FOREIGN NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6501, 13 December 1882, Page 4

FOREIGN NEWS.

Fires in the timber-yards along the river banks near St. Petersburg wers extinguished on 23rd October, with a loss of 200^000 roubles. The property was insured for-one-half the amount in Prussian and English companies.

Incendiary fires broke out in seven different parts of Pavlovxk, and the whole place was threatened with destruction. The Russian Government has issued an order forbidding the exportation of horses. It is supposed tha,t this is aimed at Germany, whose cavalry mounts on the boundary are generally procured from Russia. Nihilism ia rampant again in the C*ar's dominions^-On Jst November the police broke up a meetiug of 200 members of a secret society being held at Pultowa. The organ of the1

Nihilists haß declared a revoluti6n is imminent/1 Large fires are so frequent, and nearly.all being insured, the companies have fallen back on the ronerve funds, and premiums are raised 40 per cent. The construction of nine war-vessels is •ordered, seven of which are for the Baltic and two for the Black Sea ports. Cronstadt is also to be strengthened groatly. The German and Austrian Cabinet Councils at Vienna discussed measures for relief in view of renewed floods in the Tyrol. The damage was 4,500,000 florins. * 1 The health of tho Duke of Brunswick is reported to be critical.

The German Government is endeavouring to bring about an amicable understanding between ' England on the one side, and the Porte and France on the other, in regard to Egyptian affairs, in which it is proposed France shall renounce all claims to interference, and in return for such renunciation to be compensated by the annexation of Tunis. • Heavy floods in Austria interrupted railway communication, and caused serioiiß damage. > The Germania, which sailed last summer for Cumberland Sound, with a German Arctic expedition, returned to Hamburg on 25th October. A station at King Awa\was completed and several houses built. Everything is ready for tho exploration. The German Minister of War has mode known his decision to extend the German forts and sunken fortifications on the Baltic coast. New armed forts, with heavy batteries, will be constructed near Pillau and Memel, andlex'•tensive fortifications will bo raised on the Prussian and Austiian frontieis. Everything indicates that tho German Government realises the presence of a great and growing danger. The new scheme for reorganising the Austrian army contemplates the formation of 14 corps of equal numbers, to be recruited from-the provinces where the men live, the extension of the defensive system, and the establishment of a neiw ork of railways. A Berlin dispatch says the repeal of Socialistic laws is expected shortly. Even the German Gazette favours their repeal on condition that the Socialists abstain from interfering with the higher grades of politics. The German Government has devoted 100,00Qdol to defray the expenses of exploring the wild* of Centml Africa. An official dispatch from Manilla received at/Madrid, dated 21st October, stales that a typhoon on the 20th "destroyed all the wooden and thatched houses in that place, and carried away iron and tiled roofs of others.. One thousand families are homeless. Thebarracka and hospitals are full; arid offices and factories were destroyed. The loss of life^Jiosreyer, is relatively small. Communication is' interrupted between Manilla and other'towns. On the island of Luzon 20 merchairtvand 100 sailors were drowned by the typhoon. Archbishop Croke, of Ireland, is to be summoned to Rome in the course of the winter.jto confer with the Podb on Irish affairs. " The Spanish Cabinet propose to attempt to prevent the propagation of anarchist intrigues in Spain as they are pervading France and Switzerland. \ • , r The Socialist Herr -Most was recently discharged from prison in London, having taken his proscribed paper-^-the Freiheit—to Zurich. The Swiss authorities denounced it as a dangerous publication, and' the1 publisher liow wishes to return to England. In reply to remonstrances by the Russian Government against giving an asylum *o Nihilist leaders, the Swiss Government object to their expulsion until England and France establish a precedent by expelling agitators against the Continental Powers. The Seine rose rapidly and destroyed seven bridges, and at Stiaphael the floods stopped traffic between Marseilles and Cannes". The latter town was inundated. The Socialistic troubles at Lyons had reached such a height on the 29th ult. that tioops occupied the railway and all ■strategic points'in the city, at the same holding no communication with the citizens. Lo Paris published a document purporting to be the manifesto of the Anarchist League. The Bey of Tunis died on the 2nd ult., and was succeeded by his brother. His funeral was an imposing affair. " ' " The French Press is discussing with much warmth the Tunisian situation. A debate arose against annexation, as it will afford an excuse to England to acquire Egypt. It calls on tho •people of France to rise and unite to abolish all laws made by those who employ labour, and who are owners of property. Ignatieff visited Paris 6n the 28th October, much to the uneasiness of the German circles, who believed he had been commissioned by the Czar to conclude an understanding between France and Russia.

■La Droit of 2nd November indicated'*-'the future progress of the Anarchists. They propose to install squalid outcasts in the houses of the bourgeoisie, tlius ensuring the co operation of the former, seize food and clothing from the large establishments, at the same time destroying books and documents in order to prevent the owners making claims for compensation. They will also burn deeds of property, bonds, bills, &c, thus leaving no record of any'person for State property. . Louise Michel went to deliver a lecture at Ghent on the 10th, Upon entering the hall she was hissed, hooted, and struck on the head with table-legs. She was removed by friends. The meeting dispersed. . ' - Revolutionary placards of Communistic origin are being posted all over Paris, and explosive materials are frequently discovered. Placards threatening General MacMahon's life have been placed on his residence. The Paris workmen commenced on the 31st to boycott firms and employers who refused to raise the wages of workmen. Opposition to landlords was shown by posting placards giving minute details how their houses could be burned down or blown up. The placards bore internal evidence of having been preparod by educated Revolutionists. The Powers have refused the: British' Government the privilege to establish coal depots in Afin, province sf Yemen, *Ghina. ■ UK terrible conflagration took place at Oleriburg, "Finland, on November 3rd. Enormous losses resulted, stores, hotels, &c. being destroyed. According to a dispatch received in London on November 3rd, the Kingof Corea has issued an edict declaring that tho disorders in his dominion are evidently due to his own maladministration of Government affairs, and therefore orders all insurgents captured to be released. He wants to make himself solid with his people in order to resist the attempts of China or Japan at annexation.