Mail News.

Otago Witness, Issue 1462, 22 November 1879, Page 12

Mail News.

THE SAN FBANCISOO MAIL.

(Per Press Association Special Wire.)

GENERAL SUMMARY.

Auckland, November 19th. A meeting of delegates from all counties and several boroughs in Ireland was held at Dublin on October 28th. It was organised by the Irish Land League for the reduction of back rents,' and to facilitate the transfer of ownership, so as to cultivate. Mr Parnell was appointed president. The meeting repudiated the charge of terrorism, deploring the fact that threatening notices had been issued. The Land League will defend tenants threatened with execution. Maj or O'Gorman wrote to the effect that the Irish had more cause for violence than the French in 1789. Count Munster, German ambassador at London, had several interviews with the Marquis of Salisbury, explaining the political situation on the Continent. England is strongly favourable to the AustroGermanic alliance, and Bismarck is anxious that England should join. The shipwrights at Grunstey, England, struck against the resolution of the employers to extend the working time from 54 to 58| honrs weekly. Sir Francis Wyatt Trustcott was elected Lord Mayor of London, Lord Derby will join the Libsral party shortly. The time system will be continued by the Oldham millowners for another month. A boiler explosion at Halifax, England, killed three persons. The Cyf or tha ironworks, the largest in Wales, are about to be reopened. Seven persons were killed in the hoisting works at the Alexandra colliery, Lancashire. The Empress Eugenic intends to sail in February for Africa, to pray on the Bpot where the Prince Imperial fell. Dion Boucicault is ill with paralysis. The month's failures are :— Jas. Barbour, Son, and Co., bankers and merchants, London ; liabilities, L 50.000. Hall and, Co., Polesworth collieries ; L 20.000. W. T. Tomlinson, cottonbroker, Liverpool. An official dispatch from Gologhat, India, announces that the British Deputy-Commis-sioner at Naga Hills was murdered by Muzima Negas. This trouble is on the frontier of Assam. General Roberts on neanng Cabul made a speech, intimating that the military government associated with him an Afghan nobleman. General Roberts and staff vfeited the British Residency. The greater part was standing, though completely looted. Search was made for the bodies of Major Cavagnari and Dr Kelly, but they have not yet been found. Major Cavagnari's visiting diary was found at the Ameer's palace. TheGovernor-Generaloflndiahas transmitted a plan for the future government of Afghanistan to the Home Government, which was considered in Cabinet and highly thought of. It contemplates placing the Ameer in a similar relation to the India Government as Neezan now occupies; that the Queen's army will be. officered exclusively by British. A large military force would also occupy the country. The Ameer will be guided entirely by British Residents. Schouvaloff proposed to the Marquw of Salisbury that Russia shall have jurisdiction over Western Afghanistan,, while England takes possession of the eastern part as far as Hindoo Eoosh. Lord Salisbury declined this in most emphatic terms, saying England would not allow Russia to meddle in any way whatever in the matter. He said the future of Afganistan has to be settled by England exclusively. Bchouvaloff persisted in advocating the plans suggested by his Government, and, seeing Lord Salisbury was stubborn proposed various other Elans of settling the Central Asiatic difficulty, ut Lord Salisbury refused to consider his propositions. . „,,., It is rumoured that England has obtained assurances from Persia that in the event of war between England and Russia the Shah will not support the latter. The failure of Russia to conquer the Turkomans lying between them and Merv haa induced the Shah to give a pledge of fealty to England. m „ The Russian advance against Tekke was checked by the Turkomans. General Lomakin retreated to the west of Renema, and General Tirgukasoff, who bad concentrated a large force, abandoned his efforts to make Grok Tepe the base of bis operations. He will ' winter between Tchekeslar and Dazalum, and will begin the new campaign in spring. , A fire at Saveranka destroyed the great bazaar, seven caravans, and 80 shops. The Committee of the Russian Volunteer fleet gave an order for a new cruiser to be constructed at a cost of LIOO,OOO. Five million roubles were assigned by the Russian Government for improving the harbours of the Baltic ports to facilitate the import of grain from England, Turkey, and the East. As a favour to Russia, the new Turkish Cabinet have called the troops from the Roumelian frontier. Five thousand soldiers were despatched from Constantinople for Tipirius, in consequence of the threatening attitude of Greece. The administration in Eastern Roumelia is almost chaotic. Self-constituted, semi-secret committees have often more power than the regularly-constituted authorities. The Dnfce of Wurtemburg^ commanding the army of occupation in Bosnia, requested the troops to quell the revolution which is spreading in Herzegovina. The Christians refuse to pay rent to the Mahomedan landlords in Herzegovina, and threaten to shoot them if they attempt to collect it. They obtain arms and money from Montenegro. In the revolt at Nevinga, Herzegovina, the' Austrians lost 400 killed and wounded.^ The insurgents are entrenched in the mountains. The Jewish question in Roumania is nearly solved. ' Jews who served in the army will be naturalised in a body. Othera must apply individually for naturalisation. There are grave misapprehensions of serious disturbances during the coming winter in Constantinople. Robbery and mnrder are on the increase.

Notwithstanding that the Sultan has ordered the disbanding of 90,000 troops, placards are posted inciting the people to revolt. The situation in Syria is alarming. The Arabs have joined bands in opposing Midbat Pasha's reforms. Forty battalions of regular horse have been sent to maintain order.

Sir A. H. Layard and M. Dugurnier, British and French ambassadors, have lodged protests against the Porte'a policy of farming the Customs.

The protocol of the Treaty of Berlinhas been accepted by Greece and Turkey, on the basis of negotiating the boundary of their respective States. The Sepoys' barracks at the British Residency in Mandalay bays been destroyed. They were unoccupied,

Spain has negotiated a temporary loan in Paris for the purposs of, freeing the Cuba Customs from any liability for war charges, thereby enabling the administration of the island to carry out reforms. One English railroad company has sold, for American account, 30,000 tons of old iron rails at L 4 per ton — about the price of new rails two months ago. In consequence of the outrages of roving bands of Ribbonmen in Ireland, the Government have ordered two squadrons of cavalry and one company of infantry to be stationed at Ballinrobe and Castlebar. The Duke of Beaufort advises English farmers to raise cattle, as they cannot compete with the Americans in growing i grain. China is preparing for war with Japan. Tho British Resident at Mandalay and his escort of Madras Guards walked unmolested to tho steamer through the main streets of the city on October Btb, and embarked. The Burmese officials sent all his luggage on board.

Mr Mapleson is reported to have been engaged for a season of Italian opera in Australia. A portion of his company will leave at the close of the winter term. It is stated that 30,000 dollars has already been paid as the forfeit money in case of the non-fulfi-ment of the contract by the Australian managers. The Head Constable of Liverpool has issued a notice, warning all proselytes to Morinonism contemplating emigration to America that they wonld subject themselves to fine and imprisonment through the practice of polygamy. Large numbers of converts are leaving England for Salt Lake.

The Comte de Paris writes to the Cointe de Chambord that he adheres to the statement that he recognises the latter as the head of the House of Orleans.

Earth< uakes have been of frequent occurrence n Southern Hungary and Austria. Russia demands satisfaction for the insult to the Consul General at Salonica. Lord Salisbury, at Manchester, favoured the appointment of a Minister of Commerce. He thought that the United States would yet adopt Free Trade as the policy of the country. He condemned the Canadian protective tariff. The Italian Government's attention has been called to the fact that an association of foreigners are acquiring the control of Italian newspapers by purchase, and are seeking to obtain the control of the Telegraphic Agency. The dangerous monopoly thus evidently contemplated will probably be prevented. The Pope contributes 6000 francs to the Spanish Flood Relief Fund. General Cialdini, the Italian ambassador to France, has resigned. The Prussian Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs has been forced to resign owing to an attempt to introduce religion into the schools.

The Russian journals have taken great umbrage at Lord Salisbury's speech. iThey fix the capture of Merv to take place in 1880. The Standard Insurance Company of New Zealand loses LIOOO on the missing ship Naturalißt, from Calcutta for San Francisco. In order to retain only a small part of Kuldja, Russia has undertaken to protect the Chinese merchantmen against the Japanese men-of-war in any war that may break out between those two countries.

Kossuth cays that a Franco-Russian alliance is inevitable. Germany would then have her hands full on the Rhine, and the whole of Prussia left to bear the brunt of a Sclav onslaught. Some Nihilists were captured, after a sharp resistance, near Kief. During October, 500 tenants of the Marquis of Sligo and Earl Lugan, near Westport, County Mayo, solemnly pledged themselves not to pay rent until a reduction was made proportionate to the great fall in prices of agricultural produce. Notice has been posted at Warren Point, County Down, that any man coming to the country and agreeing to pay more than a pound per acre for rent should bring his coffin with him.

An expedition to explore the old channel of the Oxus has been abandoned, owing to insurmountable natural difficulties.

The situation in Syria is alarming. The Arabs have joined the Kurds in opposing Midhat Pasha's reforms, and 40 battalions of regular horse have been sent to maintain order.

The French Bourse has been affected by the statement af the Berlin Tagblatt that the accession of the Radicals in France to power certainly does not mean peace. Terrible floods have occurred in the provinces of Andalusia, Alicante, and Murcia, in Spain. It is believed that 200 lives have been lost. The total damage is estimated at 60,000,000 francs. 3500 houses and 1200 mills have been destroyed. During the interview with Count Andrassy an Austro - Germanic defensive treaty was signed by the two Emperors in the middle of October.

Famine is inevitable over a large area of Hungary, and some deaths from famine are reported. New taxes on petroleum and sugar are being proposed in Hungary. Government must distribute seed among the people to ensure their having crops planted next season. The Austro-Hungariau army is fixed at 800,000 men next year. The Hungarian Government have submitted a statement to the Legislature that, when the present military system is completed, Italy will have 2,000,000 soldiers ; France, in 1882, will have 2,713,000, and now has 1,815,000 j and Russia possesses 2.389,000, while Austro-Hun-gary has only. 194,000. A waterapout in the canton of Freibourg, Switzerland, swept away the railroad and bridges.