NEWS OF THE WORLD.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 91, 4 June 1912, Page 6

NEWS OF THE WORLD.

A NEW BRITISH DREADNOUGHT. LONDON, June 1. The Dreadnough Delhi has been laid down at Barrow. She will carry ten of the latest 13Jin guns, throwing shejle weighing 14001b each, She will have a speed of 22 knots.

A JUDGE'S MURDERER. NEW YORK, June 2. Claud Allen has been found guilty of the murder of Judge Thornton at Hillsville Courthouse. The jury recommended a sentence of 15 years' imprisonment.

UNITED STATES TARIFF. WASHINGTON, June 2. The Senate leaders killed the Democratic tariff measures without forcing Mr Taft's veto. Senators propose to amend each Bill as it arrives from the House. The Canadian reciprocity amendment provides for the repeal of the reciprocity agreement, also fixing the duty at two dollars per ton on printing paper. The latter is so strongly opposed by all factions in the House of Representatives that the Democrats will be, compelled to kill the Bill or allow it to go to a conference of both Houses when the Senate will not concede its amendments and the House of Representatives will not concede its Bill, thus causing a deadlock.

CHURCH STATISTICS. LONDON, June 1. Church statistics in England and Wales for 1911 show :

Anglican communicants, 2,342,153; scholars and teachers, 3.455,665; confirmations, 25,483; baptisms, 606,999 all increases. The confirmations increased 25 per centum. Wesleyaus.—MemberSj 473,091; scholars, 967,181.

Congregationalists.—Members, 454,429; scholars, 655,048. Baptists.—Members, 394,647; scholars, 553,329.

The aggregate decrease in all Nonconformists is: Members 6980, scholars 29,623. Tlie statistics reveal that communicants and members in all the Protestant churches number about 5,000,000 and scholars roughly 7,000,000. The churches are thus in actual touch with one person out of every three. The 'Times' says: "The Scottish Church's Union discussions are memorable for the resultant unanimity of one Assembly and the practical unanimity of the others. This would have been inconceivable a generation ago. Everyone concerned desires to preserve the historic continuity of both churches, sacrificing nothing essential and without any admission that past generations had labored purposelesslyj and to create a really national Church tolerant to everyone. The discussions have made clear the danger of mixing the question of union with the question of disestablishment. Many who in the abstract favored disestablishment realised that its obtrusiou would embarrass any measure for union later." PLURAL VOTING. LONDON, June 1. Hon. Charles Hobhouse (Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster), in a speech, said that the Plural Voting Bill would pass the House of Commons this session.

NEW SOUTH WALES POLITICS. THE SPEAKER'S CLAIMS. SYDNEY, June 2. Mr Willis (Speaker of the Legislative Assembly), speaking at the turning of the first sod of the Werriwa railway, defended his actions in Parliament, claiming a precedent. He claimed that since he had been Speaker he had secur< d the enfranchisement of 25 per centum move people and had saved the State £IOO,OOO. A BY-ELECTION. SYDNEY, June 2. For the by-election for Werriwa to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr Hall the returns are incomplete. Mr Bennett (Labor) is leading. A feature is that this is. the first contest under the new Electoral Act, which prevents comments in newspapers, except over a signature.