BRITISH AND FOREIGN. (Reuter's Telegrams.)

Otago Witness, Issue 1874, 21 October 1887, Page 13

BRITISH AND FOREIGN. (Reuter's Telegrams.)

London, October 12. Intelligence has been received here of the death of Lady Brassey on September 14, on board her yacht, the Sunbeam. The cause of death is stated to have been fever, which was contracted while on the Australian coast. Her remains were buried at sea. The Agents-general for the various colonies visited the Albert Dock to-day for the purpose of inspecting the working of the electric tramcar and electric launch. The party were afterwards entertained at luncheon, Mr Adye Douglas, Agentgeneral for Tasmania, made a speech, in the course of which he said electricity had a great future before it in the colonies, and he hoped its application -would aid in bringing them closer together. The death is announced of J. Ford ham, the well-known jockey. October 13. Sreadstuffs and tallow are unchanged in value. October 1(5. The death is announced, at the age of 61, I of Mrs Craik (Miss Mulock), authoress of "John Halifax, Gentleman," and other novels. The Admiralty have decided to replace H.MS. Undine by new gunboats of the Battler type, and have issued orders to H.M.S. Harrier and Kattlesnake to prepare to join the Australian squadron. The total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom is 1,5(50,000 quarters, and for the Continent 197,000 quarters. Adelaide wheat (ex store) is unchanged at 33s 6d ; New Zealand is at from 30s to 335, according to quality. Adelaide flour remains at 235. Australian tallow : Average quality is unchanged at 22s 6d for beef, and 23s 6d for j mutton. New Zealand frozen mutton, of good quality, is quoted at 4d per lb. October 17. There is no quotable change in the values of colonial breadstuffs or tallow. Constantinople, October IG. The negotiations between the Eussian and Turkish Governments relative to a settleI ment of the Bulgarian difficulty appear to be collapsing, the Porte declining to take the initiative in dealing with the matter. ! Paris, October 13. The charge of selling the military decorations preferred against General Caffarel, As-sistant-secretary to the War department, has been fully investigated by the Military Council, with the result that that officer has been called upon to retire. General Boulanger having asserted that the Government j aimed at him iv arraigning General Caffarel, M. Ferron, Minister for War, has ordered General Boulanger to explain the statement. October 16. Qeneral Boulanger* has admitted making the statement imputed to him regarding the action of the Government in arraigning General Caffarel. M. Feron, Minister of I War, in consequence has placed General i Boulanger under close arrest for one month. I The question of depriving him of his commacd will be considered by the Cabinet later on. Copenhagen, October 16. Their Eoyal Highnesses the Princesses Maud and Louise of Wales, who are on a visit to the King of Denmark, have been attacked by measles. October 17. Princess Victoria of Wales, who, in company with her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales and Princesses Louise and Maude, is on a visit to the King of Denmark, has been attacked by measles. Rome, October 16. The first Italian expedition designed for service at Massowah sails early in November. In consequence of the increased hostile preparations by Abyssinia, it has been decided to despatch a second expedition to Massowah, and accordingly 6000 troops have received orders to prepare to follow shortly. Berlin, October 13. The Emperor William has sent a contribution of 10,000 marks to the fund for the relief of the sufferers by cholera in Sicily. San Francisco, October 13. The United States corvette Adams has been ordered to proceed to Samoa. (Special to Press Association.) London, October 12. It is reported that Ayoub Khan has been killed. M. De Lesseps is ill. General Banblan, who is implicated in the War Office scandal, has disappeared, and it is supposed that he has committed suicide. Several society ladies have been arrested j on suspicion of being concerned in the scandal. Three hundred Russian subjects, disguised as merchants, have entered Herat, and the Governor has in consequence taken precautionary measures. October 13. The plant for tho electric railway on the North Shore at Sydney has been shipped in ! the steamer Massilia. ! The Scottish Australian Mining Company have declared a dividend of 174 per oent. Lady Brassey was suffering from malarial fever, which attacked her on the voyage between Port Darwin and Mauritius. The English press deplore her death. Prince Voronzoft" writes to the Vienna press that war between Germany and Russia is inevitable. The Montreal Gazette warns England that the feeling in Canada regarding the fisheries dispute resembles the resentment made by Australia to Lord Derby's lukewarmness concerning New Guinea, It is reported that the Crown Prince of Germany has had a relapse, and that hi 3 throat is seriously worse. The Cromwell (Otago) Gold Mining Company has been registered, with a capital of £25,000 (sic). The Times states that President Grevy is , annoyed at the attacks on M. Wilson, his son-in-law, and may possibly resign. Messrs Reid and Baird have sold to a syndicate the Monte Christo and Norton mines at Cooktown for £85,000, They have also registered the Queensport Brick, and '

! Tile Company, Brisbane, with a capital \ of £20,000. ' A coroner's jury have found 11 bailiffs and I Captain Hamilton, a land agent, guilty of the murder of Kinsella, who was shot in the eviction riot in Wexford. It is expected that the Crown will enter a nolle jwosequi in this and the Mitchellstown case. Many inquiries are being made as to the conditions on which farmers and others may settle on the Chaffey Bros.' estate. The estate comprises some 250,000 acres in the vicinity of the Murray, and has been granted to the Messrs Chaffey by the Victorian Government for irrigation purposes ; the licensees on their part undertaking to expend £300,000 in 20 years on irrigation works, agriculture, horticulture, and the establishment of a fruit preserving industry. October 16. The search made for the gunboat Wasp, which is supposed to have been lost on the homeward voyage from Singapore, has proved fruitless. [The Wasp is a composite gunboat of 670 tons and 1000-horse power. She was commissioued at Sheeruess, ou the 21st April last, for service on the China station. The following were her principal officera : — Lieutenant and commander, Bryer J. H. Adamson ; sublieutenants, Alexauder W. Atkinson and the Hon. W. O. D. Forteacue; surgeon, Thomas Nunan, M.D. ; assistant paymaster-in-charge, Newton H. Greenwood ; engineer, Henry Attwool; gunner, George F. Hodges.] The Globe states that the Australian auxiliary fleet will consist of the Archer, Brisk, Cossack, Amphion, and Lizard, all new vessels, the three firstnamed being torpedo cruisers. In addition to these, two fast cruisers and four smaller vessels will be kept as a reserve for Australia. Docks and j a ship-yard will be erected at Sydney, and the necessary machinery and appliances have already been ordered. ; The Congo State is about to send an ex- : pedition to reconquer Stanley Falls, which are now in the hands of Arab slavers. j The sleepers on the Arkansas railway have ' been wilfully tampered with, with a view to | wrecking the train carrying President Cleve- j land and his wife. The attempt was discovered in time. The Times says that the result of the Bulgarian elections has provoked the Czar, who has threatened to renounce the Berlin Treaty. The Economist states that German trading enterprises in Australia are remarkable, and the German Colonial Bank which is projected is amply warranted. Prince Bismarck is assisting largely in establishing the bank. The Chronicle states that the Crown Prince of Germany is in a precarious condition, and Dr Morell Mackenzie's experiments have been unsuccessful. The Prince refuses to snbmit to further operations. The report of the Bank of South Australia states that the declining value of money has slackened the demand in the colonies, and the directors are not sanguine of any immediate improvement. The reserve fund has not been increased. Mrs Anderson, an Australian soprano, has appeared, at Brussels, where she created a furore. The Treasury agrefes to pay a subsidy of £90,000 on the Australian mails, and asks Australia to contribute £80,000. October 17. The Morning Post states on good authority that General Boulanger is strongly supported in the Chamber of Deputies and in the army, and is aiming at immediate war with Germany. The Morning Post protests against the apathy of the Imperial Government in accepting the B'rench excuses for remaining in possession of the New Hebrides. Mr Richard Berriedge, a brewer, has bequeathed £200,000 in aid of education in Great Britain. Parleying over the Bounties Conference is almost completed. It is rumoured that Arabi Pasha will shortly return to Egypt. Sir John Lawes' estimate of the harvest supplies is that nearly 8,000,000 quarters are available for food, and that consumers will require 18,500,000 quarters additional. The departure of the Czar from Copenhagen is delayed by measles in his family. Teemer has challenged Bubear to row on the Thames in January for £200 a-side. The Duchess of Cumberland (Princess Thyra of Denmark) has recovered from her attack of dementia. The Pope has appointed a commission of four cardinals to arrange a modus Vivendi for | restoring the temporal power of the Pontiff. Spain, France, Portugal, Austria, and Germany have been appealed to on the question, but decline to express an opinion at present. October 18. M. Flourens, French Minister of Foreign Affairs, has suggested to the Spanish Government that Morocco should be placed under the joint control of France and Spain. The Spanish Government is indisposed to accept the suggestion. The Sultan, fearing a German approach on Tripoli, has promised Tripoli and Italy that he will send strong reinforcements there. It is hoped that the incessant attacks made on M. Wilson will compel President Grevy to resign. The Times considers that the application by Western Australia for responsible government is premature, and that that colony must show greater capacity and energy in developing the resources of the country before obtaining complete control of the colony. Dr M. Mackenzie is of opinion that there is nothing to justify alarm in the conditi' n of the Crown Prince of Germany. The Government are preparing a wide scheme of coast defence for Great Britain.