Home and Foreign.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XVII, Issue 4192, 15 May 1897, Page 2

Home and Foreign.

Press Association.—By Electric TelegraphCopyright.

A Colonial Gathering'

London, May 13. The Marquis of Lornft presided at >•• dinner given hy the Colonial Club last night. The Agents-General and other prominent Australians who are visit iug London were present. Three husidred sat down to dinner. During the proceedings a telegram was despatched to the Queen felicitating her upon her Record Reign.

Proposed Tunnel.

The Belfast Chamber of Commerce has asked the Government to teat the possibility of constructing a tuncel between Ireland and Scotland,

A Chinese Loan

China is making arrangements with a British syndicate for a loan of £16,000,000.

The €xar and 11. Faure.

Paris, May 13. The Czar, in writing to President Faure, condoling with the French nation on the Charity Baziar disaster, referred to the President as " his very dear, great friend "

Scene in the Reichstag;.

A scene was created in the Reichstag owing to Herr Bebel, the social Democrat leader, declaring the Emperor's recent allusions to socialists were calculated to undermine the good a*me of the Fatherland.

Mohammedan Feast,

Constantinople, May 14

The great Mohammedan feast of Bairam is being kept throughout Tur* key.

Indian Famine Relief Works.

Calcutta, May 13

The number of Natives now employed on the relief works is 3,481,000. Time Dealings Berlin, May 13

The Government is abolishing the free exchanges recently established aa a protest against the law preventing time dealings in corn and mining stock. The free exchanges were systematically evading the law against speculation in futures.