ENGLAND.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8337, 13 April 1889, Page 2

ENGLAND.

(Received April 12, 12.15 p.m.) London, April 11. The Tasmanian Main Line Company has notified to the committee of the Stock Exchange that it will oppose a quotation being granted for the Government loan. It is not thought that the opposition of the company is likely to affect the floating of the loan. Three hundred leading city men gave a banquet to Mr W. H. Smith last night. In the course of his speech in reply to the toast of the evening the leader of the House of Commons said he felt confident that the cause of the Union would be triumphant if the merchants, brokers, and manufacturers supported it. He declared that the obstructionists in the House of Commons were trying to exhaust the physical strength of Ministers. Mr Balfour, Irish Secretary, also spoke during the evening, and taunted the leaders of the Opposition with being impotent to control their followers below the gangway. (Received April 12, 9 p.m.) The New Zealand Shipping Company's shares are quoted at £4 15s. New Zealand frozen mutton is quoted at from 4Jd to 4Jd ; lamb, 5Jd to 6d ; beef is unchanged. The Kaikoura's cargo of frozen meat has been found to be partly damaged, and 100 carcases have been condemned. ' The Eight Hon. J. A. Balfour, Chiel Secretary for Ireland, has virtually admitted the truth of the statement that the Marquis of Londonderry will retire from the Lord-Lieutenancy of Ireland in the autumn. As compared with the closing rates of the February sales wool is generally from sto 7i per cent higher. Greasy merinos are from a halfpenny. to a penny and sometimes three haltpence higher. Fine greasy cros9breds are a halfpenny dearer. Coarse crossbreds are recovering the decline they experienced at the open ing of the series. German buyers are competing briskly. The London County Council have peti tioned Parliament for the control of the police. Continuing his opening speech before the Parnell Commission Sir Charles Russell charged The Times with crimina negligence in respect to the publicaiioi of the letters alleged to have been writtei by Mr Parnell and others. He said h< did not believe that The Times knew tlic letters were forged, but The Times peopU were careless and reckless in pnblisliinjs them in the manner they did. Sii Charles complained of tlie ungenerous terms in which the apology made bj The Times was couched when it was dis covered that the letters were forged. Sii Charles stated further that without th( assistance of the Commission Mr Parncl! would have unmasked the conspiracy leading to the manufacture of the letters, He alleged that Mr Shannon, one of thf solicitors employed by The Times, can nived at Piggott's escape. In response to the invitation of Sii Graham Berry, the Agents-General met to-day at the office of the High Commia sioner for the Dominion of Canada tc discuss the position of the colonies in relation to the Trust Funds Investment Bill now before Parliament. Sir Graham Berry, at the suggestion of Sir F. Dillon Bell, adviaed that the Government should be asked if they would 3gree to the propositions on the subject contained in the address agreed to by the Federal Council at its last sittings at Hobart respecting the investment of trust funds in colonial securities. Sir Saul Samuel, however, objected to this course, on the ground that as the colony he represented, New South Wales, had not joined the Federal Council, he was unable to recognise any of its acts in his official capacity. After some discussion it was ultimately un. animously agreed that Sir Graham Berry should prepare a joint letter from the Agents-General to Lard Knutsford, reminding him of the promises made by the Right Hon. Mr Goschen on the subject, and asking the Secretary of State for the colonies to deal with the question this session. Sir Charles Mills, Agent-General for the Cape of Good Hope, urged that all the colonies should follow the example of the Cape Parliament in pasuing an address to Her Majesty the Queen praying for legislation on the lines of the colonial -wishes. The Treasury have refnsed to remit the duty on silver at present. News has been received that Lord Lonsdale, who is on a walking tour in th Arctic regions, has readied the coast of Alaska. Tlie party endured terrible privations, and were in the laafc stage of exhaustion when they arrived. (Received April 13, 0.55 a.m.) The New Zealand Midland Kailway Company have issued 5 per cent first mortgage debentures to the amount of £745,000 at 924. In the House of Commons last night, replying to a question, Sir James Fergusson said that the Federal Council had been supplied with copies of the treaty bearing on the Samoan question. The Council had also been assured that the Imperial Government was sensible of the importance of the^lmperial and colonial interests involved at Samoa. The Sugar Convention Bill has been read a first time. Baron de Worms, in introducing the measure, said that the colonies possessed fields nf production infinitely greater than those of the Continent. Beet sugar is quoted at 18a lsd. A telegram from Bucharest states that at Gatschina on Sunday an officer .of the Guards threw a bomb which exploded and wounded the Czar. The Continental Bourses are depressed.