GENERAL SUMMARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1956, 20 August 1891, Page 15

GENERAL SUMMARY.

Cardinal Manning and a committee have drawn up rules for a union of Catholic workmen which he is organising, on lines laid down in the recent encyclical letter of the Pope. Its name will be the Catholic Association. It is intended ultimately to embrace all English-speaking Catholics.

The Admiralty announced on July 11 that the primary purpose of the British naval manoeuvres this years will be to obtain more definite information as to the best method of distinguishing a squadron of battle ships and cruisers so as to gain information of an enemy's movements. Lawyer William G. Judge, of 35 Nassau street, New York, recently in London conversing with the leading theosophists of that city, will succeed Madame Blavatsky (recently deceased) as head' of this new order of religionists in the United States and the world.

At the first formal business meeting of the Congregational Council, held in London, Mr Gooch, of Chicago, presided. He contended that the American Pilgrim Fathers and Congregational leaders were as truly called of God as were the apostles. The line of his argument was against the new theology, and in favour of the orthodox views of the Bible. The feature of the council for the week ending July 18 was a speech by the Rev. Mr Walker, of Melbourne, condemning Unitarianism. That church, he said, was making tremendous headway among Congregationalists. The council decided that Congregational ministers should not exchange with Unitarians.

The story that Lord Randolph Churchill is about to sue for a divorce, naming the Duke of Clarence and Avondale as co-respondent is pronounced a pure fabrication. Lord R, Churchill will not return from Africa for six months at least.

Charles Mitchell, the. pugilist, got drunk and boisterous at the Sportsman's Club, London, on the night of July 21. When the servants interfered be attacked them furiously. He knocked several of them down and jumped on their prostrate bodies. One bad a piece of his nose bitten off, another a mouthful token out of his leg. Warrants were granted against Mitchell for assault.

A piece of Crown Land was recently leased in Pall Mall at a rental based on the selling price of £500,000 per acre. The reported negotiations whioh have been going on between England and Portugal for the purchase of the Mozambique country have finally resulted in Lord Salisbury making an offer of £8,000,000 for the whole Portuguese possessions in South-Bast Africa — to be paid in a lump sum. It is reported that Mr Carnegie, the American millionaire, intends to buy an estate in Scotland, and settle down as a Highland laird.

Baring Co.'s balance sheet for the half year shows the total assets at £5,966,000 ; cash on hand at short notice, £2,000,000; total aoceptances, £7,500,000. The whole commercial business of the old firm is retained. At the private meeting of shareholders in the banking house, Mr Francis Baring, who presided, presented the balance Bheet, whiah he said showed they were doing good business, though the actual results could not be shown till December. The figures were very small compared with the old firm's acoounts, the acceptanses amounting to £3,250,000 against the old firm's £20,000,000, but all was sound business paper. Lord Salisbury has declared that female suffrage ought to form part of the coming electoral reform. The council of the Conservative Association at a meeting on July 17, decided to intimate to Lord Salisbury that the party was so divided on the question that it would be unwise to recognise it as a Conservative principle.

Sir John Pender, speaking at a meeting of the Direct Cable Company, stated that there had been a positive decline in Atlantic telegraphy since the coming into operation of the M'Einley Tariff Act. Eventually the United States would discover, he added, that they suffered more than anybody else from the law.

A fire in the West Stanley colliery, Durham, caused damage to the extent of £26,000, and threw 500 men out of work.

Sir Charles Russell, the eminent barrister, will visit San Francisco shortly to see his sister, who is mother superior of an order of Catholic nuns.

Miss Leale, of Guernsey, was one of the competitors in the rapid-firing competition at the meeting of the National Rifle Association on July 15— seven shots at 200 yards in seven minutes. With her sighting shot she scored a bull's-eye, and then she sent seven shots down the range in 33 3-5 seconds. She did not win the prize, but stands high on the list. During the debate on the Irish Estimates in the House of Commons on July 21 Mr Balfour intimated that a local Government bill for Ireland, based broadly on the same lines as the English and Scotch acts, will ba introduced next session. He asked whether the bill would have the support of the Irish members. Mr T. Healy said it would have his support. The discussion on the Estimates has been made the occasion of long reviews in the press in which the improved condition of Ireland, the fact that agrarian crime has diminished, trade increased, evictions lessened in number, boycotting almost ceased, the plan of campaign become almost extinct, and emigration decreased are largely touched upon. During the week, ending Jnly 18, five of the principal banking corporations in Ireland have held their annual meetings and declared dividends of 10 per cent. The London Standard, referring to the improvement in Irish affairs, thinks it due in a great degree to the discontinuance of subsidies from the United States.