SAN FRANCISO MAIL. (PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3971, 3 June 1885, Page 4

SAN FRANCISO MAIL. (PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

'i A communication from the Russian Government defines the scope of the arbitration. It includes the military question, but is to be limited to the consideration ol the explanation with reference to the alleged violation of the convention. The terms- of-that arrangement indicate that the arbitrators' function will be to find a formula of conciliation consistent with tbe amour proprt of both sides. The naval and military works continue ■till in England ; both branches are fully supplied with stores. To a question why Lumsden was recalled from Afghanistan while Komaroff was retained there by the Russian Government, Mr Gladstcne replied that there was no relation bttween the capes of the officers. Sir Pfter w*9 emplo>ed in a purely civil capacity, while Komaroff was in command of Russian forces. The Globe o\ the sth inst. says that tbe lo called adjustment of tbe Russian dispute is a poor shift. Despatches ot the 6th instant say that the English people are enrnged at Glad stone, -while Lord Randolf Churchill is the favorite of the hour. There is no appearance in St. Petersburg of any abatement in the warlike preparations, and the mobilisation of rifi tattalions in Finland continues. The St. Pitersburar Official Messemje

says that in concequsree ol the divergence of the views between the Cabinets of Rusviia and England on the interpretation of the March 'agreement, it has been decided to tubmit the question to an arbitrator. Jn tbe meantime loth nations have agreed to • retnm'e the frontier negqiiations, but on a different bows', namely, that the principal " points 6f tbe frontier be fixed by a pre vioos understanding between the two Cabinets, tbe demarkatidn of the frontier .on the' spot and the placing of indicating posts beini; reserved for the Commissions which both Powers will send in order to facilitate the work of delimitation. The outposts of both Bides will not be withdrawn from their present positions until the arrival of the joint Commission, when, an fast as tbe direction of the frontier line

the frontier points will be occupied by the 'troops of both parties concerned. <It will "then be the duty of each to maintain order and Fecurity in its respective places. Advices irom Saraks state that a small force of Russian*, with four pieces ol artillery now occupy Penj.deh. A cable message from London, datpd May Bth, says the arrogant attitude of Rus»ia is tbe all absorbing topic to-night, and has in a measure revived the war talk. The Tories are indignant at what they term another slap in the (ace by Russia. The belief is that Russia is playing one more of her trea herous tricks, and that tbe Czar is fully intent on having Herat at any price. A London special to the New York Evening Post says : " I have unquestionable authority for stating that Russia has categorically declined to make any treaty binding her not to advance on Herat." In the Honse of Common?, Sir S Northcote gave notice that he would on Monday, Maylltb, submit the following motion : "Resolved that the houee havinjr shown i b readiuess to vote supplies will refuse to assent to the vote of L 11 ,000,000 until it has been informed of the Government's present policy, and of the purpose to which the money granted is to be applied." A special despatch from Calcuttr to the Times fays that the news of the peuce arrangement has created dismay in India, a;.d the vacillation of the Ministry was ruinous to Britiih prestige before Colonel Patrick Stewart had arrived at Herat. The latest London cable message to tbe New York Tribune cays: "The St. Petersburg and Moscow papers all the week have been saying that the arbitration is a comedy. The Moscow Gazette remarks that the arbitration to supply a re»pect•ble meant of closing an incident to which Russia assented in order to find an honorable issue tor Gladstone out of his difficulty in consideration of his feelings and former policy towards Russia. The Continental Press, though puzzled to know what the arbitration meant, took a similar view. The Berlin and Paris papers agreed that England had given way. Vienna, the one European capital, except perhaps Rome, which hitherto bad shown a spirit friendly to England, regards this agreement as a surrender. Everybody rejoices over the prospect of peace ; a few seem to regret that it has been obtained by what they rpard as humiliation for England. The fteHng in England, at first one of perplex ity, is daily hardening into one of hostility and tax ety about the ultirr ato result of a pence obtained in this lingular manner." Despatches of April 27ih from tbe Soudan say that the hostile <*rabs are becoming trouMenome to the British. Scouting pnrti<s (<f these belligerents make constant attempts to destroy the section of the Sou nk m- Berber railway already constructed, anil cut toe telegraph lines wherever they cm Every ni»ht El Mahdi's men 6re upon and into the Biitish posts. The garritonof Ser naor defeatei the forces of the Mahdi, which made an attack on that place on April 27th. Despatches from Souakim of May 4 says El Mahdi's men are becoming more and more daring every day. On the night of the 3rd they surrounded Damlx uk ai d O'ao, and kept up a heavy fire on both places all night. Tbe firing, however, was from too long a range to be effective. Dispatches of the 6'b mention Wolsley'a indisposition. Oiti.an Dipna is agam collecting an army, but owing to the scarcity of food at hia com* mnnd he t cannot become sufficiently formidable to call for a British expedition against him, The 'i'okor Arabs asked for English protection against Osman, and •Imoßt all the tribes are willing to submit if the English will promise to remain in tbe country and prottct them from the vengeance of Osman Di^na.

In the House of Lords on the Bth May a question was asked regarding the condition of the British troops serving in tbe Soudan. The Duke of Cambridge said, in response, that the troops bad never been better cared (or in any campaign than they had been in the Soudan.

General Wolseley, in reviewing the Camel Corps at Souakim on tbe Bth May, urged the men to perfect themselves in their new dutier, as they would be wanted on the Rile in the autumn. Toe speech *i 8 significant aa indicating that the General is not in favour of tbe government in tegard to tbe pclxy ol abandoning the Soudan.

Tbe Figaro of April 30th states the French government has decided on a meiMjre lor the expulsion of the Orleans and Bonapartist princes. The French Cabinet haa decided to ask

the Chamber of Deputies to vote an urgent extra- credit of 1,200,000 francs as re- , quested by M. Ferry, for an expedition to Madagascar. Advices from St. Vincent, received at Puns on May 7tb, report that whi.e the Messager\es Franmis£s steamer Ville de Marseilles was on the way to Buenos Ayrea, tbe emigrants on board mutinied, owing to bad food furnished. They were however, finally overpowered, after a desperate fight, in which tbe captain and Beveral of the ' crew, were badly TtounUed. The vessel put into.Sti Vincent under guard of a French cruiser. •