TABLE TALK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 94, 24 April 1891, Page 1

TABLE TALK.

'Frisco mail arrived. Yankee visitors in town. African situation is critical. Theatricals on the mail-boat. H.M.B. Orlando is at Sydney. Outward 'Fiisco mail to-morrow. " La Grippe " is ravaging Europe. Sarah Bernhardt will visib the colonies. Annual meeting V.M.C.A. this evening. Mascotte social in Choral Hall this even* ing. H.M.B. Rapid for Norfolk Island tomorrow. The Russian Government is purchasing a million rifles in Austria. President .Balraaceda opened the Chilian Congress on Thursday. A serious outbreak of influenza has taken place in Christiania (Norway). M. Le Conte, of Tahiti, leavea here for 'Frisco to-morrow en route for Europe. The death is announced at Home of the eldest son of Mr W. JMtcbard Morgan. Potae, a Ngatiruanui chief, of Hawera, brother of the late Hone Pihama, is dead. The name of the English widow who left General Booth a legacy of £70,000 is Mrs Bell. The sinking of the Chilian rebel warship Blanco Encalada at Antofagasta is denied. Ab Palmerston North James Day, of Ashursb, was fined £20 and costs for sly grog-selling. The German Emperor vefuses to relax the stringency of the passport system between France and Germany. The Russian Government! advise exQueen Nathalie to leave Servia until her son reaches his majority. The London County Council has granted the request of the tramway employees for ten hours' work per day. It is reported that sixty-two allies of the British are prisoners in the hands of the Manipuris in North East India. The Nelson district is becoming overrun with stoats and weasels. In one place cats are said to be destroying them. Cornelius Harrinton, who kicked his wife to death a,b Walhalla(Vic), has been sentenced to'fifteen years' penal servitude. A "Gazette" isissued calling the New Zealand Parliament together for the despatch of business ab 2.30 p.m. on Thursday, 11th June. Italians are being engaged in place of the coal men on strike in Pennsylvania (U.S.), and it is feared that serious disturbance will result. The expulsion of 14,000 Jewish artisans from Moscow is decreed, and preparations are being made for expelling a similar number from St. Petersburg. The trial of the Ciermont shearer rioters. has begun at Rockharnpton (Q.) There were 308 jurors summoned, and of 150 called, 138 were challenged. A further fall in London of a half per cent, in colonial stocks generally is reported. Silver has fallen one farthing, owing to the lower exchanges in India. A partner of the firm of Messrs Clement and Sons, of Glasgow, has started for New Zealand for the ; purpose of erecting cooperative butter factories in this colony. The Labour Congress at Eallarat (Vie.) has unanimonsly affirmed the necessity of the federation of labour, and a committee has been appointed to formulate a scheme. The estate of Messrs William. Watson and Co., merchants, of London and Melbourne, who filed in February last with liabilities amounting to £13,000, will realise 12s 6d in the £. A fresh plot has been discovered for the overthrow of the Bulgarian Government. A Russian agent revealed the details, which led to a number of the ringleaders being placed under arrest. At the request of the foreign consuls in Samoa the American cruiser Charleston has been- ordered to Apia from San Fran- . cisco to preserve the freedom of election in choosing a successor to King Malietoa. Dr. Prins, Christchurcb, has received one of Dr. Koch's syringes and a supply of lymph. He intends retaining part for private experiment and placing the remainder at the disposal of the Hospital authorities. of alleged dummyism has been reported to the Wellington Land Board, this time in the Mangahao block, Northern Wairarapa, and will be invest!, gated at the meeting of the Board nexs week. Mr Tim Healy, in addressing a meeting, at Dublin of the members of the new league formed by the seceders from Parneli, accused.the latter of causing the collapse of the Plan ol Campaign as an act of vengeance. The following are the Sydney current quotations for the principal silver mining shares:—Proprietary,£lo 15s; British,£29s 6d ; Central, £4 19s ; South, £4 15s 6d ; Block 14, £6 9s ; Block 10, £13 5s ; Junctions, £2 Is. Mr Morrell, Conservative, has been elected for the vacancy for the Woodstock seat in the House of Commons, caused by the resignation of Mr F. W. McLean, Q..C. Mr Morrell defeated Mr Benson, the Home Rule nominee, by 688 votes. The Dunedin prohibitionists having been successful at Roslyp, made a strong effort yesterday to capture the licensing election ab North-easb Valley. They were unsuccessful, the whole of the moderate candidates being elected! The enforcement of the Bait Act againsb the Newfoundland fishermen has led to their showing a defiant attitude, and they still continue to carry baib to St. Pierre, an island off the south coast of Newfoundland, and a fishing station belonging to the French. News from Queensland states that the Riot Act has been read ab Charleville owing to the continued disturbance of riotous shearers outside the courthouse, and several arrests have been made. Heavy rain is falling throughout the country, and will impede the movement of both parties. Eight hundred cases of influenza are reported in Yorkshire, and many of the factories are only able to work half-time, as a large number of hands are affected. The disease is also prevalent in London, "and numerous cases are reported. The Republican Clubs sitting at Cincinnati (U. S.) denounce the secret society ol Sicilians known as the Mafia, and amidst wild applause it was resolved thab not on« dollar be paid or an apology tendered to Italy even if war resulted with America in consequence of the New Orleans affair. The annual report of the North Canter* bury Board of Education states thab during 1890 the expenditure on salaries was £5,606, and in incidentals £6,615. The number of teachers is 535, of school districts 146, and of schools 163. The number on the rolls is 21,240. The election of a Licensing Committee for the North-easb Ward of Christchurch city resulted in the return of Messrs Kindell, Jameson, Westenra, Humphreys and Mobs by a majoriby of over one hundred above tho rive candidates representing the prohibition party. At the meeting of the Wellington Trades Council last night, it was decided to convey their thanks to the Minister of Public Works for introducing the co-operative system amongst the unemployed, and suggesting, if the system proved to be a success, that he should introduce ife in larger worka.