BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1911, 6 July 1888, Page 9

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

(Pee Peess Association.)

London, June 27. The English wheat market shows a general decline of 6d. - Leather, 9^d. " New Zealand hemp, £24 10s to £24 15s. Two cargoes of Australian wheat have been sold at 32s 9d.

At the wool sales to-day 14,000 bales were catalogued. Prices were generally unchanged, though crossbreds show a firmer tendency.

June 28.

In the House of Commons, despite the strong advocacy given to the scheme by Mr Gladstone, the Channel Tunnel Bill was rejected by a majority of 142.

The Education Commission have made their report, and recommend that encouragement should be given to the voluntary school system, and that religions and moral education should be developed.

At the wool sales to-day the bidding was steady, superior sorts being very firm. June 29. At the wool sales to-day 12,000 bales were catalogued.

An Australian wheat cargo has been sold at 32s 3d.'

The total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom is 2,540,000 quarters, and for the Continent 600,000.

In the House of Commons last night Baron de Worms announced that the Government of New Zealand had agreed to join the Sugar Bounty Convention.

Sir F. Dillon Bell has suggested that an Australian Plenipotentiary should visit Pekin to arrange an amicable settlement of the Chinese difficulty, after an agreement shall have been arrived at between the colonies and the Imperial Government on the subject. It is understood that the suggestion has been very favourably received in official circles.

The Times has served a notice on Lord Hartington calling upon him to produce all papers with reference to the National League for the purpose of defending the O'Donnell libel action.

In the House of Lords, Lord Herschel stated he was quite willing to propose a new clause to his Liability of Trustees Bill providing that trustees should be permitted to invest funds in colonial & per cents, when the price of stock had reached 105, and in 3 and 3£ per cents, when an equivalent rate is reached.

It is stated that the Panama Canal lottery has proved a failure, and that only half the bonds were taken up.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has stopped the prosecution of t!ie Bishop of Lincoln, who had been accused of Ritualism.

Two thousand pilot,', and harbour officials have sent a memorul to the Queen, and offered their services to keep an outlook on the seaboard in the event of war. The Queen replied thanking them for their kind offer, which would lie taken advantage of should hostilities break out.

Disturbances have broken out at Corea, and marines from French, Russian, Japanese, and American warships are guarding their respective consuls at Seoul.

Owing to the monsoon rains in India being overdue, it is feared that the rice crop will be wholly ruined. The outlook is considered to be very serious. ;

i Paeis, June 28. It is announced that a syndicate will take up the balance of the Panama Canal loan. June 29. A panic has set in in Panama Canal shares owing to the reported failure of the loan.

A smart cavalry skirmish took place on the outskirts of this city this morning, in which the Mahdi's principal Emir was killed.

Berlin, June 27. Emperor William, in the course of a speech at the opening o£ the Diet, has promised religious toleration to all, and that peace should be preserved with the Catholic Church. He also expressed a hope that taxation would be lightened to the poorer classes. The Czar has written a warm letter to the Emperor expressive of thorough personal friendship. It is stated that the Itmperor will proceed in the Royal yacht to St. Petersburg about the middle of July, where ho will be entertained by the Czar, and great fctex will be held in honour of his visit. It is also expected he will shortly visit Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria, and the King of Italy.

Calcutta, June 27. The crops in Northern India are seriously affected by the long droughts.