HOME AND FOREIGN.

Press Association—By Telegraph Copyright.

THE FAST ATLANTIC SERVICE

London, October 7.

The Petersen-Tate Company, who entered into a contract with the Canadian Government for the establishment of a fast Atlantic service between Canada and Great Britain, have deposited £10,000 as a guarantee for carrying out the contract. NATIONAL TEMPERANCE CONVENTION. The National Temperance Convention has carried a resolution demanding the introduction into Parliament of a measure for preventing the issue of new licenses or the renewal of existing ones. OBITUAEY. The death is anuounced of General Wm. Anson McCleverty, who commanded the troops during the Native disturbances in New Zealand in 1847, and who repulsed the Native attack on Wanganui on July 19 th of that year. [General McCleverty entered the service in 1824.] THE KLON.DYKE GOLDFIELDS. An expert sent by the Rothschilds to the Klondyke goldfields reports that the stupendous wealth of the field has not been exaggerated.

TRADE RETUIfTS,

October 8

The Board of Trade returns for September show that the imports Increased in Value by £2,189,557, while the exports decreased by £1,518,850 compared with the same month last year. THE TYPHOID OUTBREAK. Three cases of typhoid in London have been directly traced to the Maidstone outbreak. THE INDIAN FAMINE. Lord George Hamilton states that the Indian Famine cost ten millions, while the charitable subscriptions amounted to a million and a half.

FRENCH FORTIFICATIONS. Paris, October 8.

The French Government are contemplating the erection of fortifications at Bizerta, a seaport in the Mediterranean, thirty-seven miles from Tunis, and are displaying feverish eagerness over the -work. ENGLAND IN WEST AFRICA. Le Temps states that the object oi sending British gunboats to Boussa is to support the claim of England toboth banks of the Niger up to, say. a town in Central Soudan. GENERAL WEYLER. j Madrid, October 7. General Weyler has refused the request by Senor Sagasta, the Premier, to resign the command of the Spanish troops in Cuba. THE SOUDAN CAMPAIGN. Rome, October 7. Reports have been received here to the effect that the native inhabitants at Kassala are willing to re-enlist a force to serve under the Anglo-Egyp-tian Garrison. THE GERMAN SOCIALISTS. Berlin, October 7. Speaking at the Socialist Congress in Hamburg, Hen* Lebel, the leader of the Socialist party in the Reichstag, said that the socialists expected at next elections to poll two millions votes, and gain fifteen seats.

GERMAN SOUTH-WEST AFRICA.

Leutisdin, a German officer, is visiting Europe to arrange for the construction of a harbour at the mouth of the Swakah river in German SouthWest Africa, and the building of a railway to Windhoek with a view to making the Germans independent of Walfisch Bay in British territory.

GREECE AND TURKEY. Constantinople, October 7.

The foreign Ambassadors-here have informed the Greek Premier, Zaiinis, that the Powers intend to apply the financial control under conditions the least likely to affect the susceptibility of the country. DISASTROUS BUSH FIRES. Ottawa, October 7. Bush fires have devastated a district twenty miles long, south of Ottawa. Three villages and a number of stores were destroyed. Many of the inhabitants spent the night on the river in order to escape from the flames. Two hundred persons have been rendered homeless. THE BRAZILIAN REBELLION. Bio d_ Janeiro, October 7. The Brazilian troops, after several days' fighting, captured Canados, the stronghold of Conselheiro, the Portugese fanatio who attempted to raise an armed rebellion against the Government. The losses on both sides were heavy. Conselheiro was captured and placed in prison.