LATE CABLE NEWS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 5094, 24 January 1885, Page 2

LATE CABLE NEWS.

London, January 7.

General Compenden," late French Minister of War, has resigned because he declares M. Jules Ferry, the Premieiyto be merely a tool of Prince Bismarck.A German Company interested am l^nd in New Guinea, New Britain,' and New Ireland, places recently^ annexjed-^by Germany, \are'iiuil4ing/.tjci.sJieamera^to trade between the^^riouja.islaßqs. , ' - - .', 'The occup"aj;i6n of 'JTbrmpsa by ;the French is intended to be pernianent. A French expedition is ihtendeaVto be shortly despatcKed'to Pekin. -"— "" "'■'- ' January 8. Mr H. Gladstone,., eldest son of the Premier, and member 'for East .Worcestshire, in addressing a Dieting at Hawarden yesterday, said thatVhis father would shortly retire from public life. The British Government have f orwa,rded a very indignant" protest, j;o the German authorities on the annexation* question, in which Prince Bismarcic is accused of breach of faith in having directed the annexation of a portion of New^Guiriea. • The Foreign Office has despatched the Hon. Robert Meade, one of the Assistant Under-Secretaiies in the Colonial Office, to make arrangements for the meeting of a Convention to adjudicate upon the rival claims to the islands in the Pacific. Earl Derby repudiates the idea that the British Cabinet intends to cede the/island of Heligoland, in the North Sea, tc^Germany, on consideration that the latter relinquishes all claims over New Guiifea The Colonial Office and the AgentsGeneral are confident that Germany will in the end be compelled to abandon New Guinea.

Prince Bismarck declines to define the • , limits of German annexation in NeS^ 5 * Guinea and the Pacific until hifhasreceired particulars and reportsjjrbin the commanders of the German^arships at present in the Pacific. „ Earl Derby will forward despatches to the Governors of the several Australian Colonies on. the annexation question tomorrow, January 9th. General satisfaction is expressed at. the determinatian of the British Government to extend the British protectorate on the north-west coast of New Guinea, to the Huon Gulf, the commencement of the German boundary. '

January 11. - In the German Reichstag yesterday, during the debate arising out v of the recent annexation for Germany of the Camaroons on the West Coast of Africa by Herr Nachtgal, Prince Bismarck, made a speech, m which hethreatened to abandon his colonizing, policy 4f the question was postponed. The annexation projects of •.New Zealand showed the danger :of delay and Englishmen were: reported v to be fomenting disorders in frew Guinea and the Camaroons. He' further derecated the allusions as to there being a possibility of war, and expressed the opinion that -all annexation difficulties 1 could be settled by negotation.; • ;> . • . : ; ;JJanuaryl2. • Prince"; .Bismarck .has : .expressed an opinion that, if the. Imperial Government approves of the hostility shown' by the Australian colonies to the annexation bf a portion of New Guinea ; by Germany, •it will be necessary for Germany -to support the policy of the. Powers oppose* to England on Egyptian and other questions; He has also expressed his surprise at < the proposal of New Zealand ■to break the mutual agreement entered into not to annex the Samoa islands. .