LATE EUROPEAN NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XVI, Issue 64, 17 March 1881, Page 2

LATE EUROPEAN NEWS.

OUTBREAK OF THE PLAGUE IN MESOPOTAMIA.

SMALL-XOX IN THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. I London, March 2. In the United States and on the Continent a strong feeling of sympathy is expressed with the Boers. Tin; Continental Press condemn the annexation of the Transvaal as arbitrary and uncalled for. and describe the Boers as a brave people righting for their liberty. Intelligence from Bagdad states tli.it the plague has broken out m the district of Mesopotamia, and is proving most fatal amongst the population, who are dying by hundreds. Great alarm if felt that the disease may spread to other countries, and assistance is urgently asked for. Intelligence has been received via San Francisco that small-pox has broken out m the Sandwich Islands, and is committing great ravages amongst the natives. At Honolulu especially the mortality is excessive. March 5. General Roberts has sailed for the Cape to assume the command of the British operations m the Transvaal. Captain Spencer Childers, son of the Minister of War, has been appointed aide-de-camp to General Roberts. Walsh, one of the members of the Land League, who was amongst those recently prosecuted for sedition, has left Ireland for New Zealand. It is assumed that the object of his visit is to make arrangements m the Australian Colonies for the colWlion of subscriptions on behalf of the Lam" ! .oague. A proposal has been mooteii ) the Alpine Club to visit New Zealand for ti.v- purpose of thoroughly exploring the line mountainous scenery of the colony. The Llea has been favorably received among the members, and it is anticipated that a considerable number will visit New Zealand shortly. The severity of the weather m the United States and Canada still holds. Snowstorms have been so heavy and continuous that on the Qnion and Pacific and other lines to the north-west, communication has been interrupted for more than a week. There has been an absolute block of traffic, and gangs of men have been employed to clear the lines of snowdrifts. March 11. The House of Lords has dismissed the appeal made on behalf of the convict, Thomas Castro, alias Aithur Orton, against the judgment of the Court of Appeal m June last, m discharging the writ of error which it was sought to prove against the decision of the Court of Queen's Bench m 1874. m awarding two successive sentences of penal servitude on the two counts of the indictment for perjury. The Divisional Court at Westu iuster has disallowed Mr Bradlaugh's demurrer to the plaintiff's reply to his plea m the action Clarke v. Bradlaugh, to recover penalties of £500 each day from the defendant for sitting and voting m the House of Commons without having first taken the oath prescribed by Act of 1866. In the House of Commons to-day, the Irish Arms Bill was read a third time and pasted, and transmitted to the House of Lords for consideration. It is announced that England pays five millions sterling to the Indian Government as its share of the cost of the last Afghan war.