BRITISH AND FOREIGN. (Per Press Association.) London, April 2.

Otago Witness, Issue 1989, 10 April 1890, Page 13

BRITISH AND FOREIGN. (Per Press Association.) London, April 2.

The quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom is 2,600.000 quarters ; for the Continent, 668,000 quarters. The amount of visible American supply is estimated at 27,104,000 bushels. Sir Charles Dilke, in an article contributed to the United Service Magazine, advocates that the colonies should be represented on the general military staff, and asserts that this alone will solve the problem of Imperial defence. Sir Charles Halle, the eminent pianist, who leaves shortly for Australia, was ac- * corded an immense farewell reception. Prince Bismarck's birthday has been made the occasion of universal rejoicing in Germany. A national address will be presented to him. Emperor William has abolished the system of passports in Alsace. A European congress will be summoned to consider the best means of giving effect to those decisions of the Labour Conference which were passed unanimously. The city press predict beneficial results from the conference at Berlin, and give the German Emperor every praise for initiating it. The Pope has given his approval to the marriage of Princess Stephanie, widow of the late Archduke Rudolph of Austria, and the Archduke Francis. The number of deaths caused at Louisville, United States, by the cyclone is returned as 93, besides 150 injured. The floods are spreading. The announcement of a deficit in the Victorian railway revenue has depressed that colony's stocks to the extent of £ per cent. The firm of Gibbs and Son have recovered £40,000 from the Societe dcs Metaux for breach of contract in connection with copper contracts.

April 3. The Daily Chronicle states that an attempt was made on the life of the Czar, and was partially successful. It adds that it is not known whether he was poisoned or wounded. It is reported that his Majesty is now suffering from fainting fits. Mr R. Richardson Gardner, M.P. for Windsor, having resigned, Mr Barry, a Conservative, has been elected to fill the vacancy by a majority of 550 over Mr Greenfell, the Home Rule candidate. Mr Gardner was returned unopposed at the last general election. The new steamer of the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand, the Mamari, has made a trial trip, and attained a speed of nearly 15 knots. Stanley is of opinion that Emm Pasha ■will only act within the sphere of German influence, and that his action will not injure the British East Africa Company. Hides are in poor demand and in buyers favour. The New Zealand hemp market is depressed. Fair quality, £22; ordinary, £18. Money is plentiful, and the prospect of floating loans favourable, providing the amount placed is not too large. New Zealand mutton, 4|d per lb ; lamb, 7d; Sydney mutton, 4£d; New Zealand beef,

4£d. New Zealand 3£ per cent, stock, 98|. The Marquis of Normanby died at Brighton last evening. Normanby (the Marquis of), the Most NobH George Augustus Constantino Phipps, only son oe the first Marquis, born July '23, 1819, entered thr Scots Fusilier Guards in 1838, and was Controllee and subsequently Treasurer of the Queen's Household from 1853 till 1858, when he was appointed Governor of Nova Scotia, As Lord Mulgrave, he was member for Scarborough in the Liberal interest from 1847 till 1851, and from 1853 till 1857. He was sworn a Privy Councillor in 1851, and succeeded to his father's title July 28, 1863, when he resigned his foreign and returned to England. He was appointed Captain of the corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms, December 17, 1869, and held that office till April 8,1871, when, he was nominated Governor of Queensland, He succeeded Sir James Fergusson as Governor of New Zealand in 1874. In December 1878 he succeeded Sir G. F. fiowen as Governor of Victoria, and was in turn succeeded by Sir H. B. Loon.

April 4. A syndicate, including Messrs Antony, Gibbs, and Son, has offered £7,500,000 for the Mount Morgan mine, in Queensland. The bootmakers, who demanded work in the factories instead of at home, have extended the time necessary to enlarge the shops before going out on strike. Earl Spencer, in speaking at Skipton, stigmatised the Irish Land Purchase Bill as costly, cumbrous, and unworkable. Lord Churchill has published a letter in the Morning Post, on the same subject, denouncing the bill. He says it is monstrous to force such a measure on an unwilling people, and he was certain the repayment of advances would be repudiated. The English press is indignant at Emm Pasha's behaviour in forestalling English plans. The racehorse Chicago, which ran out of form at Lincoln, is now in a satisfactory condition. The agitation against sweating is spreading. Lord Deerhurst's creditors have refused his offer, and demand 20s in the pound. The German Ambassador has left Sofia. The French Consul will attend to German interests. Baron de Caprivi, German Chancellor, is about to pay visits to the Premiers of Austria and Italy. Dom Pedro, the ex-Emperor of Brazil, has refused to accept the proceeds of a forced sale of his property. Stanley is expected to reach England on April 26tb. The Rev. James Fleming, of Whithorn, ScotlanJ, has been nominated Moderator of the United Presbyterian Synod. There has been a general decline of 3d in the English wheat market. The Continental wheat market is dull, and the American steady. Sellers are asking 35s 9d for Australian wheat (on passage), but buyers will not give more than Sis 3d. Tallow.— Best mutton, 24s 6d to 255 ; do beef, 245. It is reported that the younger of the two brothers Davies, who were sentenced to deith for the brutal murder of their father, will be reprieved. April 5. The Exeoutive has confirmed the sentence

of death passed on George Davies for the murder of his father. There is great movement on foot to obtain a reprieve for his elder brother, Richard, who also lies under sentence of death.

China has signed a convention admitting Englishmen to Chung Kiang and the Upper Yangtze. Cardoe, the explorer, has returned to Lisbon.

Russia insists that the indemnity should be a primary charge on the new Turkish loan.

The Novosti newspaper, published in St. Petersburg, considers that the resignation of Prince Bismarck has washed away the foundation of the triple alliance, and asserts that Austrii will shortly evacuate Bosnia and Herzegovina. The French Government has reopened negotiations in connection with the conversion of the Egyptian preference loan from 5 per cent, to 4 per cent., and will probably assent to its being done. Succi, an Italian faster, has subsisted for 18 days on water and painkiller, and is hopeful toendure the fasting for 40 days.

A British syndicate is arranging for a monopoly of the tobacco trade in Persia.

It is understood that Lord Carrington, Governor of New South Wales, is to be created an Earl.

The Economist asserts that the real estate of Victoria is unsaleable. In the course of a speech Sir T. Esmonde, one of the Irish delegates to the colonies, said that the Melbourne Argus and Age were the only two papers in Australia opposed to Home Rule for Ireland.

In his letter to the Morning Post on the Irish Land Purchase Bill, Lord Randolph Church deolares that if it passes into law it will involve a loss of £20,000,000, while the loss entailed under Ashbourne's Holdings Act 1888 would be only £9,000,000. He considered the security to be given unworthy of trust, and that the scheme of Mr Gladstone is much superior to the proposal under consideration.

Mr Stanley thinks Emm Pasha ungrateful for departing to Central Africa without returning thanks for what he (Stanley) had done for him. It is stated that the Khedive: also expressed disgust at Emm leaving' Zanzibar.

The estimates of the damage by the recent tornado and floods on the Mississippi have been overrated.

An order issued by Emperor William renders the middle class class eligible for the position of officers in the army, increases the army, prohibits luxury, and the promotion of offenders is stopped. It is reported that the Deutch Freissinige, or German Liberal party, are offering opposition to the proposed monument to commemorate the services rendered to the State by Prince Biemarok; Major Pinto, who was recently ordered to Loando, has left there for Lisbon.

France is.blockading the Dahomeyan coast to prevent the importation of munitions of war to the natives. New Zealand butter, 965.

Cheese : Best quality averages 48s. Mr Thomas Burt, M.P., and president of the Miners' National Union, has left on a visit to Baron Hirsch, oi Berlin. It is his intention to formulate a scheme for. the establishment of a grand fraternity of labour between the trades . unions in Britain and Germany. The Union Company's steamer Rotokino has been launched at Dumbarton.

April 6. It is. reported that Servia has been pacified, and a new Bulgarian envoy is being' appointed at Belgrade. Mr Shannon, an English tourist in Canada, who has been travelling in Canada, is missing* and he is believed to have been murdered.

Eichard Davies, the elder of the two brothers condemned to death for the murder of their father, will not be respited. Two thousand masters have conceded the bootmakers' demands.

Birchall, the Canadian murderer, has been identified as the impostor who, under the name of Lord Courfcenay, visited Sydney and Melbourne a short time ago.

April 7. English ship builders are not allowed to tender for the construction of Portuguese warships.

Mr O. T. Ritchie, "president of the Local Government Board, in reply to a memorial from tradesmen, states that it is impossible to start relief works for the unemployed.

Lord Knutsford states that he will withhold his opinion as to assisted emigration until the committee reports. He remarked that the colonies are hostile to the export of paupers.

It is alleged it was only at the instance of Lord Derby that Lord Knutsf ord was induced to assent to the Colonial Divorce Bills.

Prince Victor has reached Cairo on bis way home.

The Chinese are fortifying their frontiers.

The statement that Emm Bey was to lead an expedition in search of ivory into the interior is confirmed.

It is asserted that the Emperor of Germany designs to placate France, if possible, for the purpose of isolating Russia.

Lord Randolph Churchill concludes a series of criticisms in the Morning Post by advising the withdrawal of the li&h Land Purchase Bill after the second reading if the Parnellites make any desperate resistance, and appeal to the country in autumn. A congress of Labour Electoral Associations, representing 300,000 members, is sitting at Hanley. One of the propositions affirmed in the discussion is that labour representatives should be added to Parliament.

The Belgian cabinet proposes to guarantee a loan of six millions sterling for the Congo Free State.

Paris, April 5. Notwithstanding the great outcry raised at the proposal to engage Mdme. Sara Bernhardt to represent the Virgin Mary in the Passion Play in Paris, she took the character, and a great sensation has been caused throughout France. The French Government have decided to send three warships to rendezvous on the coast of Dahomey to assist the troops in obtaining reparation for the arrest of the Governor of Senegal and other French subjects. It is announced in Berlin that the Sultan

dhd eight Chiefs of Mandate, d kingdom of Senega^ North Africa, have hoisted the German flag. Vienna, April 3. Servia having, on a trivial pretext, ceased diplomatic relations with Bulgaria, the latter country is making preparations against any attack which may be made on her. The difference has given rise to some uneasiness in Austria. April 5. The masons' strike here is subsiding. Berlin, April 3. Emperor William has intimated his intention of witnessing the Eussian manoeuvres at Erasnaselo. Another report respecting the quarrel between the Emperor and Prince Bismarck is that it occurred over the bold policy of the former for extending the colonial possessions of Germany. I April 4. A pamphlet, just published in Berlin, asserts that the Emperor and Baron de Capriviare ! members of a secret league of patriots which haa been formed to unite the Liberals, Opposition, and Socialists in one body. Bismarck, it says, was dismissed because he had taught the Kaiser everything he wanted to know. The authorship of the pamphlet is ascribed to Emperor William himself. April 7 It has been arranged that a meeting between Queen Victoria and Emperor William will take place at Darmstadt on the 20fch | lost, j Sofia, April 4. The Bulgarian Government is making a strong endeavour to conciliate Servia, though believing that Russia is fermenting the quarrel. Constantinople, April 5. The Porte re-opens parleying on the | Anglo-Egyptian Convention on the basis of British evacuation. The Anglo-Frenoh negotiations with regard to the conversion of loans is improving. Lisbon, April 5. Dom Pedro has gone to Cannes, and before bis departure received the sacrament: He is reported to be in a comatose state. Later. Dom Pedro is improving, St. John's, April 5, The colonists insist on the French maritime territorial rights being extinguished, and declare that Newfoundland will agitate in this direction until British supremacy is indisputable, The Premier and Attorneygeneral have started for England to bring the whole question under the notice of the Imperial Government. OfliOAdd, April 8. The carpenters here have struck, in obedience to the mandate of the union executive.