BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1765, 19 September 1885, Page 10

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

(Rewter's Telegrams.) - London, September 9. At to-day's wool auctions 10,200 bales were catalogued to a flat market, prices generally being drooping. Adelaide wheat, off-coast, remains at 35s 6d ; but off-coast cargoes have fallen to 33s 9d. September 10. Reports to hand announce that the cholera epidemic is spreading on the Continent. Latest advices state that the disease has made its appearance at Palermo, in Sicily ; also at Mans, a city in Belgium, a short distance from the French frontier. ' The wool market to-day was very flat ; 11,400 ibales were submitted at auction. Since the comjneneement of the series 20,000 balos have been •withdrawn f roni sale.

September 11. .Lord .Carington was entertained at a farewell banquet last evening at the Beaconsfield Club. The Agents-general for the various Colonies were amongst 4Ue guests. Lord Carington. in a speech in reply to the toast of the evening referred to the Colonies &«4 eulogised their recent offers of aid to the Britisli (government, aud said that the lion's cubs had proved themselves a worthy offspring of the Mother Country. . Lord Rosebery also spoke, and expatiated upon the desirability and advantages of federation. Sir Saul Samuel, replying to the -boast of the Agents-general, welcomed Lord (Carington as *he new Governor of New South Wales. At the wool sale.;, .8,900 bales were offered' io-day to a dull market. Colonial breadstuffs are in value. The total quantity of wheat afloat for the United Kingdom is 1,480,000 quarters, being 100,000 less than last week. Tallow has improved sixpence per cwt. AUS- - tralian beef tallow of fair average quality is at 28s, and muttoa <it 30s. New Zealand frozen mutton is 4Jd per lb, a fall of |d. September 12. At io-day's wool sales 11,400 bales were cataJpgued. The market is generally weak. , September 13. The negotiations between England and Russia on the Afghan frontier question are making satisfactory progress, and it is announced that a loint prcrfcoeol has been signed on the subject. September 14. The New Zealand Shipping Company's chartered ship The Douglas, bound ir.ora London to Auckland, encountered unusually heavy weather <wben coming down the Channel, rendering it necessary for her to put into l/filmouth for .repaks. Paeis, September 14. The .reinforcements of 3000 men despatched 'to Madagascar have arrived, and Admiral Miot ,has now regained offensive operations against •.the Hovas. Suakin, September 13. .A number of rebels fc&ye made their appear:ance in this neighbourhood to-day. Troops •.were despatched to disperse ;iliem, and in a skirmish which ensued four repejs ?ve>e Jdlled.

Berlin, September 11. Count Hatzfeldt, Secretary for Foreign Affairs, has received a despatch from the . Spanish Government re-stating the claim of that country to the Caroline Islands. The tone- of the note is amicable, and the hope is expressed that Germany will recognise the Spanish claim. Bombay, September 12. Great scarcity of food prevails at present in the Mysore district, and the authorities believe the recurrence of famine to be inevitable. Constantinople, September 15. Sir H. Drummond Wolff, the envoy-exlra-ordiuary to the Porte, has had four meetings with the officials appointed by the Sullau to confer with him on the Egyptian question. So far no definite result has been attained. Cairo, September 15. Jt is currently reported here that Said Pasha, Grand Vizier of Turkey, has been ordered by tho Sultan to visit Egypt, but the news has not been officially confirmed. (Special to Press Association.) London, September 10. The Union Football Association are arranging for matches with the Australian team which is about to visit England. The funeral of the late Mr Alexander Long Elder took place at Highgate to-day. About 200 persons were present, including Sir Arthur Blyth, Agent-general for South Australia, and Mr J. F. Garrick, Agent-general for Queensland. September 11. The sentence of death passed on Louis Riel, the insurgent leader, has been affirmed. The captain of the .Spanish man-of-war stationed at Uup during the recent seizure of that place by Germany shot the Spanish governor of the island in the shoulder for ordering some of his crew to attack the Germans. Prince Bismarck in a despatch states that possession of the Carolines is not a sufficient inducement to tempt Germany to be unfriendly with Spain. A dinner was given at the Beaconsfield Club to Lord Carington, new Governor of New South Wales. The Duke of Buckingham proposed the health of Lord Carington, lauding his ability. Lord Rosebery, speaking on federation, said it was a question which would require Lord Carington's nicest discretion in dealing with. The recent difficulty over the Carolines showed, he said, the enormous importance of Colonial j questions among the Powers, and he considered that Colonial statesmen ought to watch it closely, as "earth hunger" was at present dominant amongst the nations. Sir Saul Samuel responded to Lord Rosebery's remarks on federation. Captain Gascoyne will be Lord Carington's principal aide-de-camp. His extra aides-de-camp will be Lord Bertie, Sir George Arthur, and Messrs Terry, Leigh, and Sherriff. Lord Carington joins the Carthage at Suez. Mr W. E. Wallington (his private secretary) leaves by the Messageries steamer Oceanien in advance of his lordship. September 13" In the four miles race between VV. G. George, of Birmingham, and W. Cummings, of Paisley, the latter won. Tho Archbishop of Aix city, in the Department of Bouches-du-Rhono (France), has difd from cholera. It is asserted in Madrid that Germany has ! occupied other important islands belonging to the Pelew, Caroline, Marshall, and Gilbert. Groups. [ The wheat market shows no signs o£ revival. Wharehouse is quoted at 395 ; ex ship at 35s Gd. Five off-coast cargoes have been sold at prices ranging from 33s 6d to 33s 9d. Forward shipments find no sales. The wool market is weaker. Large reserves of old stocks are tending to aggravate the present depression. The increasing supplies which are being received from the upland districts of South America threaten a permanent reduction in the price of Australian merinos. The number of bales catalogued is 120,000, and the number withdrawn, 21 ,000. A German general has been arrested on a charge of spying at Belfort, a strong town of France in the department of the same name, arid has been conducted to the frontier. London, September 14. Mr Charles Todd, C.M.G., Postmaster-general and Superintendent of Telegraphs of South Australia, states that the cable rates to Adelaide will be 8s and 8s 6d per word for Government, and that the charge for public messages depends upon the Indian Government conceding 2§d per word. For Press rates the charge will be 2s 8d per word. The public are dissatisfied with the tariff, and in consequence of the unsatisfactory reduction made by South Australia on the overland route, there is some talk of another line being constructed.

(Special to the Melbourne Age.)

A proposal has been made, and will prqbably be adopted, that the jubilee of the accession of her Majesty to the throne should be celebrated throughout the Empire. Mr Gladstone, who has returned from a visit to Norway greatly improved in health, proceeded to Exmouth, Scotland, and addressed his' constituents at Midlothian.

With reference to the complaint made by the officers of tho Afghan Boundary Commission that the .Governor of Herat has been tampering with their letters, and that he has recently displayed muoh rudeness and discourtesy towards them, a communication has been received from the Ameer, who expresses regret at hearing that British officers have been subjected to any annoyance.

The report that the scope of Sir Henry Drummondv Wolff's mission to the Sultan is restricted to Egyptian affairs is now found to be incorrect. He has wider limits allowed to him, and is authorised to discuss as well the subject of the rejateons between England and Turkey. Lord Randolph phurchill, Secretary of State for India, referring' to £he complications with Russia in regard to the Afghaa boundary question, states that he is hopeful thai; the present negotiations will shortly result in the complete final delimitation of the frontier, and a permanent agreement between the two nations will follow. He- added £hat he was fully convinced of the loyalty of the Arucer to Great Britain. Strongly excited feeling ag«4B«J; the action 1 of Germany continues to prevail <v gpajn. It has Ij&en ascertained that Franc* is fostering the feeling $f irritation. It is now .considered doubtful whether a clasp as well as a medal wjD be conferred upon the New South Wales contingq>n£ who served in the Soudan, Sir Saul Samuel is pressing for its bestowal. Jt is stated that Russia has only conceded the Ziliffikar because of the possession of other and superior" routes to Serafc. Mr W. E. Forster, late Lerd-liautenaat of Ireland, is seriously ill. Mr Chamberlain, in addressing » meeting at Hull on ihfi 6th, condemned the extieme poverty and wealth common in England, He advocated the gradat&».of the property tax, free

preliminary education, reform of the land fiystem, and the redress of the inequalities in taxation.

The stockraisers of Buenos Ayres have commenced the regular exportation of beef and mutton to compete with the Australian trade. Several steamers, fitted with refrigerating chambers and stores, have been constructed for the Buenos Ayres trade.