NEWS AND NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXIII, Issue 87, 12 April 1902, Page 5 (Supplement)

NEWS AND NOTES.

Sir William Christopher Leng, proprietor and editor of tho Sheffield Telegraph, died on 20th February after a bnof illness. It is reported by Laffan's News Agency that some important iron and htcol uuuo orders have recently been placed in Great Britain by American linns. Some western iron manufacturers have contracted for the delivery of 12,000 tons of pitf-iron by lirma in tho English Midlands. Railway contracts for 250,000 tons of rails have also beea lately placed in England. At Liverpool Assizes in February, Frank Kershaw, a bright, intelligent boy of 13, was charged with murdering a playmate twelve years of ago. Ho had punned tho boy into a reservoir on the way homo ( from school, and had held him down till he was drowned. The proceeds) of tho murder we're a watch and chain. A verdict of manslaughter was given by the jury, and the Judgo re.iervcd sentence Tho boy sat listening to the case with a smile on his face, and was removed looking quite unconcerned. Addressing a groat gathering of nativo students at tho convocation of Calcutta University the other day, the Viceroy denied that the Government kept native talent in tho background. Integrity and strenuousness would assure thoir careers, for thero was no racial bar, and- cflicioncy was the only test. It was recently reported that tho Spanish island of Fernando Po in the Gulf of Guinea, had been leased to a Belgian company. This was denied by Iho Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, who stated that ho would, howevor, accept an advantageous offer for tho country lying between the Munir and Cantbo rivers on the African mainland. With one or two exceptions tho Roman Catholic Bishops of Ireland refrained from denouncing or discouraging in any way tho practice of boycotting, which is again being resorted to by the votaries of the Unitod Irish League The same accusation cannot, howover, be levelled against the minor clergy. The Canadian Government is now taking immigrants from Liverpool to Western Cauftda for £8 per head, and afterwards supports them until they havo found work — 3000 were to leave Liverpool and Glasgow last month, and others are expected to go forward in April, May and Juno at the rate of about 4000 per month. Although tho United States official figures for last year show a considerable falling oil in the total value of manufactured goods exported from that country, there seems to havo beeu a steady growth in the popularity of American "novelties" all over Europe. By the word "novelties" is meant not only machinery and labour-saving implements, but a great variety of articles possessing distinguishing points of excellence new to Europe. One of the reasons given for the heavy Tartar exodus from tho Crimea to Turkey is that the cultivation of the tobacco plant with profit is mado impossible owing to the burdens imposed on the industry by the authorities. It is stated that troublo is likely to bo caused to the Ameer of Afghanistan by Mohnined Umar Khan's mother, the late' Ameer's widow, who is reported to have acquiesced but reluctantly in tho late Ameer's decision as to tho order of succession, and has frequently found fault with Ameer Habibullah for certain acts regarding which she claims she ought, according to the late Ameer's will, to havo been consulted. Nasrullah Khan, the new Ameer's younger brother, is also at variance with Habibullah. Tho Times Constantinople correspondent wrote recently: — "The gaola which on Sunday were pretty well emptied of political prisoners by the dispatch of 100 to Bodeida, are fast refilling. Ar-* rfcsts of some five or six suspected persons take place every day." ~ Mr. Lecky has been elected by the French Academy of Moral and Political Sciences to one of the recently-made vacancies of associate foreign members. Colonel Marchand, of Fashoda fame, left Tien-tain recently for France via Siberia. He is being supplied with a special Russian escort by order of the Tsar. The Dowager Empress of China recently gave audiences to Sir Robert Hart, Mgr. Favier and M. Pokotiloff, the manager of the Russo-Chinese Bank. This is the first audience she has over granted to foreigners other than diplomatists. Sir Alfred Jones, head of the steamship firm of Elder Dempster and Co., is making on effort to develop, the timber and mineral industries of the West Indies. The elected members of the Council of Malta havo resigned. They have sent a letter to the Governor stating that his minute threatening a modification of the Constitution should the policy of refusing votes necessary for the administration of the island be pursued constituted an act of violence and masked autocracy, and that it left no other course open to the representatives of the Maltese than to resign. The. Viceroy of India reported to tho Home Government on 20th February that there was still no rain, and that tho number of persons on famine relief had risen to 307,000. The Dutch Government is about to make special efforts this year to overcome the prolonged resistance of theAchinese in Northern Sumatra, and to put an ond to the war.' Volunteers from all parts of Europe are being enlisted. The Dutch operations in Sumatra against the Achineße have lasted since 1837. Tho Plains of Abraham, the scene of General Wolfe's famous victory at Quebec, have been rescued from the speculative builder to some advantage. The Quebec local authorities aro about to spend fifty thonsand dollars In making a carriage road and a promenade, and private enterprise will considerably supplement this expenditure. The latest accusation against the War Office comes from Nottingham. It is to the effect that the* War Office- makes near 50 per cent, profit on soldiers' socks. The current price of army socks supplied wholesale is 69 a dozen pairs, but it in said that when a soldier wants the luxury of an extra pair he has to pay 84d for them. The census return of the Russian Empire has now been issued, and shows a large increase on tho last. The Empire now contains 129,000,000 people, of whom 107,000,000 dwell in Europe, the other 22,000,000 being accounted for by Siberia and Turkestan. Three towns in the Empire have more than 500,000 inhabitants — viz., St. Petersburg, 1,260,700; Moscow, 988,600; and Warsaw, 614,800 inhabitants. In 120 large towns tiie male population is in excess ol tho female. Tho principal Welsh settlers in the Chubut district of Patagonia are said to have informed the Government of Argentina that they have no desire to leave that country. They have been offered flood land on tho Rio Negro. The Ring of Siam arrived at Singapore in tbe Royal yacht on- 23rd February with the object of saying good-bye to his, son, who is going to Europe for his education. During a recent blizzard in New York telegraph-poles and electric tramway wires were blown down in all directions, with the result that four men And ivbout twenty horses were killed by coming in contact with heavily-charged wires.