ENGLISH.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 741, 14 May 1886, Page 24

ENGLISH.

(REUTER’S TELEGRAMS.) London, May 6. The Directors of the Bank of England have raised the Bank rate from 2§- to 3 per cent. The Directors of the London Chartered Bank of Australia recommend the declaration of a dividend for the half year at the rate of 6 per cent, per annum, and carry forward and place to reserve ,£BOOO. The amount carried forward and placed to reserve by the London Chartered Bank of Australia is £29,000, not £BOOO, as telegraphed. Per Merchant Shipping and Underwriters’ Association : Arrived — Waitangi, Port Chalmers (28 th January) ; Laira, Auckland (16th January); Waikato, Napier (29th December) ; Wairoa, Oamaru (Ist February).

London, May 6. Three per cent. Consols, LIOI ss. New Zealand securities, colonial breadstuffs and tallow are unaltered in value. The Bank rate of discount is 8 per cent, and the market rate 2-§- per cent. The weekly returns of the Bank of England published to-day show the total reserve in notes and bullion to be L 11,700,000, and the proportion of reserve to liabilities 39 per cent. May 7. In the House of Commons last night Mr John Morley, Chief Secretary for Ireland, introduced a Bill providing for the temporary prolongation of the Arms Act in Ireland. London, May 8. The mails which left Auckland by the Mararoa in March were delivered here yesterday, via San Francisco. New Zealand frozen mutton has fallen to 5d per lb. The wool , market continues quiet. Three hundred thousand bales have arrived to date for the coming colonial auctions. The total quantity of wheat afloat for the United Kingdom is 1,870,000 quarters.

London, May 8. The New Zealand Shipping Company’s R.M.S. Tongariro left Plymouth to-day for Port Chalmers, calling at Madeira and Cape of Good Hope. London, May 10. Per Merchant Shipping and Underwriters’ Association : Arrived Soukar, from Lyttelton, January 31; Lake Erie, from Lyttelton, January 29 ; Alcestis, from Bluff, January 9 ; May Queen, from Oamaru, January--21. London, May 10. A convention has been signed between Spain and Great Britain, by which Spain accords to England the treatment of the most favored nation, in return for which wine of 30 degrees alcoholic strength is to be admitted at a shilling duty. The Hon Graham Berry, the recently appointed Agent-General for the colony of Victoria, has arrived here, and will shortly enter upon his official duties. London, May 10. Three per cent Consols are unaltered. New Zealand securities — 5 per cents, £lOl 10s; 4J- per cents, £lOl 10» ; 4 per cents, £9B 10s. The Bank rate of discount is 3 per cent and the market rate 2-jf-.

The Australian mails per Orient Company’s R.M.S. Cuzeo, dated Melbourne, April 2nd, were delivered today, via Naples. Arrived—P. and O. R.M.S. Rome, from Melbourne (March 25th). London, May 11. Her Majesty the Queen left London to-day for Liverpool, in order to formally open the Naval Exhibition in that city. In the House of Commons yesterday the Crofters Bill was read a third time. (SPECIAL TO UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. London, May 5. The appointment of a successor to Bishop Moorhouse has been deferred lor a fortnight. The first meeting of the Conference to take into consideration the question of the protection of cables in time of war, will meet at Paris on the 12fch instant. It is unlikely that Sir Arthur Blytb, representative of South Australia, will be able to be present. The departure of the British-India Steam Navigation Company’s steamer Merkara, for Queensland, via the usual ports, has been, delayed, in

1 consequence of one of her piston-rods having broken. The Queen has accepted a number of photographs of New Guinea by Lindt and Company. London, May 6. The body of Sir L. S. Leake will be sent to Perth for interment. Mr Pope, an Edinburgh student, has been selected as emergency man for the English cricket team which visits Australia next season. London, May 6. Bir Andrew Clark has written a powerful despatch combatting Mr Branston’s (Colonial Office) advocacy of a compromise regarding the New Hebrides. There is great demand for Victorian apples and pears. London, May 7. Matterson, the sculler, will not ratify his challenge to Godwin. The Collingwood (Victoria) municipal loan of £40,503, has been placed in the market and tenders will be opened on the 13th inst. All efforts to effect a compromise between Messrs Gladstone and Chamberlain have failed. London, May 8. The New Zealand Midland Railway Company are alloting shares. Few companies are tendering for the conveyance of the Australian mails under the Federal scheme. Germany is indignant at the attitude of Russia and France towards Greece. The anxiety in conseguenee of the attitude of the Loyalists in Ulster is increasing. The Marquis of Hartington has been assured of a following of 80, and Mr Chamberlain of 15, in opposition to Mr Gladstone's Irish proposals. Wheat market.—Wheat is firmer. English is Is dearer, but foreign and colonial prices are unchanged. Importations are small, and for one shipment just arrived 36s is asked. 34s 6d is asked for parcels on passage. The weather is very warm. A serious split has taken place between the leaders of the Salvation Army.

London, May 9. The Executive Commissioners of the Colonies at the Exhibition will probably be created Knights of St. Michael and St. George, and the assistant Commissioners and prominent Secretaries Companions of the same order. An impression prevails that France will join in the Krauel-Thurston agreement regarding the Western Pacific Islands, receiving the New Hebrides as her share. Australian visitors at Home are organising a grand Freemasons' ball to be held in June. Dr Ahearne has had an interview with Sir Robert Herbert, but the Colonial Office has decided not to act until the petition asking for separation arrives from Queensland. London, May 10. Emigration of domestic servants to New South Wales has been stopped for the present. It is expected that Mr Gladstone will agree to reduce the number of Irish members to forty-five. The first steamer ot the recently established German Australian line will leave Bremen for Australia on July 14 th. London, May 10. The despatch received from Victoria on the New Hebrides question has impressed Lord Granville, who at present is quite unpledged to France in the matter.

Mr Graham Berry has arrived, and will be installed into the office of Agent-General for Victoria on Tuesday.

(Age Specials.) (Per s.s. Rotomahana, at the Bluff.,) (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.) London, April 29. It is announced that Shaw’s team of English cricketers will leave England for Australia in September next. The Standard, in its yesterday’s issue, makes some comments on the floating of the new loans, and censures the conduct of the South Australasian Government for borrowing further at present. In the same arficle reference is also made to the borrowing of New Zealand. The Standard denounces Sir Julius Vogel, and expresses a hope that not another penny of British savings will be invested in New Zealand. Dr Moorehouse, speaking at Kilburn, a suburb of London, denounced the secular system of education which is iu force in most of the Australian colonies.