BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1650, 7 July 1883, Page 10

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

[By Eleotrio Telegraph.— Copyright.!

(Reuter's Telegrams.)

London, June 27th. The death is announced of General Sir Edward Sabine, X.C.8., aged 94. The annual inter-University cricket match between Oxford and Cambridge was concluded to-day, at Lord's, and resulted in a victory for Cambridge by seven wickets. June 28th. The death is announced of Dr William Spottiswoode, the well-known printer and scientist ; aged 50. In the House of Commons to-day the Chief Secretary for Ireland was questioned with regard to the recent announcement that the Immigration Board of New York had decided to send back to their native country all Irish immigrants who arrived in a destitute condition. In reply, Mr Trevelyan denied that penniless paupers were being despatched as emigrants to America. In replying to a deputation of Colonial Agents-general which waited upon him to-day with reference to the annexation of the New Hebrides Islands, Lord Derby requested that the Agents would furnish him with a joint statement of their views, and promised that he would submit the same for consideration of the Cabinet. In the House of Lords to-day the Deceased Wife's Sister Bill was again brought up for consideration, and on the motion for third reading the House divided, and the measure was rejected by a majority of five. The Homeward mails via San Francisco, which left Auckland on May 22nd, were delivered here to-day — four days in advance of contract time. (Per Merchant Shipping and Underwriters' Association.) Arrived : Ships Mennock, from Port Chalmers (March 29th) j Dumbarton, from Lyttelton (March 21st) ; Firth of Tay, from Lyttelton (March 15th). The total reserve in the Bank of England in notes and bullion is £12,700,000— the same as last week. The rate of discount is unchanged at 4 per cent., and the market rate at 3£. Consols have further fallen \, and are quoted to-day at 100 J. New Zealand securities remain as follows : — Five per cent. 10-40 loan, 106£ ; 5 per cent. 1889 loan, 104£; 4£ per cent. 1879 1904 loan, 102 i; 4 per cent, inscribed stock, 102*. There are no changes to report in the markets for breadstuffs and tallow. The wool market is quiet. The arrivals to date for next series of auctions amount to 300,000 baleß. Hides are dull and slow of sale. The market has an upward tendency. June 29th. The English counsel who have been consulted with regard to the monopoly which it is alleged was ceded by the Khedive to Comte De Lesseps for the construction of the Canal through the Isthmus of Suez, have decided that Comte De Lesseps' claim is invalid, and repudiate the idea of a monopoly having been granted. The syndicate of British shipowners formed for the purpose of carrying out a projected English Suez Canal has therefore decided to persist in promoting the scheme. June 30. In the House of Commons last night Sir William Vernon Harcourt introduced a bill to provide for the institution of a Local Government Board in Scotland. Latest intelligence from Damietta states that the cholera continues to rage without abatement. Vessels proceeding through the Suez Canal will not touch at any port in Egypt, strict quarantine being maintained at all Continental ports, and at Malta and Gibraltar. Mr Ince, the Liberal candidate, has been elected for Hastings, a vacancy having occurred in the representation of that constituency by the resignation of Mr C. J. Murray, Conservative member. At the annual dinner of the Cobden Club to-day, Sir Saul Samuel, Agent-general for New South Wales, in responding to the toast of " The Colonies," said that if intercolonial tariffs were made fiscal, and not protective, he was certain that Freetrade would soon be the policy of all the Colonies. Sir John Hay made a speech in which he expressed the hope that commercial federation between Great Britain and the Colonies would be brought about. July 1. Consuls remain at 100 J. The market rate of discount has declined to 3|, and is now at § below the bank rate. New Zealand securities : Four and a-half per cent. 18791904 loan has declined by 10s, and is now at 102 ; 4 per cent, inscribed stock has advanced by 10s to 103 ; 5 per cent. 10-40 loan is unchanged at 106J ; and the 5 per cent. 1889 loan is at 104 J. Colonial breadstuffs remain dull at .last quotations— viz.: Adelaide wheat, ex warehouse, 475 ; New Zealand wheat, ex warehouse, 43s to 465 ; Adelaide flour, ex warehouse, 335. The total quantity of wheat afloat for the United Kingdom is 1,820,000 quarters being a reduction of 30,000 quarters during the week. Australian tallow continues dull at 41s for best beef, and 42s 6d for best mutton. I Best Australian leather is quoted at lOd. [ New York, June 29. The Immigration Board of this city has shipped back to Ireland several pauper families recently attired. London, July 2. Captain Shaw, superintendent of the Metropolitan Brigade, fell from a ladder while directing operations at the fire in Longacre last night, and seriously injured his back. Sir F. D. Bell will draft the statement for the consideration of the Imperial Cabinet which Lord Derby requested the Colonial Agents-general to draw up jointly with regard to the proposed annexation of the Pacific islands. Consols have advanced to 100$. New Zealand securities remain at the following quotations : Five per cent. 10-40 loan, 106J ; 5 per cent. 1889 loan, 104£; 4$ per cent. 1879-1904 loan, 102 ; 4 per cent, inscribed stock, 103. Adelaide wheat has fallen 1b per quarter, and is now quoted (ex store) at 465; New Zealand ditto has fallen 6d, and is now worth 42s 6d to 4Gs. Adelaide flour (ex warehouse), 1 335. Australian tallow is dull, and unchanged

at 41s for beat beef and 42a 6d for best mutton. The total stock of tallow in London on the Ist inst. was 7000 casks. Favourable accounts are to hand from the hop-growing districts, the recent fine weather having effected a great improvement. The English harvest prospects are generally considered favourable, owing to the fineness of the weather. The Homeward mails via Suez and Brindisi, from Melbourne (May 22) was delivered here to-day. In the House of Commons to-day Mr Gladstone, in replying to a question, announced that a dispatch replying to the application of the Queensland Government for the annexation of New Guinea was nearly ready for transI mission. The dispatch, the Premier stated, I would refuse to confirm the action of the i Colonial Government, which, moreover, was null and void in point of law, and unwarranted by the circumstances of the case. As regards the policy of annexation, the Government considered that the Colony was unsuited to hold such functions, and the annexation by foreign Powers was not feared. Mr Gladstone concluded by stating that it was, however, in- j tended to strengthen the hands of the Government of Queensland with regard to the \ maintenance of police service in Australian seas. The Radicals loudly cheered Mr Gladstone's reply to Sir Michael Hicks-Beach. It is understood that Lord Derby in his dispatch refuses to sanction the annexation of New I Guinea, on the grounds of the enormous expense which would be involved in the administiation of .such an extensive territory, and of the liability of native tiouble. If the Colonies desire to secure an _ extension of territory, he expresses an opinion that they had better federate, as singly they must be unable to accomplish it. .Lord Carnarvon opposed the annexation of the New Hebrides, and said that the duty of preventing it rested with the House. The Comte de Chambord is suffering from a cancer in the stomach. The cargo of frozen meat by the steamer Orient has been cleared at 6Jd per lb. July 3. In the House of Lords last night Earl Derby, in reply to a question, stated that there was little hope of the Government assenting to the proposed annexation of the New Hebrides and other islands in the Pacific. His Lordship suggested that it would be desirable for the Australian Colonies to federate before entering upon any scheme of annexation. Mr T. M. Healey, who resigned his Beat for Wexford in the House of Commons to contest the vacancy for the representation of Monaghan, has been elected for that constituency by a majority of 365. Paris, June 27th. Certain changes may be shortly expected to take place in the French Cabinet, owing to the illness of M. Challemel-Lacour, Minister of Foreign affairs, who, it is believed, will resign his portfolio. The Marquis Tseng, Chinese Ambassador, has taken occasion to deny the report recently to hand from Shanghai that a settlement had been arrived at of the difficulty between France and China regarding their claims in Anam. The Marquis states that the Chinese Government are not prepared to yield their suzerainty of that province, Alexandria, June 27th. Cholera has now broken out at Mansalh, a town 34 miles south-west of Damietta, where the disease first appeared. Much alarm prevails owing to the spread of the epidemic, and an exodus of Europeans and others from Egypt has already commenced. The cholera epidemic is spreading. Several cases of disease are now reported at Port Said June 28th. The cholera still continues to rage at Damietta with unabated vigour. The outbreak has now spread to Tantah, a town of 60,000 inhabitants/sifcuated 72 miles from Damietta, and at the junction of the Cairo- Alexandria railway. It is expected that stringent sanitary measures will shortly be adopted to localise the outbreak of cholera. Alexandria, July 1. Notwithstanding the measures which have been adopted to localise the cholera epidemic, the disease continues to spread rapidly. Several deaths arejnow reported to have occurred §?. Damanbour, 40 miles from this city. July 2. A death has occurred here from cholera. Much alarm is felt at the prospect of the epidemic spreading in this city. Calcutta, June 28th. Telegrams are to hand from Afghanistan announcing that further fighting has taken place between the Ameer's troops and rebel Shinwarria. The latter attacked a convoy of munitions which had arrived from India for the Ameer. Severe fighting took place between the guard of the convoy and the rebels, resulting in the defeat of the former and the capture of the whole of the convoy by the Shinwarris.

(Special to Pbess Association.) London, June 26th. Mr Warner, secretary to the Australian Defence Commission, is a Tory candidate for the representation of Hastings. Her Majesty has so far recovered from the effects of her recent accident that she is now able to walk. It is announced that Captain Lonsdale will join Mr H. Stanley in his African expedition. He will be accompanied by 100 warlike Africans. The Catholic residents of Albania have invited annexation by Austria. June 28th. Eighty deaths have occurred from cholera at Damietta, and several at Port Said. The Marseilles authorities have decided to quarantine all arrivals from Egypt. Prince Louis of Battenburg has been betrothed to the Princess Victoria Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the Grand Duke of HesseDarmstadt, and granddaughter of the Que6n. Peter Carey has left Ireland for Manitoba, and it is reported that his brother, James Carey, also embarked at Queenstown on Tuesday last. The following are the names of all the per sons drowned in the Waitara : — Passengers : Martin Check, Arthur Noble, Alice Haylor, Mary Haylor, Charles Hill, Prudence Hill, Leonard Collinson, Louisa Oliphant, Peter Bentley, John Wilkes, Isabella Wilkes, John Wilkes, jun. Crew: E. Saunder, second officer ; G. F. Cotterell, an apprentice ; Stock, chief steward ; Cooper and Seabrook, cooks ; Bowker, sailmaker ; Christian, Burke, Ogilvie, Smith, Hodgson, Hay, Longham, and William Miston, seamen. The woollen manufacturers in the north of France are pressing on the Government the desirability of establishing a line of trading steamers between Havre and Australian ports. M. Cochery Minister of Posts and Telegraphs, approves of the prospect if the Colonies unite in granting subsidies. Howard Smith and Sons' new steamer Barwon averaged 14^ knots on her trial trip. She salis for Sydney on July 5lh a Juno 29. Heavy falls of rain have iujurod the exhibits

in the Victorian court at the Amsterdam Exhibition. To avoid being quarantined at Malta or Brindisi, the P. and O. Company's steamers now go direct from Port Said to Piymoush. One hundred and fifteen deaths occurred in Damietta on Thursday last. The Chinese Legation has been advised that, owing to the rude conduct of M. Tricon, the French ambassador, the Chinese Viceroy has declined to meet him any more. The negotiations regarding Tonquin are consequently suspended. The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Albany voted with the minority in the House of Lords on the third reading of the Deceased Wife's Sister Bill. The Asharitees have invited British protection. June 30. The Garonne's cargo of frozen meat has been cleared at an average of 6d per lb, and the Lady Jocelyn's at an 1 average of 6£d. The lambs per British King were some of a very inferior class, but they ranged from 3d to 7£d per lb. The quarantine upon Egyptian ports has not affected the Australian mail steamers, as vessels passing through the canal without communicating with the shore are not affected. July 1. At the Cobden dinner Sir Saul Samuel, Agent-general for New South Wales, expressed an opinion that the Australian Colonies would soon federate, and adopt a policy of Freetiade. He doubted whether Protection h<*d really greatly benefited Victoria, while New South Wales never imposed duties for protective purposes, but simply for revenue purposes. Mr William Hay added that Australia, if federated on a Freetrade basis, would be at the head of the world. Mr Warner, the Tory candidate for Hastings, was defeated by 37 votes, Howard Smith and Sons' new steamer Balmain has been launched at Govan, on the Clyde. The county cricket clubs refuse to arrange for matches with another Australian team if the latter are to take half the receipts from the stands, but it will be easy to arrange for matches on the old basis. The Right Hon. R. Bourke, M.P. for King's Lynn, has given notice of a motion in the Houße of Commons that the construction of a second canal across the Isthmus of Suez would not be satisfactory until the rates of toll are reduced and British interests adequately represented on the Board of Control. London, July 2. A Fenian Society in New York called the " Irish Brothers " have formally sentenced Lord Chief Justice Coleridge to death for passing sentence on the Birmingham dynamite conspirators. Thirty vessels engaged in the seal trade are reported to be icebound in Labrador, and the crews are starving. Lord Randolph Churchill has forwarded to Mr Gladstone evidence against the Khedive as having been the instigator of the massacre in Alexandria. The French have been expelled from the capital of Madagascar. A splendid service of plate has been presented to General Lord Wolseley by the Corporation of Dublin. July 3. Lord Derby stated that England will regard with equanimity the settlement of foreigners in New Guinea. The Duke of Manchester defended Queensland squatters from the charges of slavery which had been brought against them. The Times, in reviewing the decision of Earl Derby, says that if the refusal to sanction annexation constrains federation, it will be a boon both to England and Australia. The Standard fears that the agitation is a dangerous one for Australia. The Daily Telegraph considers the decision unwise ; while the Daily News approves of it.