FRANCE AND ITALY IN EGYPT.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 156, 5 July 1887, Page 4

FRANCE AND ITALY IN EGYPT.

Victor Hugo's dictum that "The French are Italians—the Italians are French," seems likely to be put to a rather severe test. The old irritation between these two great branches of the Latin race has broken out afresh over the Egyptian question—tho immediate cause of annoyance being the declaration of the Italian Minister of

the Interior, made the other day in the Parliament at Some, that English and Italian interests in Egypt were identical. France has always been preternaturally " touchy " on the subject of Egypt, and her statesmen and people have therefore been quick to recognise in Signor Crispi's speech a note of defiance as a sort of counterblast to the crowing of the Gallic cock against the continued occupation of Egypt by England. In spite of the utmost endeavours of France to stir up opposition among the natives, Italy firmly holds her position at Masso'wah, on the Bed Sea. Signor Crispi's speech almost amounted to an announcement that an AngloItalian alliance had been formed with regard to Egypt, without French interests being in any way consulted. Hence it comes that the French Ambassador at Kome has lodged a protest against the Italian Minister's tone, and has given a plain hint that; if France is slighted she may be compelled to assert herself. Italy has a splendid navy, and an efficient army, so it is likely that France will find the task of " asserting herself" a somewhat arduous one. The Egyptian question is in a very critical position at the present time. Englnnd has declined to allow the Porte an extension of the time for ratifying the recent Convention, and the Sultan's advisers must decide promptly between the friendship of England and the proffered alliance of France. Little doubt can be felt as to the decision ; but after the Convention is ratified, what then ? Will France and Russia carry out their threats by throwing bodies of troops into Asia Minor, and will such action lead to a declaration of war by Turkey ? France is in the fighting mood, but we scarcely think she will enter on such a useless and Quixotic adventure as a war in Syria, in revenge for being shut out of Egypt. If, however, Russia is ready to make a simultaneous advance, on Bulgaria and Erzeroum. the expected war may be precipitated, and France, by reason of her Russian alliance, may be dragged into it. The development of events will be watched with the keenest interest.

The Industrial Exhibition was crowded on Saturday night, when Mr Townsend's capital band and tlie electric added to the attractions. During the week the children of the various public schools will be admitted free, to-morrow morning those of Wellesley-street being the favoured ones, and in. the afternoon those of Ponsonby. A series of lectures are also to be given, commencing, perhaps to-morrow- night. It is a pity that something cannot be done to cleanse the interesting, but most unsavoury, gigantic egg in the glass case (the first one laid by a bird of the ostrich persuasion in New Zealand);. the odour was bad enough before the egg was blown, but now it is perhaps worse. ■ We are>glad >to find that the price of admission lias been reduced by half, which will no doubt greatly add to the use as well as financial success of the show. The inquest into tbe death of the man Samuel Switzer resulted in a', verdict of " Found drowned, without any marks of violence, and ■ that there was no evidence to show how he came in, the water." . The evidence was in accordance with the facts previously published in the Star ; but it was further elicited that deceased had lately come from Whangarei, and though appearing quite sane had spoken about people " following :, him, The regular monthly meeting of Lodge Ara, 348, I.C. was held last night, after which the Grand Lodge of the Irish Constitution met. _At the conclusion of the business, Bro. D. P. Evans, W.M. of Lodge Ara, requested P.G.M. Pierce to make a presentation to Bro. A. S. Russell, who had retired from the office of Secretary ; after a number of years service. The presentation, which was duly made, took the form of a handsomely framed photographic shield of the past Masters and Officers of Lodge Ara, comprising eighteen in number. Bro. Russell thanked the brethren for their presentation in a neat speech. John Bartholemen Thackabury, who was charged with drunkenness at the Police Court to-day, had 93 previous convictions for that offence against him, and has spent, nearly twelve years in gaol. Another meeting of the Auckland Royal Irish Rifles was held last night at the Drillshed in one of the ante-rooms, when there was a good attendance. Lieutenant Patterson presided. Lieutenant-Colonel Mahon and Lieutenant Leahy were also present. The most important business was the election of a captain for the company. After some consideration, Mr W. C. Walker, (of the firm of King, Walker and Co.) was unanimously chosen to fill that position. The 35 stands of arms forwarded by the Government were then served out, and as this was not sufficient, it was stated that the balance of the men would be supplied next Friday night. The new company will turn out at the next parade of No. 3 Battalion. It may not be generally known that the late Mr C. 0. Davis was called after the Irish patriot, Oliver Bond. Mr Oliver Bond was tried by special commission sitting in the Court-house, Green-street, Dublin, for high treason, on the 24th July, 1795. ' He was an eminent woollen draper, of Bridge-street, in that city. He was defended by the celebrated John Philpot Curran in a speech of marvellous ability. Mr Bond was one of the United Irishmen, who, maddened and stung- to the quick at the gross injustice and tyranny that then obtained in Ireland, joined that confederacy. He was not, however, guilty of any overt act of rebellion, which would have entitled the jury to find him guilty oftreason. This, however, they did. It was said he died of apoplexy in prison, but there is good reason to suspect that he was murdered. Mr'C. O. Davis, like Mr Bond, was an enemy to injustice and a friend to the oppressed. ]

The half-yearly meeting of the Auckland Lodge, U.A.0.D., was held in the. Club room, Park Hotel, last evening, 'Arch Druid Bro. Philip Foster in the chair. After the usual routine business had been transacted, the election of officers for the ensuing six months took place, with the following result:—A.D.-, Bro. Woods; V.A.D., Bro. May; Secretary, Bro. E. Mace; Minute Secretary, P.A. Bro. W. Jennings ; Treasurer, D.P. Bro. A. Kidd ; A.B's., Bros. Louis Bycrofb and Bilson; V.A.B's., Bros. Walpole and ■ Quigley; 1.G., Bro. Mirfin; 0.G., Bro. Farranfc; medical : officer, Dr. Coom. The officers were installed by P. A. Bro. Jennings, assisted by P. A. Bro. Stratliearn. The balance-sheet; read and adopted, showed the Lodge to be steadily progressing, there being acreditba!anceofL2l2, which amount does not include the Sick and Funeral Fund. After the installation, P. A. Bro. J. Flannagan -was presented with a handsomely framed R A. diploma, for services rendered to the Lodge. There were a number of visiting brethren present from the Ponsonby anilvanhOQ Lodges during the Qyem'ng. ;

coupfe being Si' HE"?** of. f«S traction was a dannfn rhe P ri ncipal 1 F. Murphy wE n T Peti i ion being tfie judges n '• and **.■ HdJ ■ pedals, bul no prizes for the ™L , § h, there were Jr White took fcSfiKff T petio s his partner being jEe& fcle f r hot «< ■■■.'■ next gathering. The afc ffi a appreciate his remairfessMabelT closed lith the fidiSon: * j tope Ewd, but Sunday evening Addresseswere give n byMrW.R. Cooked Mr T. L. Wilcoek. The former gentleman referred to a notice he had seen in 5 the papers in Sir George Grey's collection o a meeting held in the early days of the coW, in. the Kaipara, when JenS men banded together to do away with the hquor traffic and subscribed £15 for that piupose. Both addresses were of an earnest and practical character. Mr E, Wood presided. The second anniversary of these services r/ill be held next Sunday. The |P™' S will be announced in Saturday's The weekly free Temperance entertain- '• tamment was given at the Albert-streeb i lemperance Hall on Saturday night, bongs, recitations, &c, were gWby ' Misses Heron, King, Carr, Leslie, and Jams, Messrs. Greenwood, Bichards, 'E. j Richards, and King, A similar entertain- ! mentwillbe given next Saturday evening . in the same place. .■ ; The University College Council met : terday afternoon. Sir G. M. O'Eorkewas j re-elected Chairman. It. was decided,to :.! grant the Taupiri Reserve Colliery Com- ' ; pany the exclusive right to cut timber on ' the Council's reserve at Taupiri. .'With reference to the petition of the Otago University for power to grant degrees, it was decided to put into the form of a ■ the-resolution of a previous meeting, depre- i eating the granting of degrees by more thai one University in New Zealand. ; Thectin-' : siderationof the establishment of a School • of Medicine was postponed till next meeting. Professor Brown's action in storing the Board of Education's scientific apparatus at the College was endorsed by' the Cot&oii: , It was decided to approve of the insurance of the College Buildings and portents ,fqt LBSO in the New Zealand ■InsiirtttftS'-'dp"' pany. This was all the business of ini-. portance. Four samples of the liquor seized by Sergeant Pratt on Thursday night last at Ah' Chew's shop, Wakefield-street, .have been analysed by Mr Pond, and found to be equal ' in strength to case brandy. The charge of selling without a. license, preferred against Ah Chew, will come before-the B.M. next Saturday.; ,- "*. ;'.',., -.: „.,,»., Sunday last being the "Feast of "the. Precious Blood " of Jesus, was observed at St. Patrick's Cathedral Avith the due devotion and reverence as laid down in the ritual' , and 'liturgy. The clergy were ; vested; in red, that being.the ; colour of the day. 'The Rev.. Father Hackett chanted mass at eleven ' a.m., which was a "Missa Cantata." He also preached. The choir was in good fornix and the organ, under the skilful ■< manipulation of the Rev. Father Egan, ; "swelled its notes of praise." In the", evening! at vespers, the Very Rev. Dr. Gleeson, of Tasmania, who comes here to preach during the approaching annual retreat of the Catholic clergy :of the , diocese, delivered a masterly discourse on the text, "Who is she that cometh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible . as. an army set in 1 array.?" , " Song of Solomon," yi., 9th. The Dreacher gave a magnificent series' of wordpictures drawnrfrom astronomy , and r nature, and adduced. able arguments from Holy Writ and the history of the worship of various, nations. From his" exordium to his ; peroration the rev. doctor' held the attention of the large congregation spell bound. ; His description of the gathering of 60,000 troops at Constantinople on losd Good Friday, 12 months, in illustration pf an army in battle array,wasmasterlyindeed. A pr-ocession of the Blessed -Sacrament, in which the Bishop and Clergy, the Societies of the Sacred Heart, the Children of Mary ; and the Christian Brothers joined, _the latter carrying the canopy over the Eev. Father Thomas, who carried the Hosfc,,to<* place after the sermon.' This was.;followed • by the Benediction of the Blessed feacrament. ,- - ■ . ' _.'...' There was a large attendance afc : the COS' , cert given in the Foresters' Hall, Newto?, ; y ; last evening'in aid of the fund for improv;.;; ing the grounds of--the Marist Brothers : ;. school in Wellington-street. Amongst those present were Bishop Luck, Very" . •Dr. Gleeson, Monsignor ■; McDonald, ; Eevs. Egan, Lenihan, JVlahoney,_O^,,; Hackett, Mahoney, Thomas, and Downey., , -The following programme -was., satis- ; factorily gone through: Crown Diamonds orchestra; Trial, seem. , from Merchant of Venice, Masters Qmnn, i Darby and Moylan; solo, " Serenade. | Master Walter' (encored), : ; responded with " The Harp Thai; Qm» ThroughTara's Halls"; ''&&*<**&, ; Mis= Prior-duet, " How Sad ifc is tosay -~ Farewelv' Mrs Hiscocks and Mr Burnham; ~ comic song, " Paddy's Breeches, Mr J.-J j Walsh j sdo, "The Maid of .-1 Ferrday; "White Wings ' j Lorrigan. The second -part ol.ti» concert | opened with the «,, StWaast"; recitation, " Shamus OW | Mr JJ. Walsh; solo * Scenes J I Brightest," Miss Julia Knight,; duet! g, j in the Stilly Night," Mesdame^Pig Swales, second voKna; Mr clarionet;. Mr Philpot, tlute ; Jr<#i. | bassoon; MissShanaghan, accompanist. , The annual meeting of the Foreign Missions will be heloW. ,;■ , past 7 o'clock this evenmgm the , fta^^^SSiandstudent. • .. The shop lately occupiedltf W. & c ' draper, Jen'ois Road, has been openedj Mr S. Newcomb as a famlyg™*^^ (] m-oduco store, and he is working up * g<^ cash trade in that district ■ ; !

the price of admission lD ofsome importance. "° fromtheGambuai showing A** 3 level. Tbe shares °re J 6d . gaxonj 2s 3d. ■imperial,^" 1 deciclecl Theßoard of £«j fc Newton East to start a fr» held last night in theSo ?i fl neees=ary arrangements Mr Office Secretary of the Board Vincent Kice,"' o f the members, were and Mr Upton, one 01 following present «*•*!, :-Messrs '^TSIeJISrS Diokcnson, Carter and Robinson. About ■ ffarren, ,neented themselves as pupils, .gOpersonspese™ fche ter ages ranging.horn The - r names proportion Dem c dd t n were arranged aw.a iencedto - bills fair to prove an Constable Lamb Henry Hack f/SSSallow had made a grossly th ? l Sosal to him, and had endea'jSt «" assault " The C ? n ; Tw. found the' Professor surrounded stable ftnro . . Elliott-street, and th Xd Dubliely, and as the solidLies left the stition. . «Wβ Festivities "at the Opera House , Jα to have hit the popular taste. SSwnsagood house last night The % programme will be repeated this evening.

A distinguished musician (Mr F. M. wTlhee) is at present a visitor m our IS Heis travelling for the benefit of Shealtb, and wiU shortly leave for Christdnccb, where he intends remaining for wmetime. Mr Wallnc* held the position 34hnprimo at the celebrated Eichter, Crvctal Palace, and Philharmonic concerts in London; also at the state concerts at, BmkinghamPalace, and in many ether wellknown musical organisations. Be stnclieil at the .Leipzig Conservatoii-e, and early made a mark as a talented violinist. Those do have been fortunate enough to hear him play in private are impressed with the mastery he possesses over his instrument, and his style brings forcible reminiscences ofWilhelmje. His tone is rich, pure and powerful, and his manipulation masterly, extremely accurate and delicate. It is much-to, be: regretted .that the musical public of Auckland have had no opportunity of hearing'him in a concert, but as his stay here is'so'short there has not been BuScient time for necessary preparations.