LONDON.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1807, 28 February 1885, Page 2

LONDON.

Feb. 25.

Gordon, in hir last despatch, of December 14, abandoned all hope, and said the fall of Khartoum was England's fault. Several English officers are offering their services to the Sydney contingent for Soudan. At the meeting of the Conservative party to-day the Marquis of Salisbury stated that the Tories are fully prepared to assume office should present administration be found not to retain the confidence of Parliament. In the House of Commons to-day ! Sir Stafford Northcote's motion of censure was further discussed. A division on the motion will take place on Friday. Sir George McLean, K.C.M.G., has given a donation of £500 to the Syd- | ney patriotic fund. The Blue Book of New Guinea and the Pacific Islands is now issued, and shows that in January Lord Derby telegraphed to Lord Loftus that it was intended to declare British dominion over all New Guinea, and the neighbouring islands were included in the protectorate. In February Lord Derby wired to Sir William Jervois instructing him to discountenance the movement for the annexation of Samoa, stating that German}' disavowed the action of their Consul at Apia, and disclaimed their intention of annexing Samoa. The papers show that this month Earl Granville informed Count Munater, German Minister in London, that if the German-Samoan agreement of November last w?s ratified it would be necessary for England to conclude similar arrangements with Maliefcoa for the benefit of the British at Samoa. The book also contains a letter from King Malietoa complaining that the treaty with Germany was unjustly obtained, and asking the Emperor to re- j ject it. The Agents-General are protesting against the recidiviste scheme for the Pacific, and have prepared a bill dealing with the matter, which has been handed to Lord Derby. At a meeting in London Earl Dunraven spoke strongly in favour of imposing a tax on all foreign imports, which should go to forming a federal defence fund. Hon. Joseph, M.L.C., New South Wales, opposed the Earl's views, and said the proposal was absurd. Feb. 26. A battery of nine-pounders, with all necessary equipments, supplied by the War Department for the New South Wales artillery, has been despatched to Suakim.