GABLEGEAMS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8793, 1 May 1890, Page 2

GABLEGEAMS.

BK.ITISH AND FOE.EJGN

[By Klbotkic Telegraph.—Copyright.] (Per Pkess Association.)

COMMERCIAL.

London, April 29,

(Received April 30, at 8 p.m.) Silver is quoted at 3s lid. The New Zealand cheese ex steamer Duke of Westminster is quoted 45s to 48s.

Tallow.—Mutton, 24s Gd to 255; beef, 23s (id to 2-is.

Hides, 3^d to Hd per lb. THE BAPTIST UNION.

Colonel Griffin has been appointed presi-dent-elect of the Baptist Union.

DEFENCE OF KING GEORGE'S SOUND.

Major Clarke, Secretary of the Colonial Defence Committee of the War Office, considers that ie would cost £50,000 to fortify King George's Sound, and it would bo required to be garrisoned by 1000 men in time of war. He thinks it would be better to leave the sound defenceless than for England to bear the whole of the cost.

WESTERN' AUSTRALIA.

Before the committee on the Western Australia Enabling Bill to-day, Sir William Robinson advocated that West Australia should have control of all lands until the new colony is established.

The English Church Union has unanimously condemned the Victorian Divorou Bill, and passed a, resolution expressing sympathy with the clsrgy,

A NISW LICENSING BILL.

April 30.

(Recelvod May 1, at 1.15 a.m.) In the House of Commons, the Licensing Hll introduced by Lord Randolph Churchill las been read a first time.

OBITUARY. The death is aunounCed of Lord Hammond, aged 88.

DEATH OF A GREAT HORSE,

Hermit, tho well-known thoroughbred stallion, is dead.

EMPEROR WILLIAM.

Emperor William of Germany will pay a visit to Queen Victoria in the autumn.

SALVAGE Ol' 1 WRECKED VESSELS. Paris, April 29,

(Received April 30, at 8 p.m.)

Lord Lytton, British Ambassador at Paris, has notified the French Government that England desires the regulation of October 1889 relative to salvage of wrecked vessels made applicable to Queensland.

(Special to Pbess Association.) FEDERATION. London, April 29. (Received April 36. at 12.15 p.m.)

The Duko of Cambridge will preside at a meeting of Australian colonists and merchants which is to be held in the People's Palace next month to consider resolutions in support of. colonial federation.

Speaking on federation, Karl Rosebery said that England should not approach the colonies in the attitude of beggars, and that it was impossible to force federation on them. He hoped, however, that in the end federation would bo brought about, and that it would be a prelude to the union of all English-speaking races.

THE IRISH LAND PURCHASE BILL.

Mr John Dillon has resumed the debate on the Irish Land Purchase Bill.

In his speech in the House of Commons, Mr Chamberlain said that Mr Parnell's Irish land scheme could be worked concurrently with the proposals contained in the Irish Land Purchase Bill. He trusted that the Government would undertake the task of ultimately placing the control of land purchase in Ireland in the hands of the county councils.

Sir Vernon Harcourfc said he would oppose Mr Parnell's scheme.

The debate was adjourned. GENERAL ITEMS,

England and America are insisting upon Portugal referring the Delagoa railway dispute to arbitration.

Portugal is following the example set by England, and is building gunboats suitable for the navigation of the Shire and Zambesi rivers.

The order committing Schmidt, who is alleged to have betrayed the plans of the fortresses in Oronstadt, to penal servitude in Siberia has been countermanded, and he was shot. It is ascertained that he secretly divulged Russia's scheme for mobilising her troops in event of war with Austria,

Over 100 meetings have been held in Bengal at which resolutions were passed supporting Mr Bradlaugh's Indian reform scheme as opposed to that of Viscount Cross, Secretary of State for India.

The Russian press is commenting on the danger which would accrue to the Russian Empire through China throwing in ber lot with England and lending her assistance in the case of an outbreak of war.

An agrarian agitation has broken out in Galicia.

O'Donovan Rossa has been found guilty of criminal libel on Patrick Cassidy, but the jury recommended him to mercy.

Germany has offered a protest to the projected conversion of the Turkish debt.

Prince Bismarck will shortly leave on a visit to Scotland.

The Rev. James Owen, of Swansea, has been elected president of the Baptist Union.

Emperor William is at present on a visit to Eisenach, in Central Germany.

Virtually the whole of the Victorian loan is paying under discount.

Mr Raikes, Postmaster-general, has informed the Agents-general that the rates on pattern parcels to the colonies will be reduced in May.

In giving evidence before the Colonising Committee, Mr E. N. C. Braddon, Agentgeneral for.Tasmania, stated that the colony was not opposed to receiving immigrants. Lord Knutsford has cabled to the Western Australian Government not to sell land near King George's Sound and East Albany, pending the decision of the Imperial Government on the question of colonial defences.

Baron de Worms informed the Western Australian Enabling Committee that it had "256 been decided to delay the defence works at King George's Sound, but colonists would have to defray the cost of armaments.

Unless Slavin succeeds in making a match, he will return to Australia.

The fight between Peter Jackson and J. L. Sullivan for 15,000d0l takes place in San Francisco on June 3rd.