BRITISH AND FOREIGN

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10596, 4 March 1895, Page 5

BRITISH AND FOREIGN

TBY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH— COPYRIGHT,j [Special to Pbes£ Association.) ,~.y; AN APPOINTMENT. LONDON, March 1. Mr Weddell has been appointed a member of the Wool Committee. RESCUE OF CASTAWAYS. The steamer Norham Castle, on the voyage from Durban, sighted two boats full of castaways. Mr Whitehead, one of the officers of the steamer, swam through a heavy sea with a line round his waist; and the mate from the boats did the same, meeting half-way. The number of men thus rescued was eighteen. TEE SHAH. The Shah proposes to visit England in May. A THEATRE DESTROYED, March 2, A theatre in Glasgow was destroyed by fire to-day. AUSTRALIAN CUSTOMS BILL, It is expected that Lord Ripon’s Australian Customs Bill, if re-intro-duced in the House of Commons, will not be opposed, though certain amendments will be suggested. SIR HERCULES ROBINSON. The newspapers unfavourably criticise Sir Hercules Robinson’s appointment to the Cape, on the score of hia age and his connection with South African companies. ALLEGED LIBEL. March 3. The Marquis of Queensberry has been arrested on warrant on a charge of libelling Oscar Wilde, The accused, who was released on bail, declares that he has a complete answer to the charge. ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION. Mr Clement Robert Markham, 0.8., who served in the Arctic expedition search for Sir John Franklin, in 1850-1, in a paper to be read at the Imperial Institute on Monday, will urge England and the colonies to unite in exploring the Antarctic. He considers it necessary that the colonies should first complete a survey with their own boats. Mr Markham expresses a belief in the existence of a vast southern continent, and suggests that two vessels should he employed under the auspices of the naval authorities. \ THE GERMAN NAVY. BERLIN, March 2. Count Hohenlohe declares that Germany must build war - ships, in order to obtain the respect of the nations, as many of her present fleet are obsolete. RUSSIAN AFFAIRS. ST PETERSBURG, March 1. It is stated that M. de Staal declined the post of successor to M. do Giers. M. Lobanoff assumes the title of Chancellor. THE CUBAN REVOLT. MADRID, March 1. Three hundred rebels have been arrested in Cuba. The Spanish Government is preparing a force of 6000 to restore order in the Island. March 2.. The Government has decided to reinforce the garrison at Cuba by eight battalions. A FATAL DUEL. PARIS, March 1. M. Percher, editor of the Journal Egyptian, published in Cairo, who secretly prompted the Khedive in his recent fractioasness, has been killed in a duel with M. Chattellier, a mining engineer. They had a dispute over the colonial question, and a duel was arranged, Percher being stabbed in the lungs. He died in a few minutes. RECALLED. March 2. The recall of Colonel Monteil, in charge of the French expedition in the Kong district, in Africa, is due to the number of men he has lost. THE MAHDI. CAIRO, March 1. The Mahdi failed to organise the projected attack against the Italians. THE HAWAIIAN REVOLT. SAN FRANCISCO, March 2. News from Honolulu states that the trial of the white leaders in the recent Royalist rising.in Hawaii has finished. Thirty-five were sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from thirty to twenty years, besides being heavily fined, while twentythree were fined and ordered to undergo five years in prison.