MISCELLANEOUS.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 3030, 24 January 1899, Page 1

MISCELLANEOUS.

The fire among the Union Company's coal stores at Sydaey has been extinguished. About 700 tons of email coal were destroyed. Cairns, the shoemaker at Adelaide who cut his own throat after assaulting his wife with a fire-iron is dead. His wife is recovering. The couple htd lived unhappily. The Chinese Government are send" ing a commercial commission to Europe and America, with a view to establish* ng commercial agencies. The funeral of Christopher Colunij bus's remains waa an imposing ceremony. There was au immense concourse of people, who were deep'y affected, and recognised the end of Spain's Colonial Empire. The Russian Government have ordered the immediate construction of three ironclad?, three cruisers, and a number of fast torpedo boats. In the building of theae vessels an accelerated rate of construe r ion will be insist >d upon.. Mr Asqaith, io the coarse of a speech at Louth, sa<d that had the Liberals been tongue tv d regarding the Faehoda incident they would have been political cowards. The utterances of both politioal parties hid averted a conflict. A bealthy and reasonable Imperialism was a leading principle of Liberalism . The trial of the members of the South African Laague is proceeding at Johannesburg. The prosecution subpoenaed the British Vice-Consul as a witness, but he failed to appear. The Executive of the Transvaal are now considering the matter. The Anglo-Egyptian Convention ia gazetted at Curo. It recognises the joint reconquest of the Soudan as enforoing Britain's claim, accruing by right of conquest. The word " Soudan " includes the ancient territories south of the twenty-second parallel, including Wady Haifa. The Bpeech delivered by Mb Chamberlain at Wolverhamptom has created a concilatory impression in Paris, where it ia declared that the Colonel Secretary practically holds the reins of government in England. It ia considered in some quarters in Paris that the demands of Britain, as indicated by Mr Chamberlain, have been exaggerated.