BREVITIES.

Evening Star, Issue 11661, 16 December 1902, Page 3

BREVITIES.

16 is alleged that an attempt was made to assassinate the King of the Belgians while returning to Ids palace at Laeken. The Australians in, their second venture made 185 for seven wickets. . Tnrmper has received a further presentation of a purse of 100 sovereigns from his Sydney admirers. Two domestics, aged seventeen and twenty respectively, have been sentenced to death for tee murder of their aged mistress at Bootle (Lancashire). A. third girl turned Kmg’s evidence. ; The Archbishop of Canterbury passed a day yesterday, and is suffering no Queen Alexandra in a message to the nai ®?V resses her sympathy with those who lost their nearest and dearest, during the them happiness and comfort . Queen is to give, a dinner on the 27th test, to the poor widows and orphans in London of those who lost their lives in the ■war or died from their wounds. The French Government having arrested ttm strike leaders at Marseilles on charges of nrcitang to murder and tampering with tee troops, tec dockers charge the Government with betraying- the cause of labor. The seizure by the, Venezuelans of the British steamer Topaze was an act of pillage. Her captain and crew were imprisoned at Porto Cabello. The warship Charybdis promptly exacted reparation for the outrage, shelling the Dostem-house and. silencing the fort, which had replied to the fire of the allies’ ships. The town was not damaged. The Venezuelan President has surrendered the properties of the railway and telegraph companies that are British-owned.' The fort at La Guayra has been evacuated by the garrison, the local militia being entrusted with the preservation of order. The Venezuelan fleet,has fallen into the hands of the allies. The British ultimatum demanded the immediate payment of a sum equalling the German demand, the balance to be reserved for meeting claims to be determined by a mixed commission. The German ultimatum complained of Venezuela’s'evasion and offensiveness, and warned the Republic of the danger of flouting international law. Italy has demanded an indemnity of oO.OOOdoI, and President Castro admits the justness of this claim. Four American battleships and several cruisers have been ordered to Trinidad. German residents at Caracas supported arbitration, fearing that hostilities would jeopardise German trade in South America. The allies are to uphold French claims, and have arranged a settlement of the Italian demand. Welcome rains have fallen in the eastern division and part of the western division of New South Wales. The German Reichstag passed the Tariff Bill by 202 to 100. The Imperial Chancellor has been decorated for his services. insists on the execution of efficient reforms in Macedonia, but will maintain the settlement of 1897, and guard against complications in the Balkans. Her attitude commands the complete sympathy of the Powers.

President Roosevelt, in acknowledging the congratulations of the Australian Gover-nor-General on his recent escape from serious accident, said: “I am much touched by your generous words, coming from a people far removed in distance, but near in sympathy and kinship.” Mr F. J. Lee, the London chess player, has abandoned his intention of visiting‘the .Australasian colonies, having decided to cast in his lot with the Transvaal. The South African Loyalists’ Fund has reached £IO,OOO. The Lyall mission was continued in the Momington Presbyterian Church last evening. The Rev. Mr Lyall delivered a spirited aodress, and was supported by the Revs. V\.• Scorgie and T. G. Brookes. A united choir led tho singing, Torrev-Alexander hymns bmg used. Mr J. C. Watson, Leader of the Labor party m tho Federal Parliament, is spending his vacation in this colony. Another distinguished visitor who arrived by the Victoria to-day is the Rev. Andrew -VI Queen, M.A,, 8.D., who for twenty>even vears has held the ministerial charge , Holburn United Free Church, Aberdeen lb is forty years since he left this colony to imminence his studies for the ministry. He is on a visit to- the colonies, and intends to return Home via Canada. ' After receiving a number of petitions—some favoring Thursday and others Saturday—with regard to the statutory half-holi-day the Christchurch City Council decided to give their delegates a free hand. It was felt that it would be unfair to bind the Council’s representatives, as the decision of the conference would then be a foregone conclusion, the Council having the preponderance of voting power. When the Premier was at Putiki, Waugimui, at a native meeting last week, he said that so far as the river steamers were concerned he would interview Mr Hatrick and endeavor to arrange fares, freights, etc._, which would be satisfactory to the natives. If he failed in this, the’Government would have no option but to put a steamer on in opposition to the present service: '

The licensee of the Empire Hotel. Waimate, was yesterday fined £3 for Sunday trading and his license endorsed. To allow of an appeal the fine was raised to £5 Is. In a/ similar case against Brian Flvun, licensee of the Criterion Hotel, judgment was reserved.

Tha Hon. R. H. J. Reeves has been re- . appointed to the Legislative Council. At a meeting of the Nolicense Association at Oamaru last evening a resolution was passed protesting strongly against the Jiropoeal to grant a license for the sale of intoxicants at Rarotonga. The Rev. F. W Fairdoogh and Mr Bedford, M.H.R., were among the speakers. The Canterbury College' Board of Governors have granted pel-mission to the headmaster of the Boys High School to carrv on religions instruction ont of school hours subject to certain regulations. ’ Kin consequence of the heavy rain of the week the Waimate strawberry crops » sustained severe damage. The fruit is rottmg on the ground. On Monday a block of property in Featherston street Wellington,’ was sold bv auction, and reabsed £242 per foot. -This is etoimed to be the record for Wellington senator Matheson, of tie Commonwealth * r^ nt 9 orn F^i ns that the garrison at the Albany forts is a laughing stock. It consists of five gunners and eight officers. T, hej tho local option poll m In orth Melbourne, where there are fifty-seven hotels, with the result that the number has to bo reduced to twenty; but three years’ grace before they are

Cecil Wallis, who claims that he was a lieutenant in the Otago Hussars in 189 A, pleaded gui.ty in London to bigamy and iiand He has been committed for trial. A new potato contains 80 per cent, of water.

A case of “postal delay,” recorded by the ‘ Independance Beige,’ probably exceeds all records of the kind. A post-card office-stamped at Osnabruck, on March 15}’ 1874, has only during the past few'days arrived at Oldendorf, whither it was addressed. It has thus been “in the post” for 28£ years. When delivered, the addressee had been dead many years. The official statistics of the immigration from the United States into the West of Canada up to the end of June ooonri a t .the number reached a total of 22,000. Since that time the movement has assumed larger proportions, and the Montreal correspondent of the ‘Daily Mail’ says that the number who have come in is variously estimated at from 50,000 to 60,000. The Canadians regard the newcomers as permanent settlers.

In proportion to its population England has fewer salaried Judges than any other country in the world, for. including recorders and magistrates, they number only 276. Even Scotland and Ireland have relatively a larger judicial staff than the “ predominant partner.” The former has 76 paid Judges, and tho latter 112.

The English cycling papers tell a story of a Caledonian postman who on six days of the week does his twelve miles round on a bicycle. On the seventh he walks, red tape decreeing that the machine is not to be used for official purposes on the “Sawbath.”