Wuex Reuter informed us, on the 12th of May, that an agreement bad been arrived at between Earl Granville, Lord Kimberley, M, Staal, and M, Lessar that was perfectly satisfactory to Eugland, Russia, and the Viceroy of India, it was not unnatural to suppose that the difficulties which had threatened to provoke a rupture between two of the great European Powers lind been finally smoothed over. What that ageeement was, or can have beau, we are by no means yet fully aware; but it soams to have amounted to very little more (han the discovery of some basis on which the more serious negotiations could be undertaken, Townrdsthe end of May, the Daily News announced that despatches had been received from the Russian Government which involved the acceptance of the British proposals; a satis. factory assurance, even though we were quite in the dark as to the nature of the proposals referred to, This, however, was promptly contradicted by the Seo: tary for Foreign Affairs, who stated that negotiations were still proceeding. 'I'he next day brought us ews, that the despatches relativg to the dispute with Russia has been published at the request of Earl Granville himself, and, farther, that Ra france of having no designs upon Herat bad been left unanswered, This, it cannot be denied, bad a somewhat ominous look. rT} showed that a feeling of coldness and suspicion was arising between the Cabinets of London and St, Petersburg, and that the agreement of May 12th, of which so many influential persons were said to have approved, was not #0 important a step in the direction of peace as we were led to think. This morning we publish a telegram whioh is sufficiently clear evidence that the mere prevention of an outbreak of wat is a very different thing from the couclusion of a definite understanding, and that while there seems no present or at least imminent danger of the supreme calamity that has been dreaded we are scarcely yet within measurable distance of a settlement, This will no doubt be a great disappointment to many, who may suspect Russia of intention ally prolonging negotiations in order to strengthen her position iv of those negotiations being ausucca fal. It la uncertain, again, how far the occupation of Port Hamilton by the British has contributed to the present complication; but the step is reptesented by the Moscow Gazette as a distinct menace to Russia, and the Government is urged to demand its evacuation, ug Herat by way of reprisals if the present moment there are sever: British, men-of-war at the point in question, and the British naval authorities upon the seaboard of China are oxercising constant vigilance. And, so far as we can jadge from the other telegrams that we have received, the situation of England is by no meade free from embarrassment elsewhere,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.