MAIL NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIV, Issue 10731, 16 August 1895, Page 6

MAIL NEWS.

(Per K.M.S. Alameda, from San Francisco.) GENERAL "SUMMARY. (European dates to July 24.) A despatch to the Times from Vienna (July 24) aaya Japan is delaying negotiations for a new commercial treaty witn China, and also the execution of the terms of the constitution relating to the evacuation of the Liaotung Peninsula, pending the result of the British elections, in the hope that the new Government of Great Britain will support Japan against Russia. It was announced in St Petersburg on July 24 that an agreement had been reached at Paris between American and Russian petroleum firms, by which all the kerosene trade of the Mediterranean waters and Norway will be given to Russia, in the remainder of Europe Russia is to export 35 per cent and America 6o per cent of the kerosene needed. •< . ■. Prince Francis of Teck, a brother-in-law of the Prince of Wales, lost 1310,000 on the Curragh races recently. Lord Ardilaun offered to pay his debts. Prince Francis being well-nigh a pauper, but the Queen interposed and paid them, and then ordered him to India. . , There is growing excitement in Rio de Janeiro over the occupation of the island of Trinidado by the English. The Government has despatched two notes to the British Legation in emphatic protest, quoting the British Admiralty Act of 1782, by-virtue of which Trinidade was evapuated by the English and restored to Portugal. Persona in authority in London say that the British title to - Trinidade dates from 1700, when possession was taken of it without any objection An the part of Portugal. It was added' that hitherto Brazil has not advanced any claim to the island, but,the British Government is ready to discuss in a friendly spirit Any representation which Brazil may wish to make on the subject. . . - Oscar Wilde, who is serving his sentence at Pentonville, has bsen taken off the treadmill and put to picking oakum, with making matches 'to- follow, Thedoctors absolutely refused to allow his being continued on the mill, though he is in good health. Sir Charles Pievson has been appointed Lord Advocate for Scotland, and Mr R. M. Murray, Solicitor-General for Scotland, under the new Ministry. Both these gentlemen had the same positions in the last Salisbury Ministry. According to-Vanity Fair the Queen speaks scathingly of tbe New Woman in the advanced novel. She is reported_ to have remarked on this subject : —"lt is a pity that educated women, will allow their pans to run riot, and it is a greater pity that the public is in the mood to buy such books. If there was no < public demand the authors of them would quickly cease writing.” Mr Wendell Easton, of San Francisco, was in London on June 29, negotiating with Mr Wilson of the White Star steamship line for the transportation of emigrants and the extension of traffic to California. He has concluded arrangements for the opening of a dep6t in London for the permanent exhibition of Californian produce, and has also projected a lecturing tour in the provinces, setting forth the peculiar advantages of that State, ENGLAND’S NEW DOMAIN. The formal transfer of the territory of the British Bast Africa Company to Great Britain was effected at Mombaasa on July 21. The territory over which the British Government now assumes direct control extends about 4CO miles northward from Umba, at the mouth of the TJmba River. The southern boundary runs in a northwest direction to the intersection of the Victoria Nyanza, with the first parallel of north latitude, skirts the northern shore of the lake, and thence eastward to the boundary of-the Congo Free State. The total area of the territory is about 1,000,000 square miles, embracing a great part of Somaliland/ the Equatorial Province, Uganda, Usaga, Unyoro, &o. A railway of 657 miles to Lake Nyaasa has been projected. THE POLITICAL SITUATION. The purport of . more recent despatches is to this effect : The safest generalisation that can be formed is that with Gladstone in retirement, Parnell dead, the Irish Party rent with feuds, and the Liberal leaders unable to carry out the Newcastle programme and unwilling to make an aggressive movement against the Lords, the people have considered it necessary to have a change, and to give Mr Chamberlain a chance to show what he can do with his Tory democracy. To this may be added the fact that the Unionists had superior organisation and all the money they needed for a successful canvass. The Liberals lacked leaders, organisers, candidates and money.. FAILURE OP THE KIEL CANAL. The Cologne Gazette of July 7 deems it advisable to treat seriously the question raised by Russia as to Germany’s exclusive right to levy tolls upon vessels passing through the Baltic Sea Canal. The public is not interested in the discussion of this question, but it is actively concerned in the report that the canal is destined to be a failure. The Vossiche Zeitung declares that if large merchant vessels cannot risk a passage of the canal it will be wholly useless as a means of rapidly uniting the Baltic and North Sea. Warships will not be able to pass through unless the canal is deepened and widened. The journal beseeches the Government to explain the condition of affairs and frankly confess the errors in construction rather than allow the country to indulge in dangerous delusions. A SMOKE SERVICE, A London despatch of July 23, states that an invitation to attend a smoke service at an East End church on the preced-. ing Sunday afternoon was responded to by more than 2000 men, who are the poorest of the poor. A few came smoking, and the others carried pipes in their months with the bowl inverted to denote emptiness. The gentleman who was to conduct the service, and who himself blew a cloud from a briar root, commenced to distribute the tobacco. The supply was contained in a bag, and each recipient got enough to fill two pipes. By the time all were served and many wreaths of smoke were curling roof-ward, several ladies took seats on the platform, and the religious part of the proceedings began. First there was a prayerful exhortation. Though apparently it was attentively listened to, it was curious to see pipe-bowls and tobacco-smoke half screened by one hand, while the eyes were reverently covered with the other. Then there was a hymn, in which the female portion of the congregation joined, but not many of the men, it being difficult to smoke and sing at the same time. They were as quiet and orderly as could be desired. After that came what they evidently enjoyed more than all else, a hymn sung with much sweetness by a lady. Probably they would nob have ventured to applaud, bub as the Chairman, who still puffed his briar root, clapped his bauds, they all followed with great vigour, and their faces testified how much they were in earnest. A chapter was read from the Bible, and the Chairman took up the theme. It was the miracle of the loaves and fishes. He delivered a simple discourse of half an hoar. By that time the allowance of tobacco had been smoked, and after the crowning hospitality of a cup of tea with pieces of bread and marmalade for all, the proceedings came to an end. The " Sunday afternoon spread and smoking concert ” is likely to become a permanent institution of Whitechapel.