BRIEF MENTION.

Evening Star, Issue 8716, 7 January 1892, Page 4

BRIEF MENTION.

Another political libel aotion is threatened. The Premier, in a speeoh delivered by, him on the question of payment of members, stated that Mr G. Hutchison, M.H.R., had signed a paper last session asking the Government to bring in a Bill to inorease the honorarium. Mr Ballanoe also printed the statement in hia paper, the ' Wanganni Herald.' It is alleged that it is contrary to faot, and therefore libellous, hence the aotion, in whioh the member for Waitotara will figure as plaintiff and the Premier as defendant. The National Association of Auckland have passed a resolution expressing an opinion that in order that New Zealand residents only should exercise the franchise, the right to vote at parliamentary elections Bhould be restricted to persona who have been living for not less than twelve months in the oo'oay An amendment was moved by Mr R. Monk, ex-member for Waitemata, in f&vor of womanhood suffrage, but was withdrawn.

A French cruiser has been despatched to Tangiers, where the hill tribes have revolted,

It is reported that the Duo d'Orleana is starting on a tonr through Asia Minor. The oordial parleying whioh ia taking plaoe between M. Ribot (Minister of Foreign Affairs for France) and the Vatican is likely to end in a solution of the difficulty whioh haa arisen in France with regard to the Church And State,

The French Chamber of Deputies have resolved to punish those responsible for the collapse of the Panama Canal soheme. The Government decline to give a financial guarantee to enable the completion of the work to be undertaken.

The ex-Queen of Hanover is in a critical state of health.

The strike of printers on the Continent is not general, and it ia reported to be collapsing everywhere. Emperor Francis Joseph, in dosing the Hungarian Parliament, stated that all the Powers wera on friendly terms, without exception. It is reported that Russia will place an immense loan on the Parisian market in March. The 'New York Herald' asserts that Chili has made a oomplete apology to the United States for the outrage on the sailors of the warship Baltimore.

The United Statea Senate have voted the sum of L 20.000 to oonvey corn to Russia for distribution in the famine-stricken districts.

Two passenger trains collided in a fog at Aladdin, in Illinois, and the debris caught fire. Three persons were killed, four roasted to death, and several injured,

Twelve hundred men are idle at the Wallsend mine. All the other mines in Newcastle have resumed work, which is taken as a recognition of the new reduotion, On the other hand, when the result of the ballot on the tubject 1b known, it ia understood there will be a large majority in favor of resisting the reduotion, The Board of Delegates were to meet to-day to receive the voting returns and discuss the result,

Mr C. C. Kingston takes the Chief Secretaryship of South Australia, while the other portfolios are allotted as follows: Premier and Minister of Lands, Mr T, Playford; Minister of Agriculture and Education, Hon, W. Copley; Colonial Treasurer, Mr W. B. Rounsevell; Commissioner of Public Works, Mr J. G. Jenkinp.

The London Trades Council are appealing to Australian printers to render immediate assistance to the German printers out on strike.

Captain Fox, the newly-appointed Commandant of the New Zealand Forces, will inspect Elswick, Woolwich, and other arsenals before leaving for the colony, Mr John Dillon, M,P.,andM. Viotorien Sardou, the celebrated French dramatist, are suffering from influenza.