A great deal has been said this week about the
cession of Batoum. The Jingoes threaten to abandon Lord Beaconsfield if he abandons Batoum, but as Batoum is surrendered both by the Treaty of San Stefano and the Anglo-Russian Agreement, he has very little option. As Prince Bismarck put it to the Times correspondent, Russia has two bonds giving her the port in her pocket, and no serious party in England would accept the Telegraph's advice, and go to war or threaten war in order to violate the national faith. There is little doubt that Lord Beaconsfield will make a speech, pointing out that Batoum might be made a Sebastopol, which, considering its distance from the Russian base, is nonsense ; that Count Schouvaloff will promise not to fortify the town, and that it will be then quietly transferred to Russia, as agreed. It is of no importance whatever to this country. During the discussion, we presume some mention will be made of Lord Beaconsfield's mysterious cant re-coup in Asia, which is still unrevealed.
