EUROPEAN CABLEGRAMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6269, 20 December 1881, Page 5

EUROPEAN CABLEGRAMS.

]P£B S.S. ALBION, AT TIIE BLUFF.] London, December 10. The British Government has decided to reopen with the Gambetta Ministry negotiation* for the commercial treaty that fell through, owing to the inability to come to any agreement with the late French Ministry. Sir C. Dilke, Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, starts for Paris on Monday, and will have a personal interview with Gambetta. Count Kilmoky, the Austrian Premier, after careful consideration, points to the dispute between the Austro-Huugariau Empire and the kingdom of Roumania, relative to the control over the navigation of the Danube. Ho communicated his views to Prince Bismarck, the German Chancellor. The result is that they agreed upon a joint plan of action towards lioumania, and have forwarded their demands to the Government at Bucharest. The treaty of commerce which was recently agreed on between the Governments of France and Italy, has been formally com- } pleted, the treaty having been ratified by the ; two Powers. The United States Government has decided, in accordance with the generally expressed wish of the nation, to confer upon the widow of the late President some special token of its high appreciation of the character and services of her late husband, and sympathy for her under her great bereavement, it has therefore been announced that Mrs. Garfield shall have the privilege of seuding letters throughout the States of tho Union free of postage. The anti-Jewish agitation, which has for some time past been prevalent in Germany and Russia, is gaining ground, and rapidly spreading through every portion of the two empires. It also seems likely that the antiJewish feeling will not be confined to these, but will extend to adjoining countries. An explosion occurred in a coal mine at Barisley, a town in the west riding of Yorkshire, about nine miles from Sheffield. The consequences were most disastrous, no fewer than CO miners being killed. The storms which have been recently raging over the Atlantic have been especially destructive along the coast of Newfoundland. Numerous shipwrecks are reported. December 12. The terrible catastrophe which occurred in Vienna, caused by the burning of the Ring Theatre, is absorbing public attention. It is averred that tho investigation into the disaster has shown that the police, through some bungling, locked the doors of the burning building before it was more than half empty, and to that tho extraordinary number of deaths is attributable, the means of egress lJeing thus cut oft". There is great excitement over the matter, and a full inquiry is promised. A destructive fire, involving the loss of life, lias occurred at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. The Workman's House Institution devoted to the use of the working classes, caught fire, and the building was consumed with such rapidity that many of the inmates were unable to make their escape. It has been ascertained that ten persons perished in the flames. It ia announced that Sir A. Gordon, Governor of New Zealand, and High Commissioner of the Pacific, will shortly be relieved of the general supervision over the colony of Fiji which he has exercised. The question of taxation lias been under the consideration of the Viceroy of India and his Council for some time. It is now announced on good authority that a determination has been come to to imposed an income tax. The proposal hitherto has met with serious objection, as being one unsuitable to the habits of the people. It is probable that the cotton duties will be abolished. At Sautander, a province of Old Castille, Spain, an angry feud lias existed between the newspapers published in the district and the priests. Several bitter attacks against the clergy have been published in the papers, while their general character has been impugned. The clergy have retaliated by solemnly excommunicating tho editors of three offending journals. This action excited a great sensation throughout Spain, and the subject is being taken up widely by the public journals. In consequence of the continuance of outrages in various parts of Ireland, and the difficulty experienced in securing detection and conviction of the offenders, the Irish Executive have under consideration a proposal to vest the military officers in command oi disturbed localities with magisterial powers. It is believed that the step will be taken shortly in order to provide for the security and protection of the well-disposed people in these districts. Negotiations have been made by the German Government with Earl Granville, to arrange for the transfer to Germany of the small island of Heligoland, iii the North Sea, situated about forty-six miles northwest of the mouth of the Elbe and Weser. The island, which has been in the occupation of Great Britain siace 1814, docs not exceed 5J square miles, and is of no practical importance.