GREAT BRITAIN.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7063, 15 January 1885, Page 3

GREAT BRITAIN.

The rent agitation is coming swiftly to tho front in England aB a grave issue. The agriculturalists are making; strong demandß for a general reduction of farm real a. The Cobden Club recognise the danger of the agitation, and is working hani to meet it. Earl Morey, Under- Secretary of War, addreased a meeting at Plymouth ou December 14th. Ho aaid it would be necessary in 1885 to rensw the Coercion Act in Ireland, and iv regard to Egypt that England could never allow any other European Power to occupy a prominent position in that country. The Si James' Gazette of the 17th December says that the Powers now assembled at Berlin have obviously a stake in the proposed Nicaragua canal, and are likely to co-operate with England to oppose tho project. In that case they would favor a strong auxiliary force opposing America, which would make it difficult for that country to carry out the project. After the fire in the parcel office of the Win laor railway station was extinguished on December 21st some brass clockwheels of American manufacture and a bottle containing a suspicious explosive material were found among the ruins. The room adjoined the covered way over which the Queen passed on the Wednesday proceeding when she started for Osborne. The managers of the Great Western railway assert, however, that the lire was purely accidental, and was not due to any foreign agenoy. They also Bay that the ill-smelling liquid iv the bottle was simply horao medicine. The skye crofters publicly announced on D.-cembi-r 7th that they would not pay Hi-y rent till the amount was reduced, fieclaring that they were unable to pay the sum demanded through poverty

resulting from the excessive rents they have heretofore been forced to pay. On the 9th the officers who attempted to serve the writs were driven off. The Oobden Club recently ordered to be printed a million copies of leaflets and pamphlets on the Bubjecfc of Free-trade. Nearly 500 immigrants left the British Isles for the United States during the month of November last. Several fast steamers were loading at London and Liverpool on December 6th ostensibly for China, but really with hardly a disguised intention of defying the present blockade of Formosa by the French fleet. Ifc was reported on December 7th that small-pox was on the increase in London. The hospitala were crowded with patients. In Leicester there was a serious outbreak caused by members of the Anti-Vaccina-tion Society defying the law, which makes vaccination compulsory. Miss Fortescuo, the actress, who recently recovered £10,000 from Lord Garmoyle for breach of promise, has again become engaged to Harry Quiler, a bank clerk and musical critic, whom she jilted for Lord Cairns' son. It is also stated that after a tour in the provinces Miss Fortescue will s>o to America. It is stated that Lady Archibald Campbell proposes to embr«ico the stage as a profession. A London paper suggests, by way of reprisal for the insult to England in the German White Book, that all grants of pensions] bo withdrawn from families of German extraction, which includes the Queen and a huge number of her relatives, and the millions thus saved could be devoted to the improvement of the British tavy ; in view of the prospect that it cnay become necessary some day to administer a salutary thrashing to Germany. The Corporation of Dublin, by a vote of 31 to 12, resolved to chauge the name of Sackville-street to O'Connell-etreet. A deputation of tradesmen waited on the Dublin City Council, and protested against their action. Mr Sullivan, M.P., warned them that they were opposing the wish of the Irish people. Thia was construed as a threat to boycott them. The tradesmen of Dublin are raising a fund to test the legality of the Corporation's action. The United Ireland thinks that the Redistribution Bill will lead to the final triumph of the National cause. There will be a great meeting of Orangemen :;t Belfast on January sth on the occasion of the Wyckliffe quincentenary, which will be celebrated throughout the north of Ireland. The trial of James Ellis, of the Royal Irish Constabulary, for scandalous offences in connection with the Cornwall case, resuHeu on November 29th in his conviction. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment.