SPECIAL TELEGRAMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6150, 3 August 1881, Page 5

SPECIAL TELEGRAMS.

THE AFGHANISTAN TROUBLE. [keutee's telegrams.! " ' . : ' . London, August 1. In the House of pommons this after- ; noon a question was put to the Secretary of State for India with regard to the present position of' affairs in Afghanistan, in reply to which the Marquis of Hartington said that the Indian Government had no intention of assisting the Ameer Abdurrahman in his struggle vrith Ayoub Khan. - Subsequently, in reply to another question, the Secretary of State .for ■India stated that the British Govern-' , lnent would firmly oppose any attempt on the part of any foreign power, to interfere in the affairs of Afghanistan.

THE IRISH LAND BILL. London, August 1. In the House of Lords the second I'eading of the Irish Land Bill was moved by Lord Carlingford, Lord Privy Seal. In the course. of the debate which followed, the Marquis of Salisbury admitted the ; necessity of the measure, but insisted that radical amendments of its provisions were, rer quired before they could bring about the result aimed at.

MR. PARNELL SUSPENDED! ■■'.-■ London, August 1.

In the House of Commons, a scene of disorder occurred. Mr. Parnellwas suspended for the remainder of the sitting, for using offensive language, and defying the Speaker. .-. . ; IRISH OBSTRUCTIVE TACTICS.; London, August 1. It is feared that there will be a revival of obstructions to the business of the House by the Irish members. ■ »/ — ■■. . ; •■'• ■ THE LORD MAYOR'S BANQUET TO COLONIAL' REPRESENTA- , tives. ..... ~ . -.-"; •'- LokpeN, July 18. The banquet given by the Lord Mayor of London at tho Mansion House, to representatives of the colonies, was attended by; three hundred gentlemen, including the : Prince of Wales, the Agents-General of the' various colonies, and King Kalakanaof the Hawaiian Islands. The affair was a grand success. King Kalakana, in responding to one of the toasts, referred to the generous reception which had been accorded to him in England; by Royalty and by the people generally.: The Prince of Wales, in responding to the toast of his health, referred to the Australian colonies, and the important position they now held, and expressed his regret, that he could not pay a visit to Australia. He: acknowledged in very graceful terms the kindly reception which Australians had accorded to his sons — Prince Albert Victor and Prince. George. Tho Duke of Manchester, :who' has .recently returned from a visit to the Australian colonies, spoke of Australians as a gallant and loyal people, and described Australia as a splendid territory. The Lord, Mayor proposed the toast of " The Colonies," and, in the course of his remarks, referred to his visit to New South. Wales and Victoria. He wished the colonies increased happiness and prosperity, and expressed a hope that nothing would transpire to weaken the tie between them and the Mother Country. The Earl of Kimberley,. Secretary of State for the Colonies, responded to the toast, and said that no Englishman could bo indifferent to the splendid heritage possessed by Great Britain in her colonies. All the leading London papers refer to the preat importance of the banquet of tho Royal Colonial Institute, and speak in highly eulogistic terms of the beneficial influence exercised by the Institute in bringing the colonies and the Mother Country into closer commercial relationship, and strengthening their bonds of union. : ■ . . i .r . ■ '-• ■-.']'