DIFFICULTY.

Press, Volume XLI, Issue 6120, 30 April 1885, Page 2

DIFFICULTY.

Bt -l-otsio TaxMeamvea^-^Cottaiitnt. T-tn-Ea's T*__a_U__S._ -weired April ssth, 9iSO p_v LONDON, April 29 It is officiaUy announced that the oft* made by the New South Wales QovtlT ment of the colonial Soudan contingent ifo service in India has been accepted. Bece-l-ed Ap-il SOth, 0.45 a.r_. LONDON, April 20 The " Standard " this morning lishes a telegram from its special «fcL_ pondent with General Lumsden to +_*. effect that the Russian troops have oocol pied Maruohak, a position on the 1%. Murghab, twenty miles south of Penttl_ No details are, however, given with re«_ to the occurrence.

[srscjAi, to raaaa association.] Becerred AprU £«_, 10.20 p.u_ LONDON, Aprfl 29 The " Standard" states that the. Bnsaians have occupied Maruchak. —spired AprU 29 h, 11.16 p.m. LONDON. April 29 The speech of Mr Gladstone in the House of Commons has caused alarm throughout the continent. Immense suppUes of coal are being; shipped to the Cape of Good Hope. The " Melbourne Age " says :~"Aa considerable interest has been taken of I_«T--the movemeute of the British sad Eu*b__ fleets in toe eastern waters, we pUed from the latest Hong Konjr-a_Pr_fh_ ■ following list, which show, wig's belonging to the two Powers are. oulhT China and Japan stations. The Bri_H men-of-war are as under:— -•"-<«. Ail?-? 16, Gun »- H.P. Albatross 4 em • Audacious 14 4330 Champion 14 _jj4o Cleopatra 14 _siaCockchafer ... Z 4 470 Curasoa 14 2540 £_"»«• 4 920 f -* . 3 310 EsP™- ■ 4 458 Firebrand 4 __ Flying Fish 4 84!) Linnet 5 105u _£dge ... 4 4 470 Merlin 4 430 Pegasus 6 970 Sapphire 12 4360 Swift 5 1010 Tweed 3 340 Vigilant ... 2 1230 Wanderer 4 750 Vivian 4 1450 Zephyr ... ... ... 4 530 The Victor Emanuel is the receiving-. ship at Hong Kong, whilst the Audaciouscarrieß the flag of vice-Admiral Sir William. Montagu Dowell, K.C.B. According to our telegram received a short time since this fleet was ordered to rendezvous off Seng Kong. It wfll be noted that the whole of the fleet are, from their indicated horsepower, more or less built for speed. The Russian fleet are just the opposite, as wfll be seen from tbe foUowing list of vessels. - on the China and Japan stations: — Name. Guns. H.P. Abreok ... 7 300 Ermak 4 80 Gomostai 6 80 Mmm 19 Siiil Morge 7 E0 Nerpa 7 80 Opritchnik 8 — Baizbonick ... ' ... 12 — Babol 7 60 Vcstock ... 4 80 The Morge. Nerpa, and Vcstock gunboats are stationed at Vladivostock. A London telegram, dated March 20th,. runs as foUowß:—The Afghan boundary question continues uppermost in thepubho mind, and Ministerial utterances on the subject are not generally regarded"_."satis- . factory. On the 18th inst. Mr Gla<_„.. -\ stated in the House Of Commons that - •*. England and Russia had agreed tbat no further advance should be made on 'either Bide in the disputed territory near Afghanistan. The subject of aecerbunisg ", tbe frontier by enquiry and correapsaQence : is under treatment by diplomatic coram*--. ?* cation. Mr Gladstone added "an agreement not in the nature of a formal instra. ment would last as long as there was occasion for it." Mr Gladstone, replying* to Mr Ashmead-Bartlelt, Baid that agreement was perhaps a rather fallacious term * ■ '* arrangement would be a more correct ex-. . pression. ThePremieraddedthatonthelSth he spoke on the strength of acammunication from the British Ambassador; but on the 14th, in ord—■ to avoid misapprehension, Earl Granville telegraphed to St. Petersburg a • message quoting Mr Gladstone's worst, and asking if M. de Giers concurred in Mr- . Gladstone's assurance to the House ef Commons. The reply of M. de Gicrs only •,, arrived on the evening of the 16tb. It stated that the Russian troops would fiat-~ advance from -the positions now occupied by them,' provided the Afghans did not . r j advance or attack, or unless in the case of -jsome extraordinary reason, such as a dia? '• . turbance atPenjdeh. R-newed orders had been sent to the Russian commanders to ' t avoid provoking any conflict. In &a y . f *. course of the sitting, Mr Gladstone, «plj-_.' I ing to Mr Stanhope, said that the Britiaa ,*-'■" v Government last November pressdd Ba—ia \ to withdraw from her positions beyo-a Sarakhs. Russia, however, explained —st she regarded them as Russian territory* :~ and declined to withdraw. The British " demand subsequently lapsed. The general belief is that Russia will not withdraw from the positions to which she has ' steadily advanced, but for the present will be content to go no farther, and that peace wfll be patched up between her and England for a time.