Cablegrams.

Otago Witness, Issue 1417, 18 January 1879, Page 17

Cablegrams.

[Reuter's Special.]

London, January 4fch. A gun on board H.M. Thunderer, ironclad, burst, disabling the turret, aud killing and wounding 40 men. The new South Australian loan tenders have been opened. Tho prices range from 88 to 90. A proposal to take the whole at the minimum was declined. January sbh. Wra. Tweedie and Co., bankers, Truro, January 7 th. have suspended payment, consequent on the bank run. Their liabilities are unknown. The Truro Bank suspension has renewed the uneasy feeling. The liabilities are £500,000. January 15th. New Zealand. Five per Cent. Debentures, 100. The November mail has been delivered. Adelaide wheat is a shilling lower. The total quantity afloat is a million and a-half quarters. A telegram has been received that the Loch Suarfc, on her return voyage from Melbourne, was wrecked on the coast off Belfast, Ireland. Thomas Pearce, the Loch Ard survivsr, was on board. M. Fourten, the French Minister of War, has resigned. General Crechy will succeed. The Frenchman, Madden, who threatened to shoot the Queen, is detained at Broadmer prison. j The distress of the operatives in the manufacturing districts is increasing. , (Reuter's Special to the Press Association. ) London, January 3rd. Money is in less demand, and the rate is dropping. The market rate for three months' bills is 5 per cent, for large amounts. # ' Foreign gold has been taken into the bank, and the reserve increased by nearly a million. The stock market ia buoyant. Consols, 95J. Colonial Government debentures are quiet. The South Australian loan is fully Bubscribed. The number of tenders lodged Jis 300, and the average price tendered £8S 53. Bank dividends were generally small last year. The corn market has a downward ten. dency. Adelaide wheat is neglected, and selling according to quality, from 39s to 50s; New Zealand, according to quality, from 41s to 455. January 6th, New Zealand fives are at 99. January 6th. Ellison, for the Avoca gold robbery, was discharged, the law officers holding that the Victorian Government had not exclusive jurisdiction for an offence on the high seas, and that Weiberg's evidence was inadequate. It is not intended to re-arrest Ellison. The Macedonian insurrection has been crushed. The Turkish troops, it is said, committed frightful atrocities. January 7th., Mr Forster, at Bradford, made a severe attack on the foreign policy of the Government. He hoped the nexb general election would condemn the Imperialist policy, which might lead to war throughout the world. General Biddulph. has advanced without interruption within three days' march of Candahar, where the enemy is expected to make a stand. January Bth.. The Premier has had a severe attack of the gout. The depression in trade is causing' a general movement for reduction of wages, and numerous strikes. Fifteen hundred goods-guards and shunters on the Midland railway have struck. The Earl of Beaconsfield is progressing favourably. January 9th. The proposal to reduce the wages of the Yorkshire colliers resulted in a strike. 7000 men are out of work, and have stopped the manufactories. The railway iron engineers, to the number of 2000, also struck against the proposal to extend the hours of work without extra pay. The whole of the London trades organisations assist the Unionists, and a special fund is being raised to assist the strikers. The British garrison at Peiwur Pass is threatened with a raid by the hill tribes, and urgently demand help. General Roberts' division arrived at Matsum, and is advancing to Oabul. There has been an outbreak of plague at Astrachan, and the Russian authorities are endeavoring to localise it. The statement that the Ameer entered Russia unattended is authentic. January 10th. There are innumerable intending exhibitors at the Sydney International Exhibition. The differences between the miners and coal owners are increasing. The trade returns for December show, in' imports a decrease of five and a-half millions, and in exports one and a-half million, as compared with 1577. The Earl of Beaconsaeld's health is completely restored. January 11th. Money is plentiful, with slack discount demand. The bank minimum is unchanged. The market rate for three-months' bills is 4 per cent. The bank reserve is steadily increasing ; there is now over ten and a-half millions, and the Bank has advanced the Government three and a-half millions. The stock market is steady. Consols are rising, and are now 95§. The market for Australian securities is remarkably firm. Corn market unchanged. The Ameer received sympathetic hospitality from Russia in Turkestan. The Russian Budget proposes increased taxat'on to equalise the revenue and expenditure, The Grand Vizier of Turkey proposes to reduce the army to a minimum, and to decentralise the provinces. Russian commissioners have been appointed to consider means for reducing the public expenditure. January 13th, The Times Bays it has reason to believe

that Yakoob has been officially informed by" the Indian Government of the conditions of peacf, which are such as he can honourably accept. The Midland Institute, Birmingham, containing the largest Shakespeare library in the world, has been totally destroyed by fire. The official inquiry into the Thunderer catastrophe decided that the explosion was due to a defective well. January 12fch. General Roberts on the Bth attacked the Afghan irregulars, and after a severe and protracted contest, the Afghans were defeated with a loss of 500 killed. Numerous prisoners, herds of cattle, and quantities of grain were taken. Marshal Espatero, the Spanish statesman, is dead. Berlin, January 9th. A bill has been introduced by Prince Bismarck in the Federal Council with the object of the suppression of Socialism, which has been condemned by the Port. Paris, January stb. The French Senatorial elections are a great Republican triumph, the result being 15 Conservatives and 64 Republicans. Bombay, January 10th. General A. Roberts successfully attacked, and completely defeated, the Afghans at Khost in great numbers with considerable losa. The British lo3S was slight. Salutary effects are expected. January 11th. A powerful tribe of Morjg >ls have assumed a threatening attitude. General Roberts consequently decided toreburnto Kuruhui[?j to concentrate the forces. The Sirdars of Cabul have written to Major Caragnari in friendly terms. Later advices state Afzul Kahn, commanding the Afghan? at Kahda, has disbanded his army, and lef c the province. General Donald Stuart was within ona day's march of Candahar on the Bth. On the 12th the Deputy.Governor of Can« dahar tendered complete submission to the British, and now awaits the arrival of General Stuart and Biddulph forces to sur« render the city. Candahar was formally entered on the 9th. The leading officials and troops at Canda* har fled to Herat. January 13th. General Donald Stuart and his forces marched through Candahar unopposed. January 11th. It issemi-officially stated that the late Ameer is now in Turkestan, and that he will receive the sympathetic hospitality of Russia j but the idea of Russian mediation on hia be« half is illusionary. January 12th. The official inquiry into the cause of tho explosion on board of H.M.S. Thunderer at Port Ismid finds that it is attributable to imperfect loading. January 13th. The excitement amongst the natives caused by General Roberts' victory is subsiding. General Roberts has decided to garrison the fortress of Khost, and to prevision it for two months. Cape Town, January sth. The frontier disputes at the Cape have been settled in favour of the Zulus. (Special to the Evening- Star.) London, January 7th. The British troops are within three marches of Caudahar.