GENERAL.

Clutha Leader, Volume XII, Issue 597, 25 December 1885, Page 6

GENERAL.

, -,?."-..-.-__ i r ;liON_*pN, Deo-_-ber W. t __ cohF.rence took place tbnirty between Colonel Stanley and the various agentsgeneral,- the object being, to decide on a successor to- the late General Scratchley High Obmn___abn__ of New Guinea, and to fix the proportion: to be pahi by —each- Australasian Colony towards the expenses connected with the establishmenfc^bf the New Guinea protectorate. -^The^xCohference designated Mr John Douglas or Mr J. B. Thurstoo as General -Jcratchiey's successor, but a final selection lias yet to be made. ■ ',"."'"'.'/_'. C___x>,. December _.& • The rebels continue to f orn_ in the ■weinity of Knoshy, and iii the skirmishes with them several officers, have been killedLondon, December 17. * The Standard, in an article on the • - political outlook to-day, affirms that Mr Gladstone' is prepared to restore the Irish •Parliament, at the same time preserving -anion, with Great Britain. Tdie directora- of tbe Bant of England _uftei-Tsi_ed the bank rate of discount - frpin 3>-fe> 4 per cent. *-_[_r_fladstone announces that the remarks' ip, the* Standard attributing ±6 him willingness to re-establish ah Irish Parliamer-t are inaccurate. Xtiß reported that a French protecto_ate has been established over the island of Angaziya, or Great Comoro, lying in "the* Mozambique Channel, between Africa --and' Madagascar. The Pall Mall Gazette publishes an -article to-day which states that the scheme proposed by Mr Gladstone- for the settlement of the Irish difficulty includes an Irish Parliament, to sit at Dublin, and have control 0f.#.1l Irish afEairs, the Crown retaining its TJigfot to veto, which, however, would ditty be exercised upon the advice of the-' irish Ministry of the day. Mr M. Bragge has been appointed Professor of for the- Adelaide University, and will leave for there about the middle of January. Mr Belcher, of King's College, Cambridge, isai been selected for the position -•of rector I*l the Otago High School. '■-.*"*' December 18. To-day's Standard asserts that the Sultan has appointed Prince Alexander Go"pernor of Ronmelia for life, the Powers agreeing to the appointment. In the powers proposed to be granted for local government in Ireland, Mr Gladstone includes Irish control of the police, jlrish members to continue to sit in the -British Parliament for Imperial purposes. Mr Parnell is to furnish guarantees for the - "protection of the loyal minority in Ireland -andfo-rthe protection of the landlords*:__ter> est. This revelation renders the action of ihe : Marquis of Salisbury uncertain. The case of Hillford and Newton v. Youngs of Christchurch, an appeal to the Privy Council regarding a sale of property >3_t Middleton, near Christchurch, has been dismissed. Sir John M'Donald, Premier of Canada, who is at present on a visit to England r delivered an address . at the Guildhall last evening. During his speech, he referred to the beginning of federation in Australia, which he considered had commenced under auspicious circumstances, and he 'expressed a hope that all the Colonies there who were at present holding aloof would join, and so make a complete federation of the Australian Colonies. Colonel Stanley and the several Agents'general are arranging to proclaim the -•-British sovereignty of New Guinea, which "-will be done if the Colonies are liberal in •subscribing funds for the purpose. It is -corisider-d probable that Mr John Doug- . las will be appointed High Commissioner. Mr R. -C. Baker's postal scheme has been submitted to the Treasury for consideration. Constantinople, December 18. The Turkish Commission have arrived •at Nisch, and Prince Alexander assented to its proposals, with certain reservations. Calcutta, December 18. Advices from Burmah state that the Dacoits are very numerous in the vicinity -of Mandalay, and are harassing the British troops. ■, Mr Gladstone announces that the article published in yesterday's Pall Mall Gazette is without foundation, and denies the existence of any such scheme as that attributed to him by the writer of the article, and disavows any intention of acting in the manner indicated therein. Mr Gladstone takes the opportunity of stating that the announcement in the newspapers at present relative to the line of policy he was determined to adopt are mere conjectures,, as he has not 'yet made known his -intention to anyone. The work of delimiting the Russo--Afghan frontier has been brought to a -standstill in consequence of the extremely divergent views of tho representatives of England and Russia regarding the inclu•sion of Meruchak in the territory of the lat£er country. December 19. . The New Zealand mails which left Auckland on October 13 were delivered here .yesterday, via San Francisco, two days -before the due date. The total quantity of wheat afloat for iihe TJnited Kingdom is 1,550,000 quarters, 'being 20,000 quarters less than last week. New Zealand frozen mutton is worth '4sdto-_idperlb. The Ne*y Zealand Shipping Company's 'Tongariro sailed from Plymouth for Auckland and Wellington this afternoon. She will call, at TenerifFe and Gap_ of Good jHope en route. The Times to-day states that Mr Gladstone has submitted to her Majesty the a plan for the re-establishment of an Irish Parliament, and further announces that her Majesty has referred the scheme to her Ministers for approval.

The Times states that the following of Mr Chamberlain is variously estimated at from 60 to 150.

The Times, in an article on Mr Glad_tone's policy, says that the conscience of the country ia deeply shocked at his conversion, which might lead to a disruption of the • Empire. The article urges the moderate Tories to reject the proposals.

The wheat market is inanimate. The •only sales reported are (ex warehouse) at -375. No business has been transacted in off-coast . cargoes or forward shipments. The flour market 'is dull, and quotations are unchanged. The weather is now ___il_L --