GENERAL SUMMARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1952, 23 July 1891, Page 31

GENERAL SUMMARY.

Mr Parnell was compelled to obtain a special license to marry Mrs O'Shea, owing to the delays interposed by the clergyman at Brighton. The Dockers' Union have issued a propaganda in agricultural districts dissuading agricultural labourers from flocking to seaports in the hope of bettering their wages.

Alarmed by the recent Wesleyan discussions on [inspiration and Sabbath keeping, Mr Spurgeon, and a number of other ministers, signed on June 22 a manifesto declaring for thorough Calvinism, and accepting both the Old and New Testaments as the Word of God, and declaring that the two must stand or fall together.

Herbert Spencer's work on education, and Bain's " Education as a Science " have been proscribed by the authorities of the English Church training colleges. Captain Hawkes, of the British army, has been sent to gaol for three weeks with hard labonr, besides being heavily fined, for criminally assaulting Miss Clara Burgess, a member of his household.

Michael Davit's Labour World, which just suspended publication, was a failure financially. He was £10,000 behind with the enterprise, and nearly £5000 had been expended without any apparent success. The cause of the suspension was unknown to Davitt, who is now at Oaklands, California.

Since June 1 more than a thousand alien paupers have landed in London, and public feeling on the subject is being aroused. Mrs O'Shea's daughters opposed her marriage with Mr Parnell ; but as the mother is rich and the father poor,, it is believed they will eventually come under her charge, Rudyard Kipling is reported to be dying of consumption. He has been sent from London to Italy as a last resource.

On June 16 the expected strike by the laundresses of London began vigorously. Thousands of the female employes of the laundries went out for eight hours and 42 pence per day. They formed a procession, and, marching from laundry to lauudry, smashed the windows of the establishments where non-nnion labour was employed, and dragged oat such of the women as manifested a disposition to remain at work. When the police appeared they were jeered at by the belligerent females, who went right ahead with the work of intimidation. Commander Ballington Booth, of the- Salvation Arfey, is on a visit of inspection to the States, and is being ostentatiously received. Five Pullman palace cars, to be used in connection with the Melbourne-Sydney express service, have been forwarded by the Mariposa, and four more will be sent down next month by the Monowai.

The Irish envoys to the United States in the interests of Mr Parnell were unable to make any headway in their mission. Mr Parnell intends to visit America in August.

Mr Penrose, editor of tbe Mining Journal at Buttle (Montana), and a member of the Legislature, was assassinated near his own doorstep on June 10, being shot through the head. There was no trace of his murderer. Belle Browning has been arrested on suspicion, but she denies any knowledge'of it. The new cruiser Barracouta came within an ace of sinking at her moorings at Sheerness on June 21. A valve had been left open through carelessness, and the water poured in till her stoke plates were submerged. Prompt measures only saved the vessel from foundering. The laundresses' demonstration at Hyde Park on June 14 was not as large as was expected ; only 10,000 turned out, instead of 100,000 as anticipated. The speakers on the platform were constantly interrupted with jokes, ribald cries, and ridicnle. The object of the assembly was to demand that the Government place laundries under the operation of the factories law.

Lady Burton, widow of the celebrated Arabian traveller Sir Richard Burton, burned the M.S.S. of his translations from the Arabic of "The Scented Garden," although offered 6000gs for it. Her reasons were that it was horribly obscene, and the majority of those who subscribed for the book would do so for the filth it contained, and not in the spirit of science in which it was written. The widow preferred poverty to riches gained by a book that might do incalculable harm. The Dake of Argyle opposes the Irish Land Bill on the ground that it invalidates the security of the country for the limited purchase of land under the bill to existing tenants, and would lead to further demands for a reduction of rents.

Chief Rabbi Adler was installed at the great Bayswater Synagogue, London, on June 23. He was escorted to his seat beside the ark with much ceremony and display by Baron Rothschild. In his sermon the rabbi dwelt upon the necessity of the unification of the Jewish race. The bishops of Ireland are working to secure the return to the House of Commons next general election of wealthy candidates who will form the nucleus of a new Catholic party. They find the expense of maintaining poor members in Parliament a heavy parochial drain.

The Dublin National Press accused Mr Parnell, on June 2, of misapplying certain funds, and announced its intention of re-entering on the charges in order to compel him to take legal proceedings against the publishers, the paper adding " our secretary waits in his office to receive service of a writ from Mr Parnell."

Mr Parnell was ordered to pay £5500 as the costs in the O'Shea divorce case.

The Press Association says the total amount of money collected for the Irish campaign fund was £120.000, of which £90,000 was expended, and £30,000 is missing, having been obtained through a forged draft. The death of O'Gorman Mahon in London on June 16 is considered an important event in Irish politics. He was born in 1803, and was considered a pecfe3t type of the Celtic Irish gentleman of the old school. Messrs Parnell and Healy attended the funeral. In a row following it Mr Healy received a violent blow. Hia assailant was arrested.

Mr Justin M'Carthy will retire .from the leadership of the Irish party directly after Mr John Dillon is released from gaol. Mr H. Gilchrist (45), supposed to be an American arrived from the West Coast of Africa, jumped from the window of the North Eaßtern Hotel, Liverpool, on the 30th, and was impaled on the iron railing below. Instant death ensued. He was insane from malaria.

A railroad collision occurred two miles from Londonderry on June 22, and a train carrying militiamen was smashed. The driver was killed, the fireman fatally injured, and scores of militiamen and others hurt.

The English steamship companies are organising to oppose the bill introduced in the House of

Commons by Mr Chaplin to regulate the cattle traffic on the Atlantic. The opposition springs from the fact that the measure will involve extensive alterations in the internal fittings of vessels in the carrying trade.

An address with 10,000 signatures was presented to Sir C. Dilke congratulating him on his return to political life. The Barings' estate statement says that after allowing for changes in the quotations of securities since October there seems to ba no reason to anticipate any claim will be made on the guarantors. They have offered that if any surplus remains from the liquidation they will devote it to repairing the losses sustained on shares of the Buenos Ayres Water Drainage Company, though they are not bound to do so by law. Barings' balance sheet shows liabilities at £7,000,000 and assets of £8,000,000. At Ktlkill, a small place in County Down, a short distance from Roßseter, a man named Annet and his wife were shot by the brother of the latter, who was opposed to their marriage. They were badly wounded but will recover. Their assailant committed suicide. In tbe House of Commons, on June 18th, Mr Buxtons (Liberal) amendment to the Factory Bill, prohibiting children under 11 years of age from working, was adopted by 212 to 185. The majority included some Conservative members. This amendment will affect 100,000 to 200,000 children now employed in manufacturing districts as half-timers. It is a philanthropic reform, and was opposed by the bulk of the operatives who benefit by the labour of their offspring. Tbe Liberals argue that the abolition of child labour would provide more work for adults. Commenting on the vote the Times says:— "We cannot pretend to regret Mr Buxtons amendment was carried, nevertheless the unpleasant, rebuff of Ministers was incurred by an attitude unnecessarily in judicious, and not altogether etraightforward. The rejection of the amendments after our action at the Berlin Conference would have exposed us to the odium of the world as a nation of Pharisees.

A party of brigands, near Teherimi; on June 1, place obstructions on the track and derailed the Eastern express between Constantinople and Adrianople. They found several English and German tourists among the passengers, whom they despoiled of their belongings and then let alone, excepting Oscar Gueger, Herr Swail (a banker of Berlin), Herr Maguer (landowner of Bavaria), Herr Oscar Katysch (of Zorbig, Prussian Tuscany), and Frendiger (engineer of the train), holding these for ransom. They demanded 40,000 for their release. Chancellor Yon Caprivi telegraphed to tbe German ambassador at Constantinople to advise the payment. The band numbered 30 men, led by a noted) robber named Anastasis. Several passengers resisted the attack, when the brigands rushed on them flourishing their gun?. One passenger was dangerously wounded.