CABLEGRAMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1906, 21 August 1890, Page 15

CABLEGRAMS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN. (Per Press Association.) London, August 18. The potato disease is spreading. The estimated yield will only be one-fourth of the average, and fears of a famine in Ireland are increasing. The Public Works department has been requested to afford relief. It is stated that ex-Prince Alexander of Bulgaria has adopted the children of Major Panitza, shot for treason. Phylloxera has appeared in the Marne and Rhine districts of France. Uneasiness is still felt at the position of affairs in the Argentine. The United States Government has purchased 310,0000z silver slightly above London quotation. The Hongkong Chamber of Commerce has protested against the Chinese convention, The total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom is 2,240,000 quarters, and for the Continent 524,000 quarters. The American visible supply is estimated at 18,496,000 bushels. Owing to amendments made by the House of Lords in the Directors' Liability Bill by which the liability o£ directors' of public companies has been increased, the measure has been abandoned. The Australians play the Gentlemen of England at Lords on September 8 for the benefit of the cricketers' fund. The potato disease has made its appearance in Ayrshire. August 14. The Emperor of Germany has started for St. Petersburg. The new board of the Bank of New Zealand has been constituted as follows; — Colonel Banning, Messrs John A. Ewen, Herbert Fison, Richard Glynn, and Thomas Stewart, the Right Hon. Anthony J. Mundella, and Sir James Fergusson. Five thousand five hundred quarters Australian wheat (August shipment) have been sold at 38s. New Zealand hemp is steady ; 2300 bales were sold at auction to-day. Fair Auckland, £20 ss ; good Wellington, £21 10s. New Zealand beef — hindquarters, 4d ; forequarters, 2^d. Mutton : Unchanged. Another firm of lawyers has declined to act in Mrs O'Shea's divorce case. The Board of Trade returns show there were 91 strikes during July— a worse state of things than a year agC. A chemical union has been formed with capital of 80 millions sterling. One hundred and fifty of the Grenadier reserves have been ordered to Bermuda. The War Office state they have been sent to infuse loyalty into the younger soldiers. At a conference at Liverpool Henry George stated that Imperial federation is quite out of the thoughts of the Australians, and their loyalty would nofe be worth sixpence if subjected to a strain. Twenty-five thousand barrels of whisky were burned in a fire at a distillery at Kentucky, United States. There are indications that a silver ring will be formed in America before Christmas. August An Anglo-French Commission has been appointed to delimit the spheres along the Niger and towards Lake Tohad. The Standard considers France has obtained the best of the bargain. The chemical trust is not yet completed. The paper makers intend to co-operate to effect its overthrow. The personal property of the late Duke of Manchester has been sworn at . under £76,000. Emperor William has left Berlin for St. Petersburg. There is a panic in Armenia over the military preparations of the Turkish Government, The weekly return of the Bank of England, published to-day, shows the total reserve in notes and bullion to be £13,316,000, being an increase of £1,790,000 as compared with the previous week. The proportion of reserve to liabilities is 41-92. Adelaide wheat, 38s Gd; Victorian, 38s 3d; New Zealand long-berried, 37s 6d. New Zealand hemp, good medium quality, £20 5s to £20 10s. The Times states that the wheat crop o£ Great Britain will average 28£ bushels to the acre, and that the total yield is estimated at. 8,000,000 quarters. A cargo of wheat ex ship Red! Gauntlet, from Adelaide, and July and August shipment, has been sold at 38s. Another August cargo has been sold at 38s 3d, and one shipped in June at 37s 9d. Australian wheat (ex warehouse), 38s 6d to 395. The wheat market i 3 firm and steady. Leather, best sides, B|d to 9d per lb. It is stated here that Mrs Parnell, mother of the leader of the Irish party, is dying in New York. The House of Commons sat all night discussing the construction of light railways in Ireland. The measure met with considerable obstruction, and a split has taken place between the Irish party on the question, one section being led by Mr Sexton, the other being led by Mr Healy. In the House of Commons to-day Mr A. J. Balfour, Secretary for Ireland — in reply to a question — stated that the potato famine in Ireland had come on the Government unexpectedly, but he thought the Poor Law (Ireland) sufficiently provided for the distress. August 10.. An Australian shipment of wheat realised 38s ; good New Zealand, 37-s 6d. The pries of silver has increased to ds 4d. The Directors Liability Bill was the last measure squeezed through both Houses. The amendments made by the House of L.ords, which were thought would bill the measure, were modified. Many bishops, peers, and old Anglican friends will attend the funeral of Cardinal Newman. In commenting on the diplomatic relations with the United States Government re the Behring Sea Fisheries' dispute, the English press generally applaud the action of the Marquis of Salisbury and the firmness that was shown by him. The Standard, while admitting that the position is not without misgivings, considers that Englacd cannot surrender Canadian rights to those waters, A despatch

sent by the Marquis of Salisbury to the United States Government on August 2 refutes and disallows Mr Blame's proposals that the question be referred to arbitration. • Heavy gales have been experienced lately, and the crops have suffered severely. The Duke of Clarence has had a second attack of fever, and it is believed that the disease is the result of the Indian tour from which he only recently returned. At a meeting of the shareholders of the New Zealand Antimony Company, a resolution was carried removing Sir Walter Buller from the directorate. Russia is arranging for a railway loan of 15 millions. Prince Ferdinand has returned to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Tallow : Medium beef, 24s 3d ; mutton, 255. The English wheat market is depressed, but the Continental is improving, and the American advancing. There is increased firmness in spot New York red winter wheat, which is quoted ac 106£ cents. Leather, 8d per lb. The potato blight is the worst attack since 1879. The cemmission of the exhibition of 1851 is allotting annually two service scholarships, of the value of £150, tenable for two or three years, to the Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and New Zealand University students. Armenia is in a state of revolt, and it is rumoured that Russia will occupy Erzeroum. The Argentine Government is leasing large [ tracts of land and has ceased issuing paper money. An inquiry is to be made into the stability of the National Bank. Ex-President Celeman has been threatened with hanging unless his partizans keep order. The New Zealand gold trophies make a fine show at the Mining Exhibition. August 18. In his monthly circular, Mr F. O. Lieut estimates that the production of beet sugar for the last 11 months shows an increase of 828,000 tons. He expects that the campaign will show a surplus of 844,000 tons. In the Speech from the Throne at the prorogation of Parliament, her Majesty stated that she had gladly given her consent to a bill providing for responsible Government in Western Australia, as similar institutions had worked with marked success elsewhere in Australia. Excepting the torpedo contests nothing of importance has been done at the naval manoeuvres. Admiral Tryon, who is in command of the defending fleet, has failed to discover the whereabouts of Admiral Seymour, who leads the attack. Dalton, who undertook to swim from France to Folkestone, succeeded in swimming 60 miles in 24 hours. The soldiers are assisting tithe collectors at Denbigh to recover the tax. The potato blight is spreading in Ireland. A league is being formed, having for its object the encouragement of the growth jf beetroot in Great Britain. The Government have decided for the future to shorten the speech from the Throne at the opening of Parliament, thus hoping to limit the debate on it. At the Antwerp wool sales the attendance was only moderate. The bidding was fair, and half the catalogue was sold at an advance of 10 centimes on the rates obtained in June. Baron de Worms, in answer to a question in the House of Commons to-day, said that the Government had been advised that an act of Parliament was necessary before the separation of the northern portion of Queensland could be effected. It is asserted that General Oaprivi, the German Chancellor, and Count Kalnoky, the Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, will shortly visit England to interview the Marquis of Sajisbury. The German Emperor and Chancellor met with an ovation on their arrival at Revel. The Czar and Minister of Foreign Affairs met the visitors at Narva and accorded them a hearty welcome. It is doubtful whether the disease that has broken out at Cairo is cholera. A Turkish commission has been appointed to inquire into the atrocities committed in Armenia. Paris, August 14. M. Ribot is examining a scheme for the construction of an international railway from Algiers to Capetown. August 19. The wheat orop in France is estimated to yield 8,000,000 hectolitres below that of 1889 Berlin, August 13. The fortification of Heligoland will cost a million and a half sterling. August 19. Prince Bismarck is supporting a gigantic coal syndicate which is established in Germany to check the rise in the wages of colliers. Constantinople, August 13. The Turkish Government has offered to give Albania a battalion of infantry and a battery of artillery to assißt them in attacking the rebel Albanians. ' St. Petersburg, August 13, The Czar has ordered a transfer in the autumn to the reserves of the infantry and artillery enlisted for severe and five years- In future the ter,m of service is to be reduced to four years, August 14. The Novosti Vremya predicts important political results from the German Emperor's interview with the Czar. Cholera has made its appearance at Nicolaieff, in Southern Russia. August 19. The Journal de St. Petersburg expresses an opinion that the visit of the Emperor of Germany, while dealing little with the policies of Russia and Germany, will greatly strengthen the good relations existing between the two nations. Rome, August 13. Mass in memory of the late Cardinal Newman was celebrated in the Pope's private ohapel. Madrid, August 14. Cholera is declining. August 19. Out of a total of 1800 cases of cholera in Spain, 1000 have proved fatal. New York, August 13. War between San Salvador and Honduras seems imminent. August IQ. A despatch from Guatemala announces, that the States of Guatenjaja, and 1 Honduras are demanding thalj General Cegesta shall,

resign the Presidency in San Salvador. General Carlos Cegesta was leader of the forces in San Salvador, but on the sudden death of General Menedez, the President, which took place at a banquet held towards the end of June, he assumed command. August 19. There is enormous speculation in silver going on, and 2,000,0000z have been sold at prices rising as high as 125 cents. Wa-hington, August 15. Bobbers derailed a train on the BaltimoreOhio railway, killing three 'persons and injuring many. Guatemala, August 15. General Egeta has again defeated the rebels under General Bivas. Honduras has massed 150,000 troops on the Guatemala frontier. Buenos Ayres, August 15. The Minister of Finance has agreed to a fresh paper issue. The premium on gold has receded to 172. An examination of the books shows that the National Bank has lent to the friends of President Oeleman a sum of 30,000,000d01. August 18. The Government have cancelled the issue of 100,000,000 notes. The National Bank is 11.000.000d0l overdue. Cairo, August 15. Cholera has broken out here, but at present it is nothing serious. m