GABLE BRIEFS.

Hastings Standard, Volume III, Issue 865, 8 March 1899, Page 2

GABLE BRIEFS.

The Queen starts for Boulogne on Thursday. Lord Hanbury has explained that the Government proposes to establish post-office telephones, commencing in London, at an outlay of £2,000,000. The annual subscription will be £3, with the imposition of a small toll. This is the outcome of the recent agitation in London against the present system, which is in the hands of private enterprise.

The Times states that the American Congress killed many flagrant jobs, including the Nicaraguan Canal and other speculations, which they were asked to subsidise. This result was chiefly owing to the firmness of Mr Thomas Reed, Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Times regards him as the strongest Speaker in American history. Mr Chamberlain's repeated representations to France in respect to the New Hebrides have been without result. Britain would gladly support an international arrangement prohibiting the sale of liquor and firearms to the natives, but the difficulties hitherto have been found insuperable. It is not intended to remove the restrictions already imposed on British traclffs.

An interesting relic was discovered during excavations in Sydney in the shape of the foundation stone of the first Government House. The inscription on the copper plate sets forth that the stone was laid by Governor Philips on May ISth, 1788. A boiler in a mine at Parkes exploded, killing the mine manager (Hegarty), who was shockingly mutilated and scalded. The engineer was also badly injured. Advices have been received that the English football team sails on May 4th, and will arrive in Sydney on -June 14th, and plays New South Wales on June 17fch.

President M'Kinley and many leading men attended the funeral service of Lord Herschell at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Kipling's two daughters were attacked with pneumonia. Josephine, the elder one, succumbed.