GENERAL SUMMARY. London, May 26.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2806, 24 July 1866, Page 7

GENERAL SUMMARY. London, May 26.

The Australian March mails were delivered in London on the 11th and 18th May. The Queen and the junior members of the Royal Family are in good health. The Queen resides at Osborne. The Princess of Wales has held a drawing-room, and is becoming very popular. Prince Christian and. the Princess Helena's marriage is fixed for the 9th of July. The Princess Mary of Cambridge's marriage with Prince Tieck is-fixed for the 12th of June. The Ministerial I 'Eefonn Bill, as explained by Ministers, -was the Franchise Bill. The Opposition demanded that the Government should produce their -whole scheme of reform. Mr. Gladstone was loreed to produce the re-distribution of seats measure, and finally fused it into the other measure. The redistribution scheme proposes no disfranchisemerit at all, but to take away one member from each of the small boroughs now electing two, and grouping "the other small boroughs in pairs or threes. Government thus obtained forty-nine seats to dispose of, which were allotted as follow : — English counties, 26 ; four large provincial towns, 4 ; University of London, the Tower Hamlets, a- new district, 2; and' Chelsea and Kensington, 2. -Seven seats were given to the third-rate towns, and the remainder to Scotland. Reports dated the 26th of May, in the daily journals, state that Prussia,' Austria, and Italy have armed against each other, but none of them wish to strike the*first blow. England, France, and Russia attempted a pacification, by Congress ; but Italy, through her treaty with Prussia, wishes to seize Venetia. Italy wants Venice, Prussia wants Saxony, and Russia wants Eoumania ; and a great crisis is expected. • The United States Government have announced that the rinderpest has broken out along the Penola Eailroad. Hundreds of cattle are dying daily. Lord Clarendon and Lord Stratford de Kedcliffe have stated that her Majesty's Government sought to make peace, but the answers were notencouraging. There is every pro3pect of Europe being involved in the most expensive and bloody war ever known in history. The Bill for legalising marriage with a deceased wife's sister was lost by a majority of 19. Captain Rocheford Margurra, R.N., of the j •Challenge,' screw corvette, 22, succeeds Sir William Wiseman oa Commodore on the Australian station. Serious apprehensions of a visitation of cholera to England are. anticipated. The Fenian arrests continue to be made in Ireland. __ A daring attempt was made on May 20th to assassinate Warner at Cork, the Fenian informer. Emigration from Ireland to America is still increasing. The Times of the 18th and 21st May speaks of the late crisis in Victoria thus : " The more closely we examine the history of the late controversy, it shows the impolitic conduct of Sir C. Darling." The h»p harvest promises to be prolific. Several large failures have occurred in Italy. The failure in the Merchants' Bank in New York is announced. Mr. Peabody refuses to receive ovations in New York. Telegraphic communication between Cuba and the United States has commenced. The fight for the championship, between Mace and Goss, came off on 'May 24th. The conduct of both combatants created much disgust. -