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jr----- ! , LON I) ON LETTER.…

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j r- LON I) ON LETTER. n _nn_ l SPECIALLY WIRED.] [BY OUR GALLERY CORRESPONDENT.] tlXO THEEBAW'S PROBABLE FATE — THE FUTURE GOVERNMENT OF BURMAH THE GREAT POWERS AND THE SERVO- BULGARIAN WAR — THE MIDLOTHIAN SPEECHES — MR GLADSTONE'S REJU- VENESCENCE—SIR JOHN MCNEIL —THE TOWNLEY ESTATE. LONDON, Wednesday Night. The march to Mandalay has not altogether proved a walk over. The advance of the British forces is, of course, triumphant, but the Burmese have shown some opposition, with the result of the loss of some valuable lives and many wounded. Minhla having oeen carried by assault, the way to Mandalay Ï3 now open, and we shall shortly hear some- thing interesting about Theebaw. The im- pression is still held here that when the news of these reverses reaches Mandalay the people will rise and make short work of Theebaw. It can can only be by terror backed by physical force that such a brute could have main- tained the upper hand amidst any assembly of human beings. Theebaw but lately pro- mised that he would with his horsemen, and his footmen, and his elephant batteries drive the English into the sea. He has singularly failed in fulfilling this pledge, and now it is proved that he is not invincible, the opportunity may be taken to pay ofi long scores. I hear from an authoritative source that Lord Salisbury has determined not to take any irrevocable step with respect to the set- tlement of Burmah pending the general election. It is indeed doubtful whether he would have the opportunity. Some days must elapse before possession can be taken of MandaJay, and in a matter so important as the final settlement of the country, it would be a somewhat question- able proceeding for a Government by no means safe in its seat to settle the future form of the constitution of the coun- try. Oddly enough, Mr Gladstone, in his comprehensive review yesterday, of the action of the Government, took no note of affairs in Burmah, but Lord Har- tington has openly expressed approval of the action of the Government in this matter, and, from the fact that Lord Dufferiu is chiefly responsible for executing it, it may be taken for granted that there is not much difference of opinion between the the present Government and the one about k to succeed them. The only point upon which difference could arise is upon the absolute annexation or the institution of a kind of protectorate. In any case Theebaw's doom is sealed. Since war between Servia and Bulgaria seems inevitable, it is at least satisfactory to know that the issue cannot be long de- layed. The latest telegrams announce a defeat M the Servians, which, it is said, has forced them to retire from the Dragoman Pass. This news comes from Sofia, and nothing that has up to this hour reached London from the Bulgarian side tends to confirm it. Even if it be true, it is but a temporary reverse for the Servians. They are in overwhelming numbers as compared with the Bulgarians, and are, moreover, much better equipped and trained. If no one interferes, Bulgaria will inevitably be conquered, and then will arise the European difficulty. The action of Servia is so uni- versally condemned that it does not seem likely that she will be permitted to snatch any material and prominent advantage but there is always danger attending the division of spoils. Perhaps the most curious feature in the whole business is the silence of the great Powers. Doubtless, there have been interchanges of opinion, but nothing has leaked out as to the view taken by any particular looker-on. Mr Gladstone's frank statement at West- calder yesterday remains the most important st uttered. It is significant to note that this was merely an expression ol che opinion of the leader of the Opposi- tion. It is everywhere accepted as a decla- ration of the opinion of Great Britain on the point. There is something very pitiful in the efforts of Conservative papers of the baser sort to represent Mr Gladstone's visit to Midlothian as falling flat or his speeches failing to reach the higher level of his former Midlothian addresses. This is evidence that they have nothing better to say. I believe there never was a more skilful dealing with a dangerous question than was accom- plished by the speech of Wednesday last, whilst that delivered at West Calder yester- day has not been excelled in its varied interest and its statesmanlike tone by any speech in any one former series. A speech, such as that of Wednesday last, which is estimated to have saved between 20 and 30 seats in England, can scarcely be cited as evidence of failing power. A friend telegraphing to me from Edinburgh says :—I met Mr Glad- stone to day at luncheon, and was much struck by the remarkable reinvigora- tion and rejuvenescence he has undergone since I last saw him in the House of Com- mons. He has not looked better for five years. His voice, still shews traces of huskiness, but this, as has been proved by the delivery of his speeches, is not an indica- tion of weakness, but rather of some local affection. He is in the highest spirits in rhe sure but not vaunted confidence of a magnificent national vote of confidence. In military circles there is some talk of a libel suit, which, if it comes off, will be watched with profound interest by the pub- lic. There has recently been published a httle volume entitled Suakim, 1885." The author is Captain Gambier Parry, who has dealt with the victory of the expedition in an uncomfortably frank manner. More par- ticularly he descants upon the episode of the Z ire'oa attacked on that memorable Sunday night when the little army was saved trom destruction only by the desperate valour of the unprepared and ill- dirccted troops. Sir John McNeill is naturally treated of in this chapter, and to relate, in whatever unimpassioned language, the story of Sir John McNeill in connection with this disastrous affair, naturally has, upon the face of it, an appearance or libel. Sir John, it is said, is so incensed at the narrative that he has instructed hip solicitors to bring an action for libel against Captain Parry. This is the story circulated through the military clubs but it may be safely doubted whether Sir John will go so far. He has got off uncom- monly well, and shortly after his return to England was galloping about the Queen's carriage in his capacity as one of the royal equerries. If he had wanted to bring out the facts of the case it would have been better for him to have demanded a court-martial (which would indeed have been forced upon any other officer less highly favoured) than to sue for damages in a civil court. A very curious application has been made to the ondon police from a correspondent in America. The writer wants to know whether the House of Commons was sitting on the 4th of August last, and whether, if so, they passed a bill distributing a sum of a trifle over a hundred millions sterling among the heirs of the Townley estate. It appears that there is a legend in America that a vast estate, covering valuable mines, was, many years ago, left by a man named Townley to the children of his daughter, who had iflarried a man Hamed" Chace." The Chaces went over to the United States all unconscious of the windfall that had come to them. .'d ownley dying intestate, the estate (so the story runs) was appropriated by the Crown, and the amount with compound interest has now reached the comfortable sum mentioned. The same Chace who has instituted the enquiry in London explains that his reason for duing so is that a lawyer from Nova Scotia is putting himself in communication with all the Chaces he can find in the Directory, and gravely setting forth with imposing precision the action of the British Parliament, asks for a fee of a sovereign in order to secure for his correspondence a just share of the windfall.

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