The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-01-27

towards these arrears, and, notwithstand-#
ing the Sultan.s orders, no reduction Is
made in villages which suffered during
the smassacres or from which many peas
ants have emigrated.
While the Sultan is thus causing TINS
widespread suffering. the Shah of Persia
is adopting an utterly different policy
The London Times says:
I'VE now learn from Persia that one
Of the first acts of Shah Muzaffer-ed-Dln
on reaching Tabriz on his return journey
from Europe. has been to issue orders TO
the Governors of the Persian provinces
commanding them to give every facility
to his Armenian subjects for opening ana
establishing schools. for delivering public
addresses and lectures on all educational
matters, and to form or found national
and commercial societies without being
obliged on each occasion to make 4 formal
application to the Central Government at
Teheran for permission.
These concessions and privileges will
be highly priced by the Armenians, both
in Persia and throughout the world,
1t is worthy OF further recording here
that the Shah. on concluding his visit to
the Sultan, sent most gracious message
to the Armenian Patriarch at CONSTANT
nople. whom circumstances had prevented
paying his homage, and that on passing
Mount Ararat he halted at Etchmiadzin.
received the Supreme Catholics of the
Armenans, and conferred on him the Per
sian Order of the Lion and, the Sun
mounted in brilliants as a token of his
high esteem.
Christmas in Vienna was
rendered noteworthy by the
Wid[K cablegram that Mark Twain
Tt. sent his friends on that dry.
wallis 1t was as follows:
Prosperity and happiness
to my friends in the Empire. The same
to my enemies on Christmas Day, but not
after that date.-iark Twain
The Leylund Line have in
nndon augurated a new service be-
a, tween London. Vera Cruz
anu view (Mexico), and New Orleans.
0r!oane The first steamer, the Jamai-
can. of 4,5o0 tons register,
will leave New Orleans for London at the
end of this week, nnd Will leave London
on January 10Th, for Vera Cruz and New
Orleans, to. ne followed at three-weekly
intervals by the Albanian and Barbarian,
carrying passengers and cargo, and thus
affording facilities for winter trips to
Mexico and the Southern States Of Anaeri-
ca The business will be conducted in
New Orleans at the company's Offices
there and in London.
News has been received
ri, from Canton OF the sinking
VlllltSe Of a passenger steamer nenr
Ho-kau, on the. West River.
Drowned. a man had fallen overheard
and the passengers made a
rush TO the side of the steamer. The yes
sci wns overcrowded and capsiZed. OF the
400 persons on board over 200 were
drowned.
The report OF the opium adj
n. ministration of Burma, just
L JnffIFn IN &c IL h 10 he
frankness of it's confession Of
burma. the failure of the Govern
ment's policy. It is admitted
that wholesale smuggling is rife, one dis
trct officer estimating the consumption of
illicit opium in his district at seven times
that of Government opium. Licenses are
purchased at figures which cannot be re-
munerative except when the licensed VEN
doris are in league with smugglers. Dur
ing the year a ton and half Of snug
Sled opium was seized at Mandalay alone.
and this is a, mere fraction of the total
smuggled from China and Slanland.
a unique casket will be
NJ ,cJ presented to Lord Roberts
WONDERFUL with the honorary Freedom
Of Winchester. 1t is made
CdSket. out Of two pieces of wood
dating from the time of AL
fred the Great and of William the Con-
aueror respectively. A Danish galley
wrecked and burned by King Alfred in
the HANDLE River. Hampshire, provinces
tie one relic, and a gift of oak from the
roofing of the Norman Cathedral at VIM
chester furnishes the other.