NEWS BY THE MAIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6813, 18 September 1883, Page 6

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

MR. GLADSTONE'S SPEECH. The Lord Mayor's banquet to the Ministry took place at the Mansion Honse, on the evening of August 8. Mr. Gladstone, on rising torespjndtothotoast, "Her Majesty's Atiuisters," was greeted with prolonged cheerißg. After returning thanks, he sketched racent publ.o events and said the Government had gone to Egypt in an unselfish sprit, and desired simply to accelerate reform there. It also felt too much haste mi'ht spoil the work. When the views of the Government in this respect were accomplished, the British would disappear from the country. He said nothing would be more g<ateful to everyone of the Ministers than au early and successful accomplishment of ihe k'rand m iveinent towards reform iu Egypt, in regard to the Tamatave affair, Mr. Gladstone said the Government had received full advices from Madagascar, confirming the hope that no difficulty existed that could not be tolved by the generous and honourable disposition that should always exist, especia ly between France and England. He n»w felt even sanguinely oontident that nothing would arise which would disturb their long accord. Continuing, the Premier said he was thankful to be able to record a great ohauge in the condition of affairs in Ire.and. The authority of the law had be.n reasserted there, and peace and a°cunty prevailed. Dirk deeds of assassination had been eff-.ctually suppressed, and the confidence which had incited their unhappy frequency, and enabled conspirators to execute their deadly purposes, had been in a large di gree destroyed. Deep gratitude was due to cue Almighty, and, in a secondary degree, to the Lord Lieutenant and Chief Secretary. He believed that the end of the ses-iuu would show that a fair amount of •work had been achieved.

IRISH DEMONSTRATION IN CHL CAGO. The secret Irish National organisations of Chicag••, but mainly those of the CJan-na-Gael held iheir beventh annual demonstration 'at Ogden'a Grove on the afternoon of Aucust 16, to raise funds to carry on the anitkt.on in Ireland. Fully 10,000 people paid »n admittance fee to enter the grounds. Speeches were made by Congress men John F. Fin- rty, Tnomas Brennan (ex-Secretary of the Iri-h National Laud League), Hon. M. V. Gan.ion, of lowa, and Colonel B. O'Buike, of New Madrid. They were all radical in tone, and demanded the total ind.p-mleuce of Ireland. Mr. Finerty's assertion that, "We want it distinctly understood that we in Chicago are proud of the man who killed the informer Carey," was' ■wildly applauded. Th« same speaker declared that "The people of Ireland did not want the interference of Cardinal Manning, or the Pope at Rome, if it tended to keep Ireland in chainis." Mr. Brennan declared that what Ireland needed above all else in this crisis was education. The organization of the League should afford the young men of Ireland an opportunity to utudy the history of their country. He termed Earl Spencer :, l.he chief baDgman in Ireland." The declarati ;h of principles as set forth by the assemblage declares unfaltering allegiance to the American republic, but "as IrishAmerican they would never yield the right of Ireland to overthrow a foreign despotism." Gratitude was expressed to Parnell and his »lleagues.

CANADA. Owing to the threats made by the Invincible, the guard to be mounted at Rideau Hall, Ottawa, after the arrival of the new Govcrnor-Geueral, the Marquis of Lansdowne, will be supplied with ball cartridges. The faculty and students of Victoria College, Montreal, have by pastoral authority been forbidden to enter the precincts of the hospital, Hotel Dicu, in future. The same communication excommunicates the faculty of the college, and commands the Catholic priests to admonish the youth of their flocks, under pain of clerical ban, to abstain iroin patronising that protestant seat of learning. Pcinbioke, about 100 milea north of Ottawa, has a sensation in the shape of a •wild man, eight feet high, and covered with hair. All attempts to capture him have failed, and several people have been wounded in the attempt. A bjuudary war ha 3 commenced between the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba. The point in dispute is at the Lake of the Woods. SPORTING MATTERS. William Sheriff, of Philadelphia, has challenged John S. Sullivan, the champion, to a glove con;eat of either four or six rounds, for £101)0 a-side. Sheriff has expressed a contemptuous opinion of. Slade's quality as a fighter. The Slade-Mitchell prize is to be fought just across the border of Kansas, in the = Inciian territory, and efforts are being made to have officers on hand to stop it.

At Watkin's Glen, New York, on Wednesday afternoon, August 15, Hanlan won the professioaal race of threa milea, with a turn, in 21 09, three lengths ahead of flosmer, second, Wallace Ross a good third, and Lae out. The professional scull race, postponed from Saturday, August 19, took place at Pall River, Mass., on the 20th. The Start Was not made till nearly sis p.m. Owing to rough water and a stiff breeze, the men were called back from a false start. Some returned, but others, including Hanlan, Hosmer, and Teemer, rowed over the course. Another race was ordered, and Hanlan took the lead, and turned the buoy first, followed closely by Ross and Jf osmer, the others not far off. An excursion steamer from Providence ran among the boats, and the swell from the paddle-wheels swamped Hanlan, Elliott, and Hosmer. Darkness coming on rapidly, it *as almost impossible to distinguish the contestants. At the finish Lee upaet after crossing the line, and Driscoll drew out half-a-mile from the start. At the close half-a-dozen oarsmen surrounded the judge's boat, several of them claiming first position. This was given to Teemer, who made 2J miles in 18min. 26secs.; Hosmer second, 18uiin. SOsecs ; Ross, third, 18min. 3o3ecs. Elanlaa said he was beaten, but " didn't feel badly about it; did'nt cut his boat; wasn't struck on the head ; and didn't get anyone to put a wire around bis baoy. He was glad of one thing—there was no money bet on him." These remarks were reflections on his eld antagonist, Courtney. The other oarsmen claim that Hanlan was really outrowed. The great oarsman subsequently acknowledged this, and said his experience of regattas had always been fatal. He was satisfied he could beat any of his antagonists single-handed. Robb_ thinks Teemer the coming sculler of America. The Sullivan Slade fight came off on August 6th, and resulted in Slade being knocked out in the third ronnd. The actaal fight lasted eight minutes and twenty seconds. The gross receipts of the exhibition amounted to 15,140 dollars. FRANCE. In an interview with the Marquis Tseng, Chinese Ambassador, on August 4, Chal-lemel-Lacour, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, threatened immediate war if China did not cease massing troops on the Tonquin frontier, and making other hostile preparations. News had been received in Pans on August 7 from Namdisch, Tonquin, that the French had destroyed the dams across the canal near that place. The French had also issued a proclamation to the Tonquinese promising to punish their oppressors, and destroy Hong Kong, if necessary. Pariß correspondents of London papers (August 4) speak of a Legitimist plot to restore monarchy in France, and also the existence of a committee of action. The Standard says this committee consisted of servants and small tradesmen. The Paris Temps treats the matter as of no importance. Despatch from Paris, August Bth, says the Board of .Directors of the Suez Canal Company, the British members being present, unanimously approved the letter of UeLesseps of the '25th ult, in which he informed the English Prime Minister that he need not consider himself bound by the terms of the agreement in regard to a second canal, which he had signed.

The yield of wheat this seaaon in France ■will be 45,000,000 hectolitres compared with 10t.000,000, and 105,000,000 each year Bince 1872. .'Jhe qoality is expected to be good. The Empress Eugene, with an American physician in attendauce, has gone to Carlsbad. She is breaking down from dyspepsia and depression. Prance warns all Powers, especially the United St?.tes, that any ship attempting to land arms>.t Annam will be liable to seizure. A landlord at Brest, August 20, murdered rJive children by hanging, and then suicided. GERMANY. A large velvet manufactory in Berlin was : burned on August 2nd, involving a loss of <>,500,000 marks.

The four hundredth anniversary of the birthday of Martin Luther was observed, by decree of the Emperor, by all the Protestant people of Germany. The students of the University oelebrated at Erfur3t, oa August Bth, the eutrance of the reformer into that town.

The German authorities ara bringing the j American pork question down to a fine point, Captains of vessels arriving from the United States are now fined 300 marks if they fail to report the exact quantity of the pickled article they have among the ship's stores. The Berlin newspapers demand an inquiry into the case of Professor Pulitzen, who committed suicide by drowning—a death lot in a so-called American due!. Some of the papers allege the duel was provoked by a Jewish lawyer. SPAIN. A rising of the military in Badajos, on the 7th of August, ended in a most undignified manner, very little harm was done by the insurgents beyond a slight damage to the railroad, and the theft of regimental and municipal moneys. General Blaneo, commanding the forces in Estremadura, will make a strict inquiry into the causes of the rising. A despatch on August 20 says quiet had heen restored thronghout the country. . King Alfonso and Queen Christina arrived at the Royal Palace on August 1. The King went to the frontier to meet his spouse, and thus dissipated the story of tho quarrel.

SWITZERLAND. The vicinity of Neufchatel was visited by a great storm on August 16th. Three villages in the vicinity of Pigerne and Morat were set on fire by lightning. BELGIUM. In the trial of Canon Bernard, proceeding at Brussels, August Bth, f:>r abstracting papers and securities representing several million francs from the episcopal palace at Tournay, the fact was developed that the defendant had a document from the Pope which empowered him to take such measures as he deemed best to conceal the treasure. tie could not have supposed, as his counsel argued, that such an order meant he was only to conceal it in Tournay. Canon Bernard had been made a scapegoat for Bishop Rassieux, who had written to him while he was' in New York, virtually ordering him to continue to conceal the funds. Bishop Rassieux believed he would thus avoid meeting in Court the claims of Monsignore Dumont, the former Bishop of the diocese. If he had been successful he would have indemnified Canon Bernard, who had merely attempted the evasion of the civil law, and had not committed a criminal offence. The case has caused a very painful feeling in religious circles. The Canon was acquitted on the 11th.