YESTERDAY’S CABLES.

Evening Star, Issue 7471, 15 March 1888, Page 4

YESTERDAY’S CABLES.

Home and Foreign.

A startling report has been received at Brussels to the effect that the Arabs overwhelmingly stormed and burned Suakin, and the Egyptian garrison lost heavily in the fearful slaughter which ensued. Many of the inhabitants took refuge on board the English war-ships in the bay, but the Governor of the town and Colonel Shakespeare were killed before escaping. News has also been received from Cairo of a partly confirmatory but of a less sensational character. Owing to the interruption of telegraph lines no details are to hand.

Unequalled snowstorms were experienced in New York and the vicinity on the 12th inst. The city has been frozen into a state of Inactivity. Street and railroad traffic has been stopped and the telegraph lines broken. Business is completely blocked, the people being afraid to venture out. Mr Henniker Heaton in his postal paper denounced the granting of subsidies for over-sea mails, and advocated the 3d postage starting forthwith. He further said that the Pacific cable could only escape the octopuslike clutch of Sir John Pender’s company by the colonies securing a monopoly, and pointed out that Sir James Anderson’s Eastern telegraphs had been built without any subsidies being granted, and the wire extended whenever the traffic justified it, the lowest profitable tariff being charged. He pointed out that foreign nations would refuse to grant to the Government the privilege the companies now enjoy, but the companies were willing to transfer the control of the cables, etc., if guaranteed 4 per cent. Viscount Lord Bury, who presided at the reading of the paper, said Mr Heaton was very contradictory in his denunciation of postal management. His lordship advocated the proposal that the Government should acquire the control of telegraphs, urging that half the present rates would be better than allowing the lines to remain idle. Sir James Anderson and other experts state that Mr Henniker Heaton’s ocean penny postage scheme is impracticable.

The conversion proposals have been well received, and all secured stocks are buoyant Three per cent, consols are at 102}. The wool arrivals are 250,000 bales.

Silver has fallen to 3s 7§d. Forty-eight applications have been received for tho Professorship of Music at the Melbourne University. The French exhibits at the Melbourne Exhibition will be very fine, and will include Gobelin tapestry and Sevres china.

Owing to the favorable reception of Mr Goschen’s conversion scheme, Australian stocks are advancing strongly. New South Wales 3 per cents, are quoted at 107, and fours at 115. New Zealand fours, LlO3 15s.

Australian.

Several scientific bodies express the opinion that the microbes proposed to be introduced by M. Pasteur, with which to exterminate the rabbits, will destroy native and domesticated birds and animals. They mention that twenty years ago disease was prevalent among poultry in Victoria, and was only eradicated by killing every fowl infected. The Governor has received a telegram from the Prince of Wales in which he thanks the colony for the congratulations forwarded him on the occasion of his silver wedding. A 470z nugget has been found in the Midas mine, Ballarat. A warrant has been issued at Melbourne for the arrest of an officer in the English and Scottish and Australian Chartered Bank for defalcations amounting to L 2,000, said to have been used in mining speculations.

A silver rush has broken out six miles from Warne, near Orange, and claims have been pegged out for miles. The stone is pronounced to be of a superior quality.

A small exhibition of exhibits shown in the Adelaide Exhibition was opened by the Governor yesterday in the Exhibition Building, Alfred Park, It has been got up for the purpose of filling in time before the Melbourne Exhibition, There are 650 foreign and 350 colonial exhibitors. A cantata composed by M. Leon Caron was performed, an ox roasted whole in the grounds, and a fireworks display was held in the evening to celebrate the occasion.

Mr Nobbs, a Freetrader, has been elected for Central Cumberland (New South Wales) by a majority of 475 over Mr Watkins, the Protectionist candidate.

The Mayor of Sydney at the official banquet made an announcement which is causing considerable sensation. He stated that at the close of the month

lie would be hi a position to make disclosures respecting city officers wi are calculated to cause every citizen to blush for municipality honor. He had taken office for the fourth time with the determination to abuses, and he had appointed a special audit at his own expense to investigate the affairs of the corporation. Ho regretted to say that he found theio was only too much reason for this course, and the progress report furnished would, when published shortly, biing disgrace on all concerned in the transactions which had been exposed. The speech caused great surprise. Sir Thomas M'llwralth, leader of the Opposition at Queensland, has issued a counter manifesto to that issued a few days ago by Sir Samuel Griffith, Premier. Sir Thomas blames the existing land laws for the unsatisfactory condition of the finances of the colony, and urges the strict exclusion o£ all Chinese from the colony. He denies that he has any desire to encourage coolie labor on the sugar plantations of the colony, and says that his sympathies are with those who are striving for the federation of the colonies of Australia. He opposes the Naval Defences Bill, declares for Protection, and thinks the demand for separation on the part of North Queensland would best be met by an extension of the principles of local government.