MAIL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XV, Issue 5335, 21 December 1878, Page 6

MAIL NEWS.

ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF KING HUMBERT. Rome, November IS.—The popular indignation and excitement throughout Italy over the attempt to as-assiuate the King is very great. The King has received a thousand congratulatory telegrams, including one from the Pop«. The Patriarch of Venice has rrd-red aTe Deura to he sung. The V atican organ, the Osscrvatore Romcuio, is especially vehement in condemning the crime. N \plks, November IS.—Several let-era from members of the International Society Imve been found at Passaute's abode, and more Internationalists have consequently 1 een arrested. The Kin» had, previous to the attempt on his life, received two let te is intimating that it would be made. The assassin is a member of the Int« rnational Society. He denies having any accomplices or instigators. Florence, November IS.—During the passage of a procession in honour of King Humbert's escape, down the Via Nazionala, a bomb was thrown among a corps of veterans aud exploded. Two men were killed and several slightly wounded. Naples, November 18.—It is reported that the Italian Embassy in Paris was warned of the probability of a Socialistic attempt lipon the King's life. Berlin, November IS.—A belief is current that a plot exists for the assissiuation of all I Sovereigns. It is stated that the Prussian I Judges, when examining Noheling's cuse, [ were led to believe in the existence of a central organisation for this purpose. The

investigation is still going on. Home, November 20. — Passante, the would-be assassin of King Humbert, manifested the most perfect unconcern aud brtrtal assurance at his preliminiry examination. When the magistrate expresses horror at his deed, the prisoner said : " It scoui?«to mo you are getting too excited." On being asked if he had not observed that the people w; uld have torn him to pieces but for the police, he replied : "The people are fools ; they always act that way." To a question whether he had intended to kill the King or merely wound him, he answered : " My iutentiou was to finish him." He was neither an Internationalist nor Socialist, aud said that he did not know the meaning of those words. Be failed, however, to satisfactorily account for the Internationalist work found in his possession. The King will confer the Collar of the Ar.nunziatea upon Signor Cairoli. Fi.okexce, November 20.—Several arrests have been made, and the authorities are confident of securing the person who threw the homb into the ranks of the veterans on Sunday last. Another wouuded man has died.

Piguor Mchilo, editor of the Censor newspaper, has been am sted. He w..s formerly an associate of Passante, aud was arrested with him in 1S;0 for posting revolutionary placards. A shopkeeper, who sold Passante the knife with which he attempted to kill the King, has also beeii arrested. HUMBERT'S RECEPTION AT ROME. Rome, November 24.—The King and Queen, the Prince of Naples, and the Duke of Aoifca, arrived to day, and w.>re most enthusiastically received. They were accompanied from Naples by Signor Cairoli, the Presidents of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, and several Ministers, and were welcomed at the station by all the members of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, the civil and military authorities, and sixty guilds and workmen's associations, with tiags and bands, and escorted to the Quirinal. The route of the procession was lined with stands for sight-seers, and crowds cheered their Majesties from one end of the line to the other. The King and Quec-n appeared to be much affected. They were oh iged, after reaching the palace, to appear on the balcony four times. The whole city ia decorated with ilags aud streamers, and to-niglit there is a general illumination. Previous to the entry of the King and Queen into the city, tile Questos, who had undertaken to answer order, arrested or expelled three hundred persons. Paris, November 24.—A correspondent, telegraphiug from Rome before the procession, states that soldiers and gendarmes wer« echeloned every fifty metres along the whole round. There were three hundred am sts in Naples. It is stated that the Government has proofs of the existence of a vast association, tho object of which is to kill the King. It is said that the Internationalists hold •J50.000 lire, the proceeds of a recent bank robbery.

A GREAT AMERICAN BANK ROBBERY. New \ ORI\, October 27. —Between six and niuo o'clock this m .rning masked burglars entered tho Manhattan Savings Hauk building, corner of Broadway and Bleeckerstreet, and, aft-;r handcuffing the janitor, made him, under threats of instant death, reveal the combination of the safe to them and deliver up the kegs of tho bank. I hey rifled the vault of presumably a large amount of money, as 20 tin boxes, known to contain bills, were found on the lljor empty. The janitor, Wertel, created au unfavourable impression on cross-examination. He said that at ten minutes past six o'clock, while he was dressing, seven masked men suddenly rushed into his room and handcuffed himself and his wife, and demanded the keys of the bank. His mother-in-law, an old lady, who was present, scr.-amed, when tho burglars drew pistols aud threatened instant death to any who made a noise. They then carried him into an adjoin-ing-room and forced him to deliver up the keys of the street doors. With these four of tho party went downstairs, leaving three

on giurd in the room. Three hours pa«seil, and Wertel heard the clonic strike nine. Just then one of the men from downstairs returned, and after whispered consultation they all left. Wertel admitted to .Superintendent Walling that he had given the combination unlocking the doors of the vault to

the robbers. He gave it under threats of instant death. His wife corroborated his story of the attack, but said there were enly five men in the party. Following is the bank officer's statement The Manhattan Savings Institution was, on the morning of Sunday, October 27, IS7B, robbed of securities to the amount of 3,757,700 dollars, of which 2,505,700 dollars were registered in the name of the institution, and are not negotiable, an.l ICS,OOO dollars are made payable to it; 73,000 dollars are in coupon bonds, and 11,000 dollars in cash. For the purpose of preventing loss to depositors, it is deemed advisable that no payment be made without 00 days' notice, as provided by the by-laws of the institution.

October 2S.—The gigantic robbery of the Manhattan Savings Institution is the sensation in banking circles. A notice has been posted in the bank saying the surplus of the bank is more than sufficient to cover any probable loss that may be sustained by reason of the robbery. A great number of depositors have given the necessary notice. The directors were in secret session to-day. Tt is 3aid to be the rule for janitors of bauk buildings in this city to have the combination of vaults. Every available detective in town has been assigned to the case. The Evening Post says: "So far as can be ascertained, no arrests have been made yet. Superintendent Walling said this morning that he could give no new information about the case, and denied that he professsed la3t night to have a clue to the robbers, and if lie had one ho would not admit it. The jauitor and nightwatchman are at the bauk to-day to help to straighten out matters. Augustus Schell, Democratic candidate for Mayor, and brother of the President, says : —The bank will have a surplus of 500,000 dollars if all the coupon bonds stolen were counted as lost. Great crowds continued all the morning about the bank. The robbers left behind a skeleton key; also, three pair of handcuffs. Of forty or fifty boxes stored away, about 20 had been opened and their contents rifled. It is possible the amount taken may be more than three millions, siuce the conte nts of numbers of tin boxes containing gold coin and government bonds, with which, the sides of the vault were lined, have disappeared."

GOLD CURRENCY FOR INDIA. London, November 2.—Private telegrams confirm the statement ths.t the Government of India contemplates the adoption of a gold currency, making English gold coins a legal tender throughout tile country. The importation of bar silver will probably be prohibited after a given time, and rupees and smaller coins will be used as fractional currency. Referring to this subject, the San Francisco Bulletin saya :—" There is a report by the cable that the Government of British India is contemplating the substitution of gold for silver in that great dependence of the British Crown. Since the Latin world has ceased to coin Bilver, and ! Germany is no longer a purchaser of the metal, India alone absorbs the surplus. The demand from that country cow practically regulates the price. It follows that if the gold standard should be set up there, the silver area would be greatly reduced. But it Is easier to talk of the change than to ac-

complieh it. The greater part of the revenue of the Indian Government is derived from the rent of the lands. To change to gold would be to raise the rent or taxes of a people already greatly impoverished. BesidVs, in these old civilisations, changes financial or industrial cannot be easily effected. There are vast portions _of India in which there is no conception of any other money but silver. Whatever the masses have managed to hoard in spite of the rapacity of their rulers, principally native, is in silver. Any innovation might oxci'e a more formidable mutiny than that which grew o'lt of the supposed use of hoe's fat in the manufacture of cartridges in ISSS. But there can be no denial of the fact that it would be a graud financial coup for England to substitute gold for silver in India. In the first place, it would render the financial sj'stems of the ruling country and the dependency more homogeneous. In the second, it would have a powerful effect on increasing the value of gold. England, as the creditor nation, would derive great advantage from such a change. It could, in this way, recoup itself for all its recent losses. In that light the Turkish loan might not turn out to be Buch a bad investment. Even railroad bonds, which are not now very valuable, might be made to pay handsomely. It is proper to add that the rumour has been repeated."

THE AMERIGO HAWIIAN TREATY. Chicago, November 23. — A Tribune's special says : — " Secretary Sherman has cau°ed to be prepaared for his forthcoming report a very full statement of the workings of the Reciprocity Treaty with the Sandwich Islands. When the treaty was discussed in Executive session, he made a speech against its ratification, on the ground that we cannot afford the loss to our revenues which the suppwed reciprocity would cause. He now finds, upon investigating the subject, that he was right in the prediction that, in a pecuniary senße, the United States would lose heavily by the treaty. The secretary has collected all the details of our commerce with the Sandwich Islands, and will present them at length. In summing up, he finds that for the first year of the treaty the duties remitted by the United States are, in round numbers, 165,000 dollars greater than the invoice price of all free goods from the United States to the Sandwich [sla ds. The total duties remitted by the United States on staple articles alonfl were 1,125,000 dollars, wbi': I'ie total r ,, is of the goods imported to the wIslands from the United States was ou!y 9G0,000 dollars. For the year ending January Ist the I 'nit-d States has remitted duties to the amount of 83,000 dollars, while the total value of all goods imported from the United States by the Sandwich Islands for the same time had increased only 815,000 dollars over the year the treaty was ratified ; or, in other words, the duties remitted by the United States for the time indicated were 15,000 dollars greater than the total invoice value of the increased importations by the Sandwich Islands from the United States."

EXCITING CHASE AFTER BODYSNATCHERS.

Cincinnati, November 14.—At Zanesvilie, Ohio, at 4 o'clock this morning, the policeman on the bridge had his suspicions aroused at the movements of a party in a waggon, and when they reached the bridge he ordered them to halt, but the driver whipped his horses into a gallop, and escaped. The policeman procured assistance, and followed them some 14 miles before he was able to catch up with them. On attempting to arrest them, the whole party jumped from the wagon aud escaped to the woods. The waggon was found to contain the bodies of four prominent citizens, who had been buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery fince Monday. Policeman Still received a pistol wound from a man in the waggon during the chase. AID WANTED FOR THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY. New York, November 20.—The Tit raid's Otawa special says : It is reported that the Canadian Government has authorised Finance Minister Tilley and Sir A. T. Gait to press upon the notice of tho. Imperial authorities the importance of aiding the Canada-Pacific Kailway with a grant of £6,000,000, on the ground that tho work is one of Imperial concern. It is understood that Lord Beaconsfield is disposed to help the undertaking under certain conditions, one being that the amount contributed by Great Britain i-hall be employed west of the Rocky Mountains.

SPAIN PREPARING FOR A POSSIBLE WAR.

Wasuikoton, October 29. —Private letters received her* from Madrid indicate that the Spanish Government anticipates s general European war to grow out of the Eastern complication, and is preparing to take part in it, if necessary, to protect her Mediterranean interests. Now that Cuba is at peace, Spain claims the ability to put 100,0110 men in the European field, should the emergency require it. Meantime the mission to Constantiuople has been raised to the first-class, and will probably be filled by transferring from Washington the Marquis of Mantilla, who is now at Madrid on leave. A CONGRATULATION WITH A STING IN IT. Loudon, October 29. —Don Carlos, in a letter to ex-Queen Isabella, congratulating her on the escape of King Alfonso, declares that demagoguism shrinks from nothing in its attempts to destroy even princes whom it lias itself placed on the throne, and who are forced, perhaps unwillingly, to be its slaves. A NEW USE FOR MIRRORS. An engineer on the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, who runs a locomotive be'ween Hudson and New York, has introduced a new feature by placin" looking-glasses outside on the engiuc, at an angle from the cab. These euable him to see the rear part of the train at all times without putting his head out to watch the conductor's signals when making up-trains. THE HALIFAX FISHERY AWARD.

New York, November 14.—The United States Government has, through a banking house in this city, completed the purchase of sterling exchange to the amount of £1,100,000, to meet the 5,500,000 dollars required by the Halifax award, to bo paid to the British Government at London on the 23rd inst., and agents of the United States Treasury Department will make the transfer at London on that date. FOURTOU'S INSOLENCE. Paris, November 22.—Fourtou, in a sps-ech in the Chamber of Deputies on Monday, said:—'' I? I had done my whole duty, you (the Left) would not be sitting where you are." Republicans are greatly excited at the threat of a coup d'etat, and talk of impeaching the De Broglie Ministry is revived. THB WAR ON SOCIALISM.

[ Bkrltx, October 20.—1n pursuance of provisions of the Socialist law, one association has been closed in Baden, two in Brunswick, four in Westphalia, and five in Saxony. The publication of one Socialist newspaper has been prohibited in Mecklenburg, one in Baden, and two in Saxony. EDISON'S HEALTH FAILING. New York, November 14. — Professor Edison has ceased his experiments on the Metropolitan Elevated Railway, with a view of discovering some means of deadening the sound, and has also given np his experiments with the electric light. The Professor is suffering from ill-health. RAILWAY COLLISION: VERDICT OF MANSLAUGHTER. London, October 29.—The coroner's investigation of the railway disaster at Pontypridd, on the 20th inst., resulted in a verdict of manslaughter against the signalman. PROSPECT OF RELEASE FOR FENIANS.

London, November 14.—O'Conaor Power M.P., stated at a public meeting on Tuesday night that Lowther, Chief Secretary for Ireland, held out some prospect of speedy release for the two Fenians who are still confined in Ireland. MISCELLANEOUS. Valentine Baker Pasha now commands eighty battalions in the Turkish army. Russia has ordered the construction of several ironclads. The Emperor of Austria has granted general amnesty in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A telegram, dated London, October 29 states that Weston, the pedestrian, has gone into bankruptcy. Liabilities, 6200 dollars. Midlist Pasha has been appointed Govp'r. nor-General of Syria. A rowing match on the Tyne, between Lumßden and Rawdon, was won bv the latter easily. The Italian Government will propose to Parliament measures against secret revolutionary societies. Conscripts and their friends have caused serious disturbances in Riga, and there hay* been many i.rreata.

the strike of the Clyde shipbuilders is virtually ended. The Turkish Ministers are reported to have reached a decision favourable to an arrangement with Greece. At Carthagena, Spam, some naval officers have been arrested for being concerned in a Federalist plot. The Russian Minister of Finance was at Berlin on I/Aonday last, consulting leading bankers in regard to new loans. Nothing was nettled. Tbe Rupsian army in the new Asiatic provinces of Russia has again been placed on a war footing. The Swiss Government will give notice, on January Ist, of its intention to withdraw from the Latin Monetary Convention. A Constantinople despatch says nine regiments of Russian cavalry have arrived at Adrianople. Thomas H. Power, drug manufacturer, died at Philadelphia on November 20. His property is valued at 10,000,001) dollars. The Czar has personally written, in reply to Wadd ogton's circular, declaring his firm intention to adhere to the Treaty of Berlin. It is stated on good authority that Russian papers have been advised to moderate their language against foreign Powers. Hippolyte Adolphe Taiue, the author, has b n en elected a member of the French Academy. Despatches have been exchanged with Paris,"Vienna, Berlin, and Rome, with a view to a common legislation against So-

cialism. A telegram from Constantinople sajs : It is asserted that Russians have occupied the district of Malgara, near the Gulf of Daros. Three children, named Kasoharick, were burned to death in a house in Winifred, Wis., during the temporary absence of the parents. The Porte hesitates to appoint a Governor for Eastern Rourni lia, for fear of a conflict between the Russian and Turkish authorities.!

Reports of ill-health of the Czar ar« again positively contradicted. The resident Russian Commander will leave on tbe 27th inst. for Kisoheneff. Russian occupation of Rou:nania will then cea^e. The London physicians of Sothern, the actor, demand his absolute retirement from the stage for six months. The nature of his illness is not stated. A tidal wave, six feet beyond an ordinary tide, has sw. pt the whole southern California coast, damaging many wharveß and much merchandise awaiting shipment. ** _ , Governor Fremont, of Arizona, ju his report to the Secretary of the Interior, expresses his opinion that the control of Indians should be transferred to the military. .At Pisa, duiing the celebration of Queen Margarita's birthday, a bomb was thrown into the crowd. No one was hurt. A man was arrested on suspicion. The Berlin National Zt.Uv.ng reports: " Count Schouvaloff will be appointed Ambassador at Vienna, and M. Von -fovikoff, now Ambassador there, will be transferred to London." The annual value of silk ribbons exported by Switzerland to the United btates has fallen off in the past five years from 20,000,000 francs to 5.0u0,000 francs. The prostcuting officer of the Spanish Royal Court has demanded that the sentence of death on Moncasi, the would-be assaaein of King Alfonso, be carried out. A Rome despatch says: It is thought Count Corti, who is going to Paris and Loudon, is commissioned to arrange for common action in the East. The Electrician learns from St. Petersburg that preparations are in progress for illuminating the streets of the Russian capital by means of Jabloclikoff's electric light. The latest Salonica advices are to the effect that Turkish troops are now ready to aHßume the offensive against the Macedonian insurgents. The Turkish Council of Ministers ultimately adopted a Yiew in favour of a frontier line on Thessaly, as recommended by the Congress, but favoured the cession of only one-quarter of Kpirus, excluding Jannira. Advices from Peru state that two Cabinet Ministers had resigned, the principal of whom was the Minister of Finance. He was accused of loaning representatives of Henry Meiggs's estate 90,000 dollars in nitrate certilicatee, upon which he allowed the issue of 600,000 dollars in billetes, which amount had previously been rotired from circulation in order to be burned. The steel flotilla of the British Navy is soon to be increased by the Constance, a steel corvette now building at Chatham, five gunboats, the construction of which is ordered, and six other corvettes to be built on the Clyde, ono of which is completed. The Mercury, a sister to tho despatch boat Iris, is also on the stocks at Pembroke. These vessels are intended for swltc filing, and are, comparatively, lightly armed. It is officially announced that the French Government will set apart a room in the Palais Bourbon, for the permanent collection of the United States educatioual exhibit, which has already been donated. On the site of a Lacustrine village near Switzerland, laid bare by the lowering of the waters of the lake of Neuchatel, have beon found amber ornaments belonging to the age of stone, and a beautiful golden buckle of the age of bronze. The dead body of a French nobleman, the Count de St. George, was recently found in his lodgings in Freyberg, where it had evidently been lying for at least three mouths. By his side wag a letter to his family at Nice, expressing bis intention to return to them on the morrow. Wow he came to his death, or how it was that his body remained for so long a time undiscovered, are mysteries which the police are trying to stdve. Swindlers have no heart. Just as men hare been fuund in the United States mean enough to rob the yellow fever sufferers, so in England a number of rascals have been making money by begging for subscriptions for the relief of the women and children made widows and orphans by the Priucess Alice disaster. It is consoling to know that several of them who were caught received sentenc«B which astonished them. A despatch from Berlin says :—" It has now transpired that a strong Russian force

was concentrated on th« Bokhara frontier until th» close of the Berlin Congress, in readiness to enter Afghanistan." *, The police found eighteen bottle o dynamite in a village near Madrid. Three arrests have been made in connection with this discovery. Despatches from Berlin say that Count Yon Beust, being unfriendly to Germany, his appointment as Austro-Hungarian Minister to Paris has created ill-feeling in Berlin. Advices from Salvador state that the volcanoes of Izalco and Santa Ana are in a state of tremendous activity. On the latter four or five distinct openings emit fire, smoke, and ashes in volumes.

IA French engineer named Monchot has contrived »n apparatus in which a system of mirrors is used to concentrate the rays of the sun in such a manner as to generate steau in a boiler to be applied as motive power, thus doing away with the necessity of fuel. A Sunday-school Convention at Shoe Heel, N.C., was brought to a tragic close by the Budden death of Rev. Dr. Baker, one of the most prominent ministers iu the State, and 80 years old, who fell back while in the midst of a glowing description of the joys of heaven, and expired with the words, "I have preached my last sermon." Intelligence has been received from Whydah, west coast of Africa, to September 26th, that a Portuguese commander and seven soldiers are held captives by the King of Dahomey, who makes them parade before him daily. The King has re-commenced the cußtom of human sacrifice, and 500 persons have been slaughtered in one month. The King and Queen of Denmark and the .Princess Thyra recently had a very narrow escape from being run over by a railroad train while crossing the track of the Copenhagen and Elsinor6 line. The engine actually touched the hind wheels of the Royal carriage. There was a gate at the crossing, I but it had been carelessly left open.

A clerk in the Liverpool branch of the Bank of England has absconded with a parcel of bank notes, the value of which has _ been stated at £15,000. The bank officials admit the fact of the robbery, but decline to give any further information; and the police, into whose hands the matter has been placed, hare been equally silent. The absconder is supposed to have got away to Spain, where he will probably be safe, there being no extradition treaty with that country. Mr. Kdieou has stated that it would be a ! difficult thing to construct a meter for electric light. A young blind man, named Robert H. Fenn, has just perfected a Btopcook, consisting of a screw-end, which plated with platinum, is made to press upon a small disk composed of carbon. By raising or lowering the screw, and thus varying the pressure, the strength of the electrical current can be correspondingly varied, thus measuring its amount with sufficient accuracy for all practical purposes.

The present year is a memorable one in the development of the Russian navy. One hundred torpedo boats and numerous cruisers have been constructed. Three clipper steamers bave been launched, four steamers have been bought in America, and two ironduds are on the point of completion. Several ironclads also have beon lately launohed, but have not recsived their armaments. To these four cruisers have been added by private subscription. Queen Marie Antoinette is remembered with more persistence than are most dead Queens. The 85th anniversary of her death has just beon solemnissd by religisus services I in Paris and Vienna.

It is said that pious young ladies in England now distribute tracts in sealed and scented envelopes, through the mails or in person, and the delight of the yonng men in receiving tliem and opening them with muoh secrecy and fluttering of the heart is immense. There is the same amount of fluttering when a fellow gets a "dun" coloured envelope. The tracks he goes in for then are of a different order.

The Rev. Henry Ward Bencher is as popular as ever with his faithful flock in Brooklyn. An American paper informs ub that he has just returned from a summer tour in the West, "fresh and hearty," and that on his first public appearance " the pulpit was half hidden behind fragrant flowers, and hunreds ot beaming countenances smiled a hearty welcome on the pastor." There are no precedents in modern times of the deposition of a bishop as Bishop McCoskry, of Michigan, has been deposed. There are two cases only at any time—the case of Dr. Watson, Bishop of St. David's, in the reign of James 11., who was cited by the Archbishop of Canterbury and six of his imfTragans, to answer the charge of open simony, and being found guilty, was deposed ; the other casie is that of Bishop Clogher, iu Ireland, who was found guilty of gros? immorality, and was deposed by the Archbishop of Armagh and his brethren, the other bishops of the province.