BRITISH AND FOREIGN

Otago Witness, Issue 1501, 21 August 1880, Page 11

BRITISH AND FOREIGN

(Reuter's Special.) London, August 10th, Consols, 98$. Adelaide wheat, ex warehouse, 49s 6d. The market is quiet. Best beef tallow, 34a 6d ; best mutton, 36s 6d. The tallow market is firm. No. 1 Scotch pig iron f.o.b. in the Clyde, 52s 9d. The Bank of Australasia pays a dividend of 50s per share. The price of wheat is declining, owing to the finer weather which now prevails throughout England. Harvest operations are progressing rapidly, and from present indications it is expected that the English crop will be below the average. Heavy shipments continue to arrive from America. Trickett has returned from Scotland, and is now at Putney. He is practising in a boat which he brought from Australia. August 11th. News has been received that the steamer Jeddah, bound to Singapore with 1000 pilgrims from Jeddah, foundered during a heavy gale off Cape Guardafui. All on board perished, except 21. August 12 bh. The steamer Jeddah, which foundered on the coast off Cape Guardafui, has been got up, and has been towed safely into Aden. M. des Voeux, who was Acting-Gover-nor of Fiji during the temporary absence of Sir Arthur Gordon, has been appointed to the permanent Governorship of the Colony. Serious railway accidents occurred today on the Northern and Midland lines. The trains in both cases bent the rails and ran down embankments. Several passengers have been killed, and many seriously wounded. An uneasy feeling exists in Ireland owing to six boats containing Fenians boarding a vessel at Cork. They overcame the captain and crew, stole three cases of rifles, which have not yet been recovered, and the culprits still remain at large. In the House of Commons Sir Charles Dilke, Undersecretary to the Foreign Department, stated that the various Great Powers had suggested the advisability of guaranteeing the Sultau the remainder of his territory, provided he consented to the conditions of the late Conference. In tho House of Commons the Burials Bill has been read a second time. Mr Gladstone will attend a Cabinet Council to-morrow. A prorogation of Parliament will take place in a few days. August 13th. The sculling match which has been arranged between Laycock (of Sydney) and Blackman, for LIOO a>ide, will be rowed on the Thames on October sth. The proposal which has been made to the various Powers that the Sultan of Turkey should be guaranteed the remainder of his territory, provided that he consented to the conditions of the Berlin Conference, as it is now announced, emanated from Germany and Austria, and is believed to be the outcome of the recent interview between the Emperors William and Francis Joseph. The total quantity of wheat afloat for Great Britain is 18,200 quarters. Adelaide wheat, per 4961b, ex warehouse, 48s 6d j Adelaide flour, per 2801b, ex warehouse, 365 ; New Zealand wheat, ex ship, 475 ; best Sydney copra, £19. General Lefroy will be appointed Provisional Administrator of the Government of Tasmania pending the arrival of Sir George C. Strahan, the newly-appointed Governor, who will govern at the Cape until the arrival of Sir Hercules Robinson, *

August 14th. It is currently reported at fct. Petersburg that A youb Khan and Abdur Rahman are acting in collusion. A large number of supposed Fenian emissaries have arrived in Ireland. Four hundred rifles have been purchased at Dublin and have been taken to Cork. It is suspected that a complete Fenian organisation exists in Ireland. An inquiry has been held into the cause of the collision which took place on the 18th of last month between the steamer Centurion and the sailing ship Hydaspes off Dungeness, by which the latter vessel was sunk. The Court finds that both vesels were to blame for the collision. A large meeting of Home Rulers ha 3 been held at Glasgow. Thirty thousand Irishmen attended the meeting. August 15th. Obituary : Lord Stratford De Redcliffe. London, August 16th. Numerous land meetings haveTaeen held throughout Ireland. At a recent meeting at Kildare, Mr Dillon (Home Rule member for Tipperary) made several seditious speeches. The cathedral which ha 3 been in course of construction at Cologne for centuries past is now completed. Three per cent, consols have declined one-fourth, and are now quoted at 97§. New Zealand securities are unchanged at last quotations, viz. :— 5 per cent, 10-40 loan, 103* ; 5 per cent. 1889 loan, 103 ; 4$ per cent, loan, 1879-1904, 995. New Zealand wheat, ex ship, is quoted at 465, being a decline of Is. Adelaide wheat and flour have also fallen, present prices (ex warehouse) being -—Wheat, 47s 6d ; flour, 35a 6d. Australian tallow remains firm at 34s 6d for best beef, and 36s 6d for ibeat mutton. Lonpon, August 17th. In the House of Commons to-day the Marquis of Hartington, Seoretaryof State for India, in reply to a question, stated that he disbelieved the report of an entente cordiale existing between Abdur Rahman and Ayoub Khan. Obituary ; Madame Neilson, actress. Cape Town, August 14th. The Basutos inhabiting the territory to the west of Natal have at last submitted to the colonial troops. Paris, August 15th. M. Gambetta is making general levy on the Democrats for the purpose of strengthening France to enable her to recover the provinces of Alsaice and Lorraine, which were lost during the last war with the Germans. Paris, August 15th. M. Gambetta has written a letter in which he says that democracy will strengthen the French army, and will enable France to recover her lost Provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. August 16th. It has now transpired that Gambetta's letter is of old date, and has not been recently written, as was at first supposed. Berlin, August 12 th. A meeting has taken place at Isehl between the Emperors of Germany and Austria, when their Majesties discussed the present aspect of affairs in Eastern Europe. It is understood that their interview gives hope of a peaceful settlement of the questions now requiring adjustment. Constantinople, August 11th. Mr Goßchen, the British Ambassador, has declared to Abeddin Pasha, Minister of Foreign Affairs, that the Great Powers will not consent to any change of the Turco-Greek frontier as fixed by the Berlin Conference. Constantinople, August 37th. Owing to the Great Powers not consenting to any change in the TurkoGreek frontier, as fixed by the Berlin Conference, Turkey has asked for 24 days' extension of time to further consider the question as regards the settlement of the rectification of the frontier. St. Petersburg, August 17th. General Melikoff has been appointed Minister of the Interior. Calcutta, August 11th. News has been received from Cabul that General Roberts, with his force of 10,000 men, had marched 13 or 15 miles on Monday, and is pushed on as rapidly as possible towards Candahar. Rejoicings have taken place in the principal Afghan towns over Abdur Rahman's accession to the Ameership. Auguat 12th. According to the latest news from Afghanistan, General Sir Donald Stewart arrived at Sherpur, near Cabul, yesterday, and arranged to have an interview with the new Ameer, Abdur Rahman, at an early data. After the interview has been held General Stewart, with the British troops remaining in the neighbourhood of Oabul, will retire to Gundamuk. News comes to hand from Candahar which shows that the British garrison in the citadel is not altogether inactive. General Primrose lately sent out several parties of skirmishers, who have made I successful attacks on the villages of hostile tribes in the district around Candahar. Cabul has been evacuated. Everything was quiet on the departure of the troops. The relieving force is now advancing towards Candahar unopposed. The total reserve ia notes and bullion in the Bank of England is £16,250,000. August 14th. Latest intelligence from Candahar is disquieting, owing to the various tribes flocking to join Ayoub Khan's forces. The hostile attitude continues on the increase, and active warlike preparations are being made by Ayoub Khan for the purpose of making an assault on Candahar,

Calcutta, August 15fch. Confirmatory information has been received from Caudahar that Ayoub Khan has commenced military operations for the siege of the city. Washington, August 14th. A railway collision has taken place at New Jersey, where two excursion trains collided, resulting in 47 being killed and wounded.