SUEZ MAIL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 5995, 3 February 1881, Page 6

SUEZ MAIL NEWS.

Tt is proposed to confer , a second iclass of the Star of India upon-Admiral Bythesea for in connection with the organisation of the Indian Marines.' Captain Bythesea /was in command of one of the vessels of the VFlying Squadron when it visited' Auckland blinder command of Admiral.Hornby. ; We are.promised shprtlyra very interesting ■ book, being a narrative of incidents con-. nected 'with ilie : Afghan campaign, which is 'to -be at once compiled by a- rising young 'fpfficer, Lieutenant Pearse, of. the -70th Regii Lord Hennik'er, Provincial Grand Master of "Freemason's"for Suffolk, has been nominated Gra'nd ; Master'of Mark , Freemasons of England and Wales and the colonies.- arid, ■dependencies of the British Crown.,for the. ensuing year. _ _ i At a,meeting ,of th"e~Wornen's Emigration ■ held'recently'J a letter was ;read . from r Sir : Hercules ' Robinson mainly approving of .the, objects of the society. , : Final. arrangements have been made for the forthcoming of the Empress 'of Austria' at Kilkenny Castle, which • splendid and historic building has been:taken for Her Imperial .Majesty and suite.. The Empress ;-intends remaining at. Kilkenny, six weeks for tlie purpose'of hunting with the County Hounds. ■ '"."''

' The latest news from the Flying Squadron, which is at St. Vincent, is that, the health of the two young Princes is excellent, and that they expect to "pass "their Christmas at Moute Video, and will riot return to England until the springs Mr. Julian E. Salomons, formerly a member of the Government of New South Wales, and a leading member of "the Bar' there, has just left London" with his family to join the" Peninsular'. arid- Oriental Company's steamer Peshawur, sailing from Southampton for Sydney on December 17. , ': The late Sir Francis Lyeett'left a fortune exceeding a quarter of a million. Towards the erection of new Wesleyan chapels in the metropolis, which movement he originated, he gave within the last ten years the sum of £55,000.'"' Two days before his decease, he. handed the secretary of that fund a cheque for £7500. He has left a legacy of £23,000 towards the scheme, ; and at Lady Lycett's' death,, two-thirds, of his fortune, in which she has a life interest, is to be devoted to the furtherance of the sariie movement. Valuable legacies, amounting-to-several thousands of pounds have been left to Wesleyan home and foreign missions, and other, connexional objects. ' ;-...,."-. ~,....,. ! The annniversary of the capture of Plevna by the Russian , and' Roumanian troops was celebrated; at Bucharest o:a December 10 with great enthusiasm. After being present at a ,Te Deiam in. the .Cathedral, Prince Charles held a'review, at which he'presented colours to the newly-formed Roumanian regiments. His Highness afterwards held a levde of the officers, who presented to the Princess a marble statue representing Her Highness,tending a wounded soldier. - j The international flebt sailed, from Cattaro jon December 6. The ; English ships sailed first,- and were -saluted' with fifteen guns by fevery; vessel in the other squadrons. The JAustriaii squadron and the German ship Victoria accompanied the British Admiral's skip , three miles.' The Germans played '". God; Save" the Queen, ".and the British sailors".,responded with loud, cheers. The French, Italian, and Russian squadrons followed:' Outside .'Point d'Ostro the signal ,to part company.-was hoisted, and the fleet dispersed. .The Daily News says that, it was on the proposal of .the.English Government that the : fleets separated, after mutually inter-communicating their respective destina-

jtions. •■■' ' ■■"' ■ \ The Porte lias' ordered the salaries of all public functionaries ,to be reduced 10 per cent, for one mouth, for the purpose of defraying the cost of settling the emigrant Dulcignotes on-new'territory. i -King Alfonso and his eldest sister were hunting a few days ago, when the. Infanta wag thrown from her horse on her head.Thi3 accident only caused a slight wound near the right ear, anddid not prevent her from remounting and-following the hunt. ; It is stated in Vienna telegram that eight churches, one convent, and twenty-two large, castles were destroyed by the recent eartliquates at Agraiii.' '■'■' In one castle which contained■•; eighty . rooms,' tlie Hungarian Landtag once assembled. It belongs to Count Hombelles, preceptor of the Crowu Priiice.' "Another was ' once the seat of the Knights Templars. ; The Duke and Duchess of Parma had a narrow escape; from.: drowning! just before their - expulsion froin Spain. While they were' .driving by nignt to Albufera their librae's' took' fright-at'a boat moored in the biinal ■■ and precipitated' the carriage into the jivater. The glass of the door had ,tp;,be j>roken, and~they were-extricated , through it. The Duchess was slightly hurt in the hand-and face. • - » ' • :..-.-• ..-. .. ! The Duke of Brunswick- lias caused the utmost • dissatisfaction , in Court circles in Berlin by sending ;a ■: congratulatory telegram to the partisans of ithe , Duke of, Cumberland, who .celebrated in Hanover last week, the birtlvpf a son and heir of the family. n r This open", act . of, sympathy; .with,. the, Duke of Cumberland's, followers will not be. forgotten, for. many ; a day. in' Berlin- ..'■.,,■!■ .•-.■• '. Greatsurprisehas been occasioned by the annquneement; that.-in all..probability- no Prince of the. Royal.House;of Prussia will this,year, represent the, Emperor William at the annual fete., of St., George at St. Petersburg. - This will.bea striking departure from-. long-accustomed] usage, r and tlie Czar's marriage with the; Princess Dologorouki is understood, to be the cause. .■ .- ~ ;': ■■

I j .The.Journal de St.vPetersbourg hasfan ! article Lord..lcon's policy in Afghanistan, and that the conciliatory, character of the Liberal policy, stands in marked f and.-creditable, contrast to the suspicious conduct and ambitious schemes of the Conservative Government. , , ..• :! , ; ; It is reported that a somewhat liberal dis- : tribution of honours and rewards .is spoken ', of., as about to be: conferred ..upon, medical officers who underwent, the fatigue, hardship, : and. dangers incidental to' the recent-cam-paign, iii Afghanistan. : ~ : , ,' :... : i The Baku Investie,says that within; the 'List .few; weeks discoveries, of almost, in- ' credible quantities of. naptha have, been made in the Baku districts. In many places the reservoirs l are and the material is running to waste ! from'the wells. ' ; The Pall; Mall Gazette says that -'the,announcement that the-'Chinese Government .intends- to order a large ironclad turret-ship similar to those nowTjelongirig" to' the- Ger- • man-navy seems to qorrpborate the-'report ; current ! a short. time ago tliat it-was 'contemplating the building of a ship of-the kind iri : England, -y ' •'_ • '■ ■'■_.•■•■■■<,■.<■.■'•;..:} '. From the' startling revelations and confes-sions-made at the recent'eleetioai bribery enquiries.- it appears that'the sum .-'of-'£3ooo' was paid' towards the expenses of one of the candidates at : Oxford by two important Parliamentary functionaries: ■ - ''■■• - '■ . 'Mr.-'Thomas Hughes : has returned' to England from Rugby, ; the new English' colony in America. ;' : : ■•' v ..■■■ ' ;The Marquis of Lansdowrie- does' not intend to prolong his residence in Ireland further. He' wiU'return to Bo'wood, ; tlie safest place for'him in-the present state of Irish affairs.. But his deiing no is significant.' and shows the pass to :: whii::h things have j come, when aiiobleman who has• done'everv- ' thing: in'his ppweV to ameliorate the boil- '' ditien"-of ' hisr'tenahtry ' is'unable to live i amongst tliein iWth any feeling <if "seeiirity.