(PER PRESS AGENCY.) GENERAL SUMMARY.

Evening Post, Volume XVIII, Issue 3, 3 July 1879, Page 2

(PER PRESS AGENCY.) GENERAL SUMMARY.

The South Staffordshire Mines Drainage Commissioners have announced tbat owing to £407,000 being due in the Tipton district, all the pumping engines will ba stopped. The effect of this will be tho flooding of hundreds of collieries for miles round. South Staffordshire would never recover irom the disaster. The leading merchants have memorialised Lord Beieonsfield, for an enquiry into the effect on the commerce of the world of the indoubtedly large contraction of the metallic currency. A conference has been held at Barnstaple, representing 120 3 000 coal miners. Ten per cent, increase of pay was demanded, with the alternative of a stoppage of work throughout the country. The Durham coal strike has ended by arbitration in favor of a reduction of 8f per cent-, and work has been resumed. Sixty cotton operatives sailed for Dundee, Ontario, Canada, where a mill is being established. A French coastguard vessel has captured six English fishing vessels, and taken them to Granville. The Times correspondent publishes an interview with several Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Yorkshire landowners.who say that the farmers are failing continually, and many landlords, after reducing their rents, cannot get tenants. Several large owners are about to take their farms and work them themselves. Several great Scotch landlords reduced the rants from twenty to thirty per cent. The Prince of Wales' agent in the Duchy of Cornwall, gave notice to tbe tenants that in consideration of tbe depressed state of agriculture, a rjmissioQ of 20 per cent, from the rents for a period ot three year 3 will be made. In no man's memory has agriculture been so profitless. This is owing in part to bad harvests, but chitfly to vast food importations from America. Lord Chelmsford remains at Natal after Sir Garnet Wolseley's arrival. Tbe Lambeth, Vauxhall, Albert, Battersea, and Chelsea Thames bridges have been freed from toll, and three other bridges within the metropolitan boundary are to follow suit. The Home Rulers in the House of Commons have chosen Mr. William Shaw, member for Cork, as leader. Advices from Ihe south of France and Italy report a rapid destruction of silk worms by bad weather, and in consequence there is considerable excitement in the English silk market. Competitors in the match for the Walking Championship of the world have been reduced to Rowflll, Innis, Brown, and Harding, of Blaikwai] ; they start on 16th June. We»ton, tbe American, entered the list on 6th June Captain Webb won the six days' swimming match, making 74 miles, at the Lambeth swimming baths. t-ir Bevys, brown colt, won the Derby on 28th May. The betting was 20 to 1 against the winner. A large crowd witnessed the race, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh came from London with the Prince and Princess of Wales. Failures for the month : — Hopkins, Gikes, and Co., Lloyd and Co., Middles I.™;1 .™; in the iron trade, Skerne Iron Works Company, and the Darlington Trading Company. The Afrikanische Hande.'sverein Commonatore Bankverein, Rotterdam, has failed. The liabilities amount to £750,01)0. The director of the Africanische Handelsvereiu tried to commit suicide, but is now under surveillance in tho hospital. It is expected that his extradition will be demanded. Another director fled to Spain with his family. Tho latter's name is Sincoat*, and he wa? a man of great coramer.ial and financial influence. He was a member of the First Chamber, and one ot the leaders of the Liberal party. Three failures have occurred in cotton manufactures at Preston, amounting to £36,000. John and Robert Fentm, cotton spinners, Rochdale, failed for £50 000; Matthew Dickie, millowner, Stockport, for £145,000; Henry Dore, grocer, Holme, for £100,000; Hawthorn and Monk, cotton manufacturers, Rawson, for £27,000; Fletcher and Ryder, merchants, Liverpool ; Stuart and Co., merchants, Liverpool—liabilities between £100, 000 and £200,000 The directors of the New Zealand Agricultural Company announce that they are prepared to issue the balance of 50,000 shares forming the capital of the company. More than one-half ha* already been allotted. The International Congress to discuss the project for a ship canal across the Isthmus of Panama met on tho sth. M. Ferdinand de Le«seps was elected president, and Admiral Daniel, < f the American navy, vice-president. All the Powers have been applied to to send delegates to Panama. The Aspinwall route was adopted, much to the dissatisfaction ot the United States delegates, who preferred Nicaragua. Sjpbie yon Herquefeld and a male accomplice, who were to have been shot at Kieff for belonging to an illegal society for forging passports, and attempting to kill members of the police, have bad their sentences commuted. The German Government has asked other European Governments to join in a protest against the t-'outh American war, on the ground of its inhumanity. The German Government declines to accept the proposals of the Pope to end the clerical controversy.