Ir is carious to notice the current of public thought in England since the Liberal party came into office, and the distinction already existing between the politics of the oppositionistsand thesame party when controlled by the responsibilities of power. The news received by the French mail affords the means of comprehending many of the telegrams received, which, although strictly correct, needed the explanation of surrounding circumstances for their understanding. Practically the main features of the policy of the late Government have been accepted as inevitable, and the most striking instance of this is in South Afries, The policy which led up to the Zula: War was hardly a Governmental one; it was developed by circumstances on the spot, and was as distasteful to the Into as it would have been to the present Ministry. More nearly interesting to us in China is the disavowal of Mr, Gladstone's remarks with regard to Austria, and the official statement that the Government was prepared to act with Austria towards maintaining the peace of Europe. Of matters nearer still it may be observed that the difficulty between Russia and China is occupying a considerable share of atten tion, more, in fact, than its ints importance seems to warrant. The Economist, which but a few weeks ago was advocating the policy of strengthening the peace party at Poking, has commenced to look at the facts of the case, and if it is as yet not very wise, and has not as yet grasped the salient points of the case, has certainly taken a step in advance towards comprehending the points at issue, It is satisfactory to find a hint thrown out that an attempted blockade of the open ports will not be acknowledged, and an indication given that the result of the proposed blockade, while it would be @ matter merely of annoyance to Chins, would seriously affect English and Indian interests. Indeed, there seems some reason for the belief that the opportunity apparently offered of interfering with British trade with China has as mach to do with the attitude of Russia with regard to Kuldja as the importance of the position itself, Except for the purposes of deranging foreign trade with China, the armed cruisers said to have been sent out to Eastern waters cannot be of much avail in a war between China and Russia. We ourselves, when we found it necessary to go to war, found it also to our interest to permit trade to go on in its accustomed channels, and it is not easy to see to what good purposes the armed cruisers can be put except as a sort of goad to force England snd Germany to place unde pressure on China to compel her to submit to the demands of Russia, The quarrel between China and Russia is of a simple' nature, so simple that the Pall Mall Gazette, under its now inspiration, proposes that it should be put to arbitration, The difficulty is that the dispute is of a nature too simple even for this. No reasonable man could for a moment have any doubts as to the decision in such a case, and unfortunately it would be of such nature as to please neither party. Rassia would have to submit on the one side to an award binding it to refrain from future extent and to abstain from making a camp of the valley of the Ili; China, on the other, would have to submit to the opening up to trade of its western provinces, and the withdrawal of its exclusive policy. No impartial arbitrator would require less than this from either party, yet these are the very points on which each is ready to go to war. The most direct course to take in this Knuldja affair is the simplest, namely to compel both belliger= ents to Sght out the matter on the spot. Fortunately, it is sufficiently removed from the basis of operations in each ease to tax the energies of the two empires to a degree out of all proportion to the value of the interests concerned. Russia might find it necessary to withdraw some troops from Central Asia, but the base of operations will be rather Orenburg and Semipalatinsk than Bokhara and the Khanates; China, on the other hand, will have to operate through Mongolia rather than by Kashgar, The Russians here are more at home than the Chinese, though it may be that they will find bat poor sustenance for the army required in the steppes of Siberia In any case, if we take caro in this matter of ourselves, it is not likely that great damage will be done to either of the powers engaged. Both will very soon tire of a useless game in which no honour or advantage is to be had. The danger to our interests lies not in Russia and Ohina fighting over Kuldja, but in having our commotes with the Far East interfered with in furtherance of a quarrel in which we have no part,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.