NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7341, 30 May 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

NEWS IN BRIEF.

A movement has been set on foot for f sdtra* ting all the different emigration societies in London. The exces* of births over deaths in France in 1883 was 96,843, against 97,027 in 1882 and 108,299 in 1881. The Loyalist Pnrty in Ireland propoie to subscribe a earn of money to purchase a iroyal residence in that country. The Bank of England* employs about 1100 parsons, and the salary list, including pen* siona, ie about £300,000 per annum. The Royal Geographical Society haa awarded the Black grant this year to Mr. W. Hodkinson, explorer, of Queensland.

Lβ Matin, of Paris, says that Messrs. Ben* nett and Me okay are at the head of syndicate formed to purchase the island of Cuba for £20,000,000.

Russia, with a population of over 100,000.000. has 85 bishops, 100,058 clergymen, 27,000 monks and nuns, and 41,000 churches.

The Bank of England holds one- aevec teen to of the total deposits in the banks of the United Kingdom, which amount to £540,000.000.

The agricultural daises of Franoe have £200,000 000 on deposit in the Government savings banks, on which they are paid four per cent interest.

Cofoael Malleson is writing a brief resume, in a popular form, of the Afghan question and the Russian advance towards India, for Mr. George Routledge. The Chinese Government pays the German gunners in its service £50 a month, and guarantees their families £1500 in case they are killed by the French. At a meeting held in Edinburgh it has been decided to hold an International Exhibition of Industry, Science, and Art in that oity in the summer of 1866.

The Lord Provost's Committee of Edin. burgh Town Council has agreed to rectnnmend a vote cf £250 towards the establishment of a School of Forestry. The Nizam of Hyderabad has signified hi* intention of visiting England in 1886, for the purpose of being present at the opening of the Indian and Colonial Exhibition.

The Sea of Galilee swarms with piscatorial life, as in ancient times, but the fishing industry has greatly run down, there being but one fishing craft on the lake. In Germany last year twenty-throo cigarette factories turned out 187,000,000 cigarettes, and the output of the Freucie cigarette factories was 600,000,000.

The Dominion Government ia considering the advisability of fitting out armed schooners to proteot the Canadian fishing grounds from encroachments by American fishermen. The Lanterne says that several hundred weight of dynamite has been stoles from a factory at Antwerp, and it is believed that the thieves handed it over to the Fenian, agents. Every common trade in Amsterdam has in Government shop, where deserving poor can always find employment. The goods the ro made are used by the Government instead of being sold. The English Government has conceded te> Newfoundland the privilege of negotiating directly with the United States for the renewal of the fishing clauses in the treaty of Washington. As counter attractions to the public-houses, Saturday evening ooncerts and other modes ot spending a rational and enjoyable time ai 3 now being successfully carried on in many parts of London. Large numbers of emigrants, chiefly Poles and Hungarians, are returning from America to their old homes. On one day recently no less than 400 arrived at Berlin by one train, homeward bound.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer proposes to provide for the deficit which he announces in his budget by increasing the income tax, and by the imposition of additional duties on spirits and beer. The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge have the reputation of being hotbeds of slang. It is said that nine-tenths of the slang words heard in England to-day came from these institutions.

When the Canadian-Pacific is completed from Lonisburg to Vancouver, the trip from Japan to London caa be made in twenty-four days—a saving of twenty days compared with the Suez canal route.

Lord Reay has forwarded from the Hague, to be placed in St. Giles's Cathedral, Edinburgh, a stand of colours of the old Soots Brigade, which served for many yearc with so much distinction in Holland.

The canal which Germany intends to construct to nnite the North and Baltic Seas' is to be large enough to admit the largest war vessel through it. It is estimated the work will be completed in fire years. Rumours are current in Constantinople of an early visit of the Duke of Connaugnt to the Saltan, which is regarded at a favourable indication of a renewal of friendly relations between Great Britain and the forte.

It seems that the English sparrowii in America have an enemy in the bird commonly known in New England as the " cherry" or "mouse" bird, so called from his fondness for cherries and field mice as articles of diet.

American newspapers are much exercised just now with the whim of an ecoentrio Englishman, who landed in New York one morning recently, and took a steamer for Liverpool the same afternoon, He said he had seen enough. It i« proposed to place a memorial in the chapel, Wellington Barracks, to the late Major-General Earle, and a committee hai been formed to receire donations from those who have been connected with him in the Brigade of Guards. There are said to be 100,000,000 ahsep in the Argentine Republic, and the quotation in Buenos Ayres is 4s per head. Three more freezing establishments are in process of erection theru for preparing mutton for shipment to England. After a vigorous debate the Stratford-on-Avon Town Counoil have reversed their decision and agreed to contribute 200 guineas out of the borough funds towards the cost of restoring the churoh in which Shakspere was baptised and buried. Two meetings were recently held, over which the President of the Wesleyan Con* ference presided, to inaugurate a movement among Wesleyans for raising £25,000, to be applied in a special manner to evangelistic work amongst the poor of London. In a leader on " Masonry and the Churoh," the Jewish Record thus concludes :— ''Masons, as individuals, help their respective churches. The principles of virtue and morality inculcated in the lodge-room make men better churchmen but poorer bigots." Working hours throughout France are rarely under twelve per day, while in Ger* many they range from thirteen to sixteen, and this without deductions for Sundays and holidays. A recent French Government Commission reported against shortening the hourii of labour.

At a recent mooting of the supporters of the Home for Lost and Starving Doge in London, it was stated that, the number of dogs brought into the Home daring the year ending the 31at of December last ban been do fewer than 14,772, haing PS in excess ef tt» j>£«ceii&s: r«;«h'e!HoQCh,' .: : < ':■ - ' ■'. Mr. W.H. Massey, of Twyfc. ! Berks, under whose supervision thi electric lighting experiment* At ' Windsor fjasiia &i;d Backingham Palace were sucoetofully carried out during the, last two seasons, has been *p« pointed to the place of mechanical and electrio light engineer to the Queen. ' ;',.

The population of Ituseia, according to the census of 1882, is given at 77,879 521, in European Russia, of whom 35.651,977, were males and 39,227,544 females. The total population of the entire empire, including Finland, was a little over 102,000,000, o> about one-twelfth of the population of the globe.

Iα the port of Liverpool there are now laid np 44 steam vessels, representing a tonnage of 69,000 tons, as against 10, representing a tonnage of 18,000 tons, at th* corresponding period of last year, thus showing an increase of 34 steamers and 61,000 tonnage hid up in these docks. The distress among the I*ver« pool seamen and dock labourers is very tonte. The following figures in regard to Russia, from the Financial Reform Almanao for th« present year, will no doubt prove uiieyeatfng :—Population of Kossia, over 85,090,000; standing army, 770,000 ;. standing arjny and reserves, 3,200,000; warships in commission— ironclads, 31; nnarmoured, 219; naval officers and men, 28,987; national debt, £683 000,000; total revenue, £113,000,000; £143,000,000; interest on national debt, £28,000,000.

The annual return of the Volunteer Corps of Great Britain for 1884 has been published. This shows that the force on the authorised establishment has grown from 160,321 in 1860, to 249,419 iu 1884. The number of efficients in 1884 was 208,365; non-efficients 6650; number actually enrolled, 215,015. Of these, IS, 147 had qualified for the special grant of 50e. There were actually preeent a« inspection 184,282, The percentage* of efficients to those enrolled wm 9£*BJU