What prevents the Hon. E, H. Conger that he would to Pleased to rec tion for G: but a come of His uncertain attitude is not pleasing to many of the Republicans of that State. Mr. Conger is embarrassing the party there. He denies that he is a candidate, but intimates that he would run if nominates Moreover, is the programme which Mr. Conger now seems to contemplate, namely, a return to his post at Peking in July, and resignation as Minister in August or September in. case he is nominated for Governor, quite fair to the Administration?
"Traxsrort " of the Mth May says By the launch of the uew turbine wr King Edward from the yard of Messrs. William Denny and Bros., Dum: barton, last week, a novel venture has been nade in the Way of passenger steamer travelling. The syndicate who have built the new vessel roused the interest of the ordinary public by giving a bonus of £5 for the most appropriate title. After being completed the steamer will be placed on the route from Greenock and Campbell-town, accommodation being provided for 2,000 passengers. This being the first vessel tw be propelled by means of turbines, the performance of the King Edward will be watched with very keen interest.
We note that Mr. Fisher Unwin has just published in his Colonial Library Mrs. Amelia E. Barr's new romance "Souls of Passage."
Eden Philpott's new novel "The Good Red Earth" has also just been published by Mr. Fisher Unwin in his Colonial Library. Two characters claim particular attention, that of Johnny Fortnight, a unique canting, oily-tongued hypoeri who beguiled the natives of " Devonshire sto making him their pastor at sufficient salary ty enable him to discontinue his trade of pedlar, and the silent Mary Gilbert, " grent type of womanhood and' wifehood. The story is humorous, often its scenes are dramatic, and. its ending is unhackneyed, and ' breathing through the whole romance is the scent of the orchards and the breath of the country.
Tae "London and China Express" of the 24th ultimo, has the following note in reference to the Hamburg-American Liner, Ascania, reported sume time ago ashore on the Azales Reef, Perim:—Verim, May 22.—Ascania (s.), belonging to the Hamican Line, is ashore on Azalea Reef.
She has 8 feet of water in forehold wud in main hold, Assistance has been sent. Agreement signed. 2rd.—Aseania (s., has been assisted off with slight damage and has put in here. All the eatly is damaged in forehold; part of the cargo damaged by sea water in main hold damage estimated at 600 tons. Divers have temporarily stopped leak. Divers will be employed ty examine the conditivs of vessel's bottom to-morrow, Cargy is bein: out as rapidly xs possible, Later.—Discharge has commenced. Salvage operations progressing favourably. Weather very unsettled.
Usper the heading ' Mica ism in the War Kast." the "Daily: Mail of.the 22nd alt, says Lord Lansdowne's statement in the House of Lords yesterday on the subject of Chinese affairs was by no means reas suring. Still less reassuring is the fact, to which attention may be exiled, that the British Goverament, despite what was said in Parliament, is now coquettiog with the proposal to reduce the amount of the Allied claims upon China. And this after we had been told that the indemnity demanded was the irreducible minimum It isa thousand pities that his Majesty's Government appears.to have no_policy in China, It is never prepared for occurtences; it never shows any "intellizout auticipstion of events." hut seems to lic {from hand to mouth, hoping, like ifr. Mi-
It was apparently not ready for the pro: posal of the Powers collectively to guar antee the payment of the indemnities, and 50 it produced in curious haste the alternative, although praiseworthy, proposal for a liquidation by Chinese bonds, which the Daily Mail" some days ago notified from Peking, correctly so, as Lord Linsdowne's statement yesterday show The nation is dead against a policy of wild adventure in China, but between that and the having no policy at all the differ-cee fe ftumwetsto, Withee eourve i likely fo be equally fatal to British interests, and, asa matier of fact, British interests are in " deplorable way'in the Far Exst. What is being played there is a game of skill upon a gigantic scale, Other Powers know what they want, and try to get what they want in the most skilful way.
Jand alone has no aim, no purposs no skill. The Yangtze Valley is only in name, and to save the face of our Cabinet, a British sphere of interest. Further surprises in this so-called "sphere" are: in store for us. The Open Door is a dream of the past. Is it not time that foresight and knowledge were added to the equipment of those who control our Chinese po-hey, and that they took the trouble to learn the rules of the game Tux two following notes are from Kublow's"
Richard P. Rothwell, mining engineer and journalist, died in New York on April 18. Few men in his profession were more widely or better known, and his services to the cause of industrial science cannot well be over-stated. Mr. Rothwell was a native of Canada, being born at Ingersoll, Ontario, in the year 1837. After a preliminary education in this country he took a three years course of study at the Imperial School of Mines at Paris, France, following it up with further studies' in the Mining Academy at Frie¢ berg, Saxony. In 1864 he began work in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania. Here he had engineering charge of a number of collieries, and was also engineer to the Hazard Manufacturing Compuny, which he designed and built what is said to be the largest wire-rope plant in the Mr. Rothwell was also as fertile juts as he was eminent in engineering skill. He was editor and general manager of the " Engineering and Mining Journal," and his passing away leaves a blank in the industrial world that sone fess in the roll call of gifted and honoured men, since death drew its black pencil across the name of R. P. Rothwell.
The Dead Sea, which for thousands of years has been a forsaken solitude in the midst of a desert, on whose waves no rudder has been seen for centuries, is to have a tine of motor boats in future Owing to the continued increase in trafl and the influx of tourists, a shorter route ix to be found between Jerusalem suet Kerak, the ancient capital of the Land of Moab.
The first little steamer, haile at one of the Hambmy docks, ix about 100 fect long. An order has already been given for the building of a second steamer. The one already built. is named Prodromos (that is, forerunner'. It will carry thirty-four parsons, together with freight. of all Kinds. The promoters of this new entorprise are the inmates of a Greek cloister in Jerusalem. The management of the line is entirely in German hands.
The trade of Kerak with the desert is today of considerable importance. It is the main town of any commercial standing cast of the Jordan and the Dead Sea. Its popu-Iation consists of about 1,800 Christians and 6,000 Moslems." The merchants of Hebron are among the chief frequenters of the markets of Kerak.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.