BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXV, Issue 282, 12 December 1889, Page 2

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

{By Electric Telegraph, Copyright.) COLONIAL DEFENCE. THE AUSTRALIAN ELEVEN. [UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.] London,' December 10. In the course of his lecture this' evening on the mutual duties of England and Australia with regard to defence, the Earl of Carnarvon eulogised the unstinted liberality of the Victorian defences and urged the amalgamation of the; local forces. He thought the . Australian colonies ought to bear the chief cost of fortifying King George's' SounS and Thursday Island. In concluding, he praised tne reasonable compromise arranged between the Premiers of New South Wales and Victoria with regard to federation. Sir Andrew, Clarke, who followed, considered that Victoria had r been too lavish on her land defences and he blamed Major-General Edwards .for not insisting on the navy bqing the prime defence of Australia. ■ ' : ; > December 11. At the wool auctions prices were slightly below the highest reached. Fixtures for the tour of the next Australian, crioket team have been approved. They play •- All England three times, Kent, Surrey, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and Gloucestershire twice, and North England, South England,: Lancashire, Marylebone, Cambridge University and Oxford University once. They open at Sheffield Park .on May Bth, and wili probably finish at Hastings on Sept. 17th. . ■;. ■ ; . ■ M* Shaw, the journalist who claims' to have written Benzon's- book, has recovered £100 from the publishers. tf Obituary— Mr J. Macdoriald, Manager of the Times, whose name has been brought into such prominence m connection with the " Parnellism aud Crime" articles. - 'The Gas Company has engaged 2000 men to take the place pi those on strike, and as the latter aie displaying menacing attitude, a large number of police have been told off to protect the. works. Mr Robert Browning, poet anddramatist, is m a critical state of health.