NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3363, 15 November 1872, Page 3

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

i We make the following extracts from j our lilcs :— MX J!IK« ll's DOI.NfJH. i The Home News says :—"Mr Thomas | Birch, who for some time p.ist has been I us'ly engaged in the norLheni part* of the island in endeavouring to persuade i his siiilwart countrymen as to the good i things th;it await them in New Zealand, re--1 eontiy paid a visit to London, for the pur- ! pose of seeing auiimbt-r of his Shetland^roh'<i<'* off for their new homes in the South. The ship prepared f«>r their passage was the Christian M'Aufla-ml, and the simple HhctlandctH seemed to see an omen of good in the homely name of the ship in which they were to saiL Judg ng from the general appearance and conduct of the emigrants, they should make capital colonists. Half a score of the Shetland women are noted for their skill in knitting, and this surely represents an industry which might be largely and profitably pursued in New Zealand. Immediately after the sailing of the ship, Mr Birch turned his steps North again. He purposes paying an early visit to Oikncy, relnrning to Shetland by-and-byo, where several families arc preparing for a journey to New Zealand." The same journal him the following :— "The Rob Roy and its owner, who so firmly believes in ' paddling his own canoe,' are again becoming famous, and acme excellent descriptions of recent journeys in and around Scotland have lately been published. Mr Birch, who has done bo much in the way of procuring emigrants for New Zealand, had an interview with Mr Macgregor not long ago. In the course of conversation the New Zealand lakes were brought upon the ttq/U. Of course Mr Birch was enthusiastic on the subject—as indeed every one who has ever sailed on or travelled in the neighbourhood of Wakatipu must be—and made Mr Macgregor almost as enthusiastic as himself. The question of canoes followed, as a matter of course ; and we throw out the notion of canoeing on the New Zealand hikes and rivers as- being well worthy of consideration. This on several accounts. First of all there are the beauty and riches of the country to be travelled through, tben the pleasure of the new sensation, and the value of the districts that might be discovered by such means. As a mere pleasure trij), a canoe voyage would be worth thinking about, whilst the almosit certainty of the discovery of more goldfields and pastures should commend it ti> the adventurous and speculative."

THK UKN'KVA ARBITRATION. A Times Geneva special says the award made to'the United States by the Tribunal of Arbitration will only exceed £3.000,000 by a trifle. The decision of the Court is signod by all the arbitrators except Sir Alex. Cockburu who will give a separate judgment, agreeing with his colleagues only in relation to the Alabama, the award in which case constitutes the greater port ion of the total smn. Damages were granted in the case of the ( Florida by a vote of fonr against one, and in the ease of the Shenanhoah by three against two. All the other'casea presented by the Amoricau Government' were dißtnisHed by the Court. The Times says we will willingly consent to ' pay this sum to improve the law of I nations. The Arbitrators met at halfi past twelve this afternoon (Sept. 14). The five arbitrators, agents of the respec- | five Governments, the several counsel, twelve ladiss, and ten journalists were present. Count Sclopis, the President of the Court, read the dcci ion of the Tribunal. He announced the" amount awarded to1 the United States at 15,000,(X 0 dollars in j gold. Sir Alex. Cockhura refused to sign the decision of the Tribunal. Count Sclopjs was applauded when he-concluded, i After the adjournment of the Court, 22 i guiiß were fired in honour of the closing ! labours. Th» Sliglish- representatives j I leave on Monday, and the Araeric ns on 1 Tues.iay. Jacob Stuimpfli, Charles Francis Adam?, and Count Sclopis were the three arbitrators who voted to allow ' damages in the case of the Shenandoah. Cockburn and Evarts left Geneva on ! Saturday. S;r Roundell Palmer is look- j ing greatly fatigued. The' Times, in an ' editorial on the result i»f the Geneva arbitration, says:—"While England has been held responsible for the depredations of the several Confederate cruisers, we yet retain the conviction that morally she is not to blame, I The United States claimed damages j for losses caused by a dozen vessels, but the Court of Arbitration hold England | liable'(tinanimoiisly) only in the ease of one vessel. This is plain evidence of a belief in the genuineness of our nentra- ■ lity during the war in the United States, and disproves the flagrantly "unjust calculations of unfriendliness, in the Amcriciu case presented at Geneva. We cheerfully consent to pay the sum awarded, jib tending to obviate similar difficulties in future." Mr Lowe, Chancellor of the Exchequer, in a speech at Glasgow, severely condemned Sir Alexander Cockburn for not signing the award of damages, in the Alabama claims, and for publishing an argument which opuna up tho question and renews ill-feeling. He insisted that it is the duty of England to accept the award loyally. The Chambers of Commerce in several of the leading cities of England have adopted ivsf'luiM'UH congratulating the Government on the happy termination of the Arbitration. m»d copies of the resoln^ tions will be forwarded to the Uiutoit States.

BRITISH LABOUR NOTES. A London telegram, dated Bth October, says:—" The price of coal has again advanced. The mining companies of Belgium arc unable to fulfil the orders to send coal here in consequence of the scarcity of miners there." A meeting of mil way servanta was held in Hyde Park, to take into consideration measures for furthering a movement for the emigration of a large number of this class to Canada and the United States. In consequence of the failure of ttte i fruit crop, and the scant supply of fish to the London markets, that numerous clans of the population of the metropolis—the costermongers—are in a state bordering on starvation. The oldest street sellers state they never experienced ho bad a season. There is nothing they can buy to sell agiin. Herrings have lately fetched 3d apiece, oysters are not to be had, haddocks are too dear to retail, strawberries are out, and all other fruits are too dear to buy. A colony of costers located on Frog Island, Chelsea, are looking amiciously forward to the hop-picking season, which promises to be productive this year, and <he whole colony will migrate to Kent, Surrey, and Sussex, and restore their fallen fortunes.

The strikes of which wo (Home News) have had to write so often, seem to foe approaching their end. The only serious phase of this question cxi ted in connection with the London bakers. A few weeks ago the journeymen bakers of Dublin Btruok for higher wnges and shorter hours. The Dublin people took the matter Very quietly, and the affair was settled without much difficulty. A strike among the bakers of London was lately imminent, and had the affair been pushed to an issue, the result might have been productive of inconvenience. The bakers demanded twelve hours as a day's work, the day to commence at four a,in., and to t«rminuto at 4 p.m. To this arrangement some of the masters demurred, and so far as hot rolls in the morning are concerned, it did appear inconvenient. Wise counsels have prevailed, and the masters have given in Ut the men, who purpope continuing work as hitherto. The strike among the men employed in the building trades may be looked upon as ended. Some little difficulties still cxi.st, but the clianees are that they will be easily overcome. Reviewing the whole of the strikes of the past six months, it may be very fairly stated that the workers have, as a rule, obtained all they asked for, and that consequently their demands were not unreasonable.

KOHKKSX NEWS. During the late Imperial entry into Berlin, eight persons were sullocated and trampled to death on one night, and tifteen more morlaliy wounded. The mounted police charged the masses at one tune with, drawn sabres. On the evening of Oct. 8, while King Aimideus was walking in Plaza Del Oriente, in Madrid, two men concealed behind a statue threw several large stones at him, crying Viva la FicpnhUra. The des[ eradoes iled, pursued by a number of policemen, but escaped. The King was unhurt, but the occurrence caused great excitement *n Madrid. The Journal Officiel Announces the appointment of a French Supreme Council of War, the members of which are Marshal M'Molion, Marshal Canrobert, General l'Admiralt, Ducd'Aumalc, and General do Laronierelle.

Five gambling saloons at well-known German watering places have been closed. The Havre papers report that Captain Yansittar.lt, of tho British iron-clad Sultan, in proposing a toast to France and ; M. Thiers at tho lunch given to the Municipality of Havre, on board his vessel, said: —" Public feeling in England is moro than ever favourable to France. For my part, I am happy that I have been chosen to represent England here." An alarming accident occurred at a i bullfight at Marseilles on Sunday, September 8. One of the bulls sprang; over the barrier and rushed in among tho I crowd of spectators, many of whom were injured. Great alarm prevailed, but fortunately one of the spectators succeeded in arresting the animal's career, and a soldier immediately killed it with his bayonet. The other bulls, which, had in the meantime escaped, were captured and killed. The Cmurfhr rfc France states that the. judicial enquiry into the case of Marshal Bazaine reveals criminal intrigues compromising some important petsonages in connection with the capitulation of Mefz. A Trouville despatch says it ia considered very important to have the evidence of Prince Frederick Charles and VonMolfcke in preparing the bill of indictment against Marshal Bazaine. With this object Count Arnim has been requested to solicit their written declarations. *

TUX I'KINUKSS OF WALKS IK DENMARK. While the Daily News' correspondent was in the midst of the crowd at the Copen- ! h:i«»en Exhibition, on the occasion of the ' presence of the -Royal Family had*: opportunities of ■listening to i&ftue interest- j ing remark* among the more unsophisticated portion of the visitors, such as the inhabitants from Amager and the peasantry of Zealand. Princess Alexandra was the main topic, and the expressions applied to her were very naive -.indeed. "Ob, why, there she is now, the sweet snigel!" said a peasant woman in a very excited and sympathetic voice. *"' Where?" said her yoxmqet companion, "the one furthest to the left 2" li2So, no,- no ; she is in the middle; -Mexandra must always be in the middle; Uint is her proper place. But fancy her not having become English yet! how prond.. <mght we not to feel! She is just as she used to be." The mother of a family from Amagor -— $ Dutch island-colony just out of Copen hagen -who was very mnch struck with the aopearanco of the Princesa when she proceeded gracefully and modestly besido her queen mother to the balcony of the landing and sat down. " There she is," she said, '* I know her from her likenesses, bler>3 her I" Then rthe lifted up a little chubby girl, in funny costume, to give her a chance of seeing the Princess, exclaiming, as ahe did so, " Perhaps I , ahall )je some day as proud of you as the <jueeii is of Alexandra i:o\v !" Tuniiujt. ito her husband, she said, " What joy and pride the queen must ft-el in having her children thus around her, before thesu thousands of her subject-" All this evinced, at all events, a good'family spirit. The Princess seems to be, in some mysterious way, passing into a legendary individuality among the good'folk here, and really bids fair to become the heroine of some popular legend.

FIJiK AT THB BSCOBIAU A telegram from Madrid, darted October 6th, says :—"A despatch from the town of Escorinl twenty-four miles -north-east <.f this city, announces that the celebrated monastery <>t the Escorial was struck by lightning this evening. -' The buikiing quickly caught lire, and m ra^id was the ].r<»gress of the flumes that thodnnie.of tlm°towerof tho edifice has'already fallen. I'^e rc»3*al ]»akce, with its splendid books wn\ jointings i«»d rare aod co,*tly nimiui,crij»t!» f i» nnvr in flames, and at the time

lof this despatch there is apparently but little prospect of saving from destruction the mausoleum, as well as the summer residence of the Spanish Kings. A brigade of engineers, fully equipped with material for use in such emergencies, has left Madrid for Escorial." Another telegram, dated three days later, Bays : —"The damage to the Monastery and Palace of the Escorial, by fire, will not exceed 125,000 dollars." TJIK Ji.MI.WAV ACVIIIKNT AT KIIITLK IJKIDOE.

London telegrams, dated October 2nd, state:- "A terrible accident, happened this morning to a passenger train from this city for Edinburgh- While running at a rapid rate, it came in collision, near KirUe Bridge, with a freight train, causing the instant death of nine persons. Many others are injured, and it is feared several of them will die. Despatches state that the train, was late, and running at a furious rate to make up. The sceno of the disaster is not far from Carlisle. A train has been sent from town to bring in the dead and wounded." SIISUJSLLANEOUS NEWS. " All the world" has been rusticating in Scotland this autumn. "A few" wife and child murders are reported to have taken place in London. "The literature of preserved meat" has assumed large dimensions in London this autumn.

The ship Naxaire was wrecked off the Lancashire coast in a heavy gale towards the end of September, and all on board perished. The Queen took a prominent part in the laying of a foundation stone of a monument to bo erected at Dunrobiu Castle to the memory of the late Duchess of Sutherland. Agrarian violence is rife in the county of Mayo, Ireland. Landowners in the vicinity of Newport have been shot at, and other outrages committed, but in all cases the perpetrators escaped detection. The British Postmaster-General has issued an order forbidding the registration of Bradlaugh's Journal for transmission abroad through the mails. Bradlaugh protests against the act aa a violation of the liberty of the Press.