CABLE NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1682, 25 May 1904, Page 60

CABLE NEWS.

LONDON, May 18. Delegates from the Headmasters’ ,’Conference conferred yesterday with representatives of the Empire League. Lord Strathnona presided. (Sir Richard Webb proposed, and Sir Charles Lyell seconded, a motion advocating co-operation, with the idea of training the young throughout the Empire in sentiments and convictions of sympathy, kinship and common loyalty. Others advocated a common study of history and the foundation of historical scholarships. Replying in the House of Lords to Earl Spencer, leader of the Liberal party, the Elarl of Hardwicke, Undersecretary for War, admitted that we .were at war with Thibet. The Marquis of Lansdowne stated that the attacks of a few ragged barbarians were insufficient to change the avowed policy of the British Government. A convoy of ammunition and supplies has arrived at Gyangtse, sufficient for three months. LONDON. May 18. The Marquis of Lansdowne and Earl Spencer (leaders of the two parties) in the Lords, and 'Mr Balfour (Premier) and Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman (leader of the Opposition) in the Commons, in eloquent speeches supported the Government’s proposal to erect a national memorial to the late Lord Salisbury in Westminster Abbey. Mr Redmond, on behalf of the Irish Nationalists, protested, but the proposal was adopted without a division. The births in London in 1903 numbered 130,906, the lowest for a decade. : The marriage rate had fallen from the maximum of 38 4-5 per thousand in 1898 to 17 2-5 per thousand. The death rate was 15 7-10 per thousand, the lowest on record. LONDON, May 20. There are eight thousand Thibetans .around Gyangtse. '■ Three cannons maintain an ineffectual bombardment of the Biitish, who are not strong enough ' to storm the Thibetan main position, since many of the enemy are armed with rifles. The Tafshi Lama, hitherto friendly to the British, is co-operating with the Dalai Lama. The Jockey dub has warned Robert Sievier —whose racing transactions were prominently before the Courts last week —off Newmarket Heath. At the wool sales the brokers catalogued 175,643 bales; and of this number there were sold to Home purchasers BS,OOO, for the Continent 74,000, and for America 12,000. There have been 9000 bales held over. The Americans took coarse crossbreds. Compared with March* closing rates, merinos were an average of 5 per cent, higher, except for medium heavy greasies, which were unchanged. Line crossbreds were firm in sellers’ favour, medium 5 per cent, and coarse 7| per cent, higher. Merino lambs were firm, and crossbreds Id to Id higher. “Richmond” and “Omarama” clips realised 9ld. _ BERLIN, May 19. The “Breslau Gazette” states that the twenty-year-old daughter of Professor Mereschowsky was deputed to assassinate the at a review in St. Petersburg. ■She gained admittance to a seat near the Czar’s stand, but her strange demeanour attracted notice, and she was arrested. A bomb was found in her possession, and she was summarily condemned to death. " . - .. VIENNA, May 18. Count Goluchowski, Foreign Minister of the Empire, addressing the Hungarian delegations, emphasised the existence of perpetual webs of intrigue at Staniboul, imperilling Turkey’s interests. Unless reforms were executed a catastrophe was inevitable. Many Turkish subjects would rather face death than endure their present condi- . tions. " It is reported in diplomatic circl 3S that Baron de Oalice, Austrian Minister, and M. Zinovieff, Russian Minister, at Constantinople, will be recalled for a time, with a view to emphasising Count Goluchowski’s warning. PARIS I , May 18. The Pope’s protest in regard to President Loubet’s visit has aroused indignation in Paris. Several newspapers demand the recall of M/F. A. Nisard, French Ambassador at the Vatican. The “Matin” states that the German •General Staff had purchased from spies all it needed regarding the defences of Toulon, Cherbourg and Brest. ST. PETERSBURG, May 19. Four murderers concerned in the Exshineff massacres in April last year have been sentenced to four years’ imprisonment. Four others received from •eight to, twelve months for injuring Jews. V . • CONSTANTINOPLE,. May 18. ", The' Vali of Bitlis, in Asia Minor, reports that . the Armenian insurgents Jhave destroyed seventeen vilayets in the .Sassun district. •■...<■ V-Six hundred Armenian families have taken refuge at Mush. V , GUVA, May 19. The Union Company’s steamer Aparima, from Calcutta, is overdue.

She was sighted off Thursday Island on the 6th inst., and it is feared she has been wrecked on the Hebrides. The Hauroto left to-day to search the Hebrides, going thence to Noumea for orders. SUVA, May 20. The Aparima, which has arrived at Suva, was delayed by bad weather. She spoke the Hauroto, which had been sent out to search for her. MELBOURNE, May 20. A warm correspondence has passed between the Postmaster-General (Hon Hugh Mahon) and Mr - F. L. Outtrim, Deputy-Postmaster-General for Victoria, with reference to the recognition of associations of postal employees. Mr Outtrim declared that the associations were mischievous and meddlesome, tended to destroy discipline, and existed for selfish purposes—to secure shorter hours, more pay and more holidays. Mr Mahon, in a minute, stated that lie must decline to receive any further communications in which Mr Outtrim referred to his fellow-officers in acrimonious and contemptuous terms. He recognised the right of properly-con-stituted associations through their executive officers to submit grievances. The total cost of the South African contingents was—'New South Wales, £933,522; Victoria, £314,050; Queensland, £424,759. SYDNEY, May 19. It is surmised that the Aparima has broken down. # The steamer Rockton, which left Fiji to-night, keeps a look-out. PERTH, May 20. An explosive magazine at Coolgardie blew up at 3 o’clock yesterday morning, causing considerable damage to the windows of houses for a great distance around. The ground was ploughed up for sixty yards from the building, which contained fifteen tons of explosives. Hie vibration was felt twenty-four miles away. No one was injured. HOBART, May 19. The Council rejected the proposal to submit the Occupancy Bill and the Income Tax Bill to the referendum. HOBART, May 20.

The Government has introduced a Bill, to provide for the abolition of the office of Chief Secretary. It proposes that the Cabinet shall comprise the Premier, Treasurer, and Minister for Lands, to whom £2600 a year shall be paid, wliich the three will share as they may decide.