GENERAL CABLES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1511, 14 February 1901, Page 48

GENERAL CABLES.

LONDON, February C. The Duke of Devonshire, writing in the “ Empire Review,” .says that Imperial federation at the present time would be premature. Any attempt to define unity by pen, ink and parchment would be more likely to endanger than safeguard the Empire. He absolutely dissented from the suggestion 1 hat <Le Imperial Parliament should display greater interest in colonial questions, and says that absolute internal independence of the autonomous colonies is a recognised condition of the *x• stonce of our colonial Empire. _ . A petroleum magazine ■si- twenty million ponds of oil was at Baku, a Russian port on the pian Sea.

pond is equal to 0.32244 cwt, hence the qXmntity of oil was 322,440 tons.] "Four oil springs caught fire. Twenty bodies' have been recovered from the defjris. Many others have been incinerated* 'v A London Hooligan has sentenced to twenty years' penal servitude for the manslaughter of a policeman in Whitechapel. All the guns of the cruiser Sibrlle—which ran ashore in Saldanha Bay, Cape Colony, while seeking shelter from a storm—have been saved, with the exception of one. The organ of the Amalgamated Raiiway Servants' Society of Great Britain baa been mulcted in £IOOO damages >or accusing a railway superintendent of drunkenness. The Great Eastern Railway Company has ordered 8000 tons of steel rails from Pittsburg, in the United States. Andrew Carnegie's steel works have been transferred to Pierpoint Morgan’s syndicate for 160,000,000 dollars, ensuring control of the steel rail industry. LONDON, February 7. The bank rate of discount has been reduced from 5 per cent., to which it Was raised on 3rd January, to 4£ per cent.

Mr Thomason, President of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, in an address to the chamber, stated that although immediate prospects were less bright, the country’s trade was sound. The controversy freetrade versus protection was still alive, and there was no telling, considering Britain’s costly wars, how soon the issue would be raised even in England.

. LONDON, February 8. A jury has mulcted the “Daily Mail” in £725 damages for alleging that Charles Macdonald, a Glasgow jeweller, supplied a worthless sword to the Clan McDonald Society for presentation to Major-General Hector Macdonald. The King of Portugal yesterday, in receiving a deputation from the Evangelical Alliance at Buckingham said that at his distinct wish religious liberty was granted to all the Protestant Christians throughout his dominions. It was his determination to enforce this rule, and he was giving orders to ensure its being carried cut. The French Army Committee has adopted Montebello’s re-organisa-tion scheme, reducing the term of military service to ten months or a year, and offering privates and non-commissioned officers bounties and high pay if they enlist for five or ten years. Bostock and Co., sugar-refiners of Liverpool, have been, mulcted to the •extent of £I9BO, damages sustained by a brewer in connection with the recent beer-poisoning cases through using arsenicated material supplied by Bostocks. A cable message has been received from Messrs John Aird and Sons, the well-known firm of contractors, who are erecting irrigation works in Egypt, stating that the last channel of the Nile has been closed, and it is now possible Tk> walk across the river at Assouam. Later ndws from Baku, on the Caspian Sea, concerning the great petroleum fire at that place, states that hundreds of persons have perished. An unemployed Italian committed suicide yesterday in St. Paul’s Cathedral during service by shooting himself with a revolver. A Japanese syndicate is constructing a railway from Seoul, capital of Korea, to Fusan, the chief port in the peninsula, opposite Japan, at a cost of 25 million yen (about £2,500,000), the Korean Government giving the land. The Belle Cole Concert Company sails for Australia on March 23rd. The party includes Avon Saxon, Mdlle. Virginie Gheron*, find Herr Raymond Peehotsoh. LONDON, February 9. Two cose® of bubonic plague are reported from Capetown. Major Yarra, an. expert, and) Colonel Mackay, of New South Wales, have been summoned from' Pretoria, and are consulting with and advising the authorities. Every precaution and preventative measures are being taken. The outbreak has not caused any alarm. The German newspapers sharply criticise the decoration of Lord Roberts with the Order of the Black Fagle. They say that it will be a long day before England runs counter to the prevailing feeling of the German nation. LONDON, February 9. The British Government is issuing eleven millions of 3 per cent. Exchequer bonds, repayable in 1905, ranking with the issue in December last. The Bank of England opens tenders for the issue on Monday. THE HAGUE, February 7. Queen Wilhelmina was married to-day at The Hague to Duke Henry of Meek-lenburg-Schwerin. m The ceremony aroused tremendous enthusiasm. Sir Henry Howard, K.C.M.G., the British Minister, was present at the Queen’s marriage. NEW YORK, February 8. The revolution which some time existed in Venezuela has been suppressed. A western-bound New York-Chioago express, one of the fastest on the Lake Erie Railway was derailed owing to a fish-plate breaking on a curve between Amasa and Greenville. The mail composite cars were damaged, _ but the ladies’ oar was not injured.. Six persons were Skilled and twelve injured. NEW YORK. February 8. " ■«? Hundreds of cases of dynamite accidentally exploded, blowing off the top of . - the Sanandres silver mine in Mexico, and killing eighty-seven persons.

_ OTTAWA, February 8. The Canadian Parliament was opened to-day.

The Speech from the Throne expressed a hope that the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall would visit Canada, and assured them a hearty welcome. It also mentioned the satisfactory progress of the Pacific cable scheme, and expressed the hope that nothing would occur to prevent the completion of the cable.

The Postmaster-General (the Hon W. Mulock) has announced a Bill to arrange for Canada’s financial share of the scheme.

ROME, February 7.

In the Chamber of Deputies the Government was defeated on a question of general policy, particularly with regard to the closing of the Genoa Labour Exchange, by 318 votes to 102.

SYDNEY, February 7

There were 1031 cases of typhoid fever in Sydney and suburbs last year, an increase of 236 as compared with the previous year, while th© deaths showed an increase of sixteen.

A suspected case of plague is reported at Lisniore, the patient being a Hindu. The Board of Health has despatched an expert to report on. it.

There is no official information with respect to the suspected case of plague at Lismore. Other sources report regarding the patient that the swelling has gone down, and the temperature has been reduced. The strictest precautions are being taken. SYDNEY, February 10.

The numbers of various live stock in the colony on January Ist were: —Horses, 443,500, a decrease of 6.500; cattle, 1,816,000, an increase of 13,500; sheep, 39,938,000, an increase of 3,724,600, the comparisons being with the figures of the previous year. The decrease in horses is principally due to exports for army purposes. The increases in cattle and sheep are to be attributed to a better season and improved prices. The lambing returns show 8,738,000, an average of 67 1-6 per cent., against 5,717,000, or 49 1-6 per cent, in 1899, though the increase in breeding ewes was only 10 per cent.

ADELAIDE, February 8. Sir Salter Pine, Chief Engineer to the Ameer of Afghanistan, has arrived here on a visit for the benefit of his health. 'BRISBANE, February 8.

The Hon. R. Philp, Premier, speaking at a meeting of the Early Closing Association, said the sugar industry was one cf the most important Queensland had, and they should hesitate before they did anything to menace the industry. The time would come when it would require little or no coloured labour. Meantime let them give the people engaged in the industry a fair show. MELBOURNE, February 7.

So many old-age pensioners have appeared in the Police Courts charged with drunkenness that in future such cases will have to show cause why their pensions shall not be cancelled.

Over 3500 old age pelnsions have already been granted. “The Argus” says that at the present rate at which applications are being made the amount voted by Parliament will soon be exhausted, and there will probably have to be an all-round reduction of the higher rates of pensions. The Australia and South Africa Steam Ship Company, a Melbourne venture, is being instituted to establish a regular service of steamers specially fitted for the carriage of frozen produce and live stock to South Africa.

The Hon. F. R. Moor, a member of the! Natal Ministry, had .an interview with the Minister of Agriculture, and stated that there would be a good market in South Africa for Australian foodstuffs, cattle, and. meat for ten years. Owing to the war it would be that time before local producers would be able to overtake the demand.

The Lieutenant-Governor has approved the Hon. A. J. Peacock’s reconstructed Ministry. Mr Peacock becomes Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Labour; Mr Trenwith Chief Secretary and Minister for Railways; and Mr McCullough Minister for Works, Health and Defence. The other portfolios are unchanged. The half-mile swimming championship of Australasia was won by R. Cavill, in 12min 59 2-ssec. . Champion, the New Zealand representative, was among the starters.

At the swimming tournament, the Grand Commonwealth Handicap was won by Hogan (Queensland). M. E. Champion (New Zealand) was third. MELBOURNE, February 8.

A dust storm of cyclonic force swept over the city last night. It lasted a few minutes, and all traffic had to be stopped. So fierce was the storm that it carried foot passengers off . their feet, snapped teflegraph poles and unroofed a number of buildings. At the half-yearly meeting of the Commercial Bank of Australia, a dividend of 3 per cent, was declared on the preference. shares, £30,000 was carried to a special trust reserve, and £13,700 carried forward. The report stated that the business showed a steady improvement, the reflex of the improvement of affairs in Victoria.