveys
| to them, that they would be shipped off to
all parts of the world if they joined. Only
| a very small percentage of mel have vol
unteered. In one battalion forty men out
l OF ODU volunteered, anu III dHulleT III the
| same camp only thirty men out of $50 vol
unteered
improvements in London.
London is busy remodeling herself. and in
| a few years Americans who visit the Brit
| ish capital after a long absence will look
| in vain for old haunts which it gave them
pleasure to spy out on former visits With
| Fleet street and the Strand widened some
| streets abolished. old places pulled down
| and new and finer buildings erected, Lon
! don will seem a new place, and perhaps
! the coming Chicago man will even ac-
| knowledge that the town is nearly as fine
/ as the boasted windy city, Other i'm
! provements go on apace and scarcely a
street but has its quota of old mortar from
down-coming buildings to blind ones ewes
| or the ciatter of reconstruction to deafen
| the ears.
| By far the biggest scheme of all was pre-
scented today by the parliamentary commit
| tee of the London county council 1t is
/ described as 1.-THE largest scheme of Inn
] provement that has ever been placed be-