THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 May 1906, Page 3

THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT

l e I . [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH —COPYRIGHT.] . [SEE PRESS ASSOCIATION.] REFUTING LIBELS ON AUSTRALIA. LONDON, May 14.—Mr Coghlan (Agent-General for New South Wales) in a letter to the Times, emphatically denies that crime has greatly increased in Australia since the abolition of the policy of giving State aid to denominational schools. He cites statistics to show that during the last i 30 years the arrests in New South I Wales and Victoria have declined by ! more than one-third. The greatest I improvement has been made since 1890. As regards serious crime the j result us equally satisfactory. The i actual confinees in Australian prisons ! he says, are considerably less in numI her now than they were 20 years ago, i and of tho Australian people the mij tive-born citizens aro far less given to j crime than those who have been edu- , cated elsewhere. j THE ROYAL TOUR OF INDIA. J LONDON, May 14—Following King Edward’s example in 1876, tho Prince of Wales desired that thanksgiving service should be hold in Westminster Abbey for his safe return. King Edward, tho Prince of Wales, and all the royalties in London were present, and also the First Lord of the Admiralty and many others. Two hundred and fifty bluejackets from the Renown and Terrible and a draft of marine infantry from Tweedmouth wore also in ntlendance. The Dean, in his sermon, dwelt on India’s appreciation of her great Emperor’s bencficient rule and liis personal care for Ihc welfare of its people. RUSSIAN AFFAIRS. ST. PETERSBURG, May 14.—The Russian National Domna has passion- 1 aiely and unanimously demanded a full amnesty for reliefns, agrarian 1 and political offences. A microphone J enables the Czar to listen to tho debates of the Domna. The Council of , the Empire has recommended an am- | nesty except for nets of homicide. Count Witte pleaded on resigning that 1 his hands wore tied, and that he had to do tilings of which re disapproved. ]

RUSSIAN REFUGEES IN PRUSSIA BERLIN, May 14. —Strong complaints were tnado in tho Prussian Diet at the intolerant police expulsion of . Russian refugees. Tho Government. admitted ordering tho expulsion .of all not possessing passports or being political suspects, and promised to set' that their orders were not exceeded in tho future. DISASTROUS FIRE. PARIS, May 14.—Tho Paris leather market has been burnt. Tho damage is £400,000. GERMAN NAVAL STATION IN BORNEO. LONDON, May 14.—Tho Times’ Paris correspondent confirms the establishment of a coaling station at Pule Lant, near Dutch Borneo, by tho German Government. A vast establishment is pending, and ore long will be at the disposal of tho German fleet as a naval station and point of observation. Tiro flagship Bismarck, for sometime in Java, is now near Lant. BRITAIN AND CHINA. LONDON, May 14.—Britain, n a Note to China, demands satisfactory assurance that the recent appointments will not affect tho administration of tho Customs,, where fifteen hundred Europeans, under Hart, are engaged. AMERICA AND CHINA. NEW YORK, May 14.—1 n reply to Root, Rockhill (the American Minister) reports that the opinion of diplomatists means a complete reversal of the Chinese fiscal policy.