CABLEGRAMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2057, 27 July 1893, Page 36

CABLEGRAMS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN. (Peb Pbess Association.) London, July 18. The silver miQ6s in Montana are being closed down. Tbe Saltan is checking the ardour of the young Khedive. Three more American banks have failed, with liabilities amounting to a million and a-half dollars. Ib is reported in St. Petersburg that the Russian Government intend to create two more army corps. The German Chancellor, Count yon Caprivi, has intimated to the Vatican that he will not oppose the return of the religious orders to Germany. A cab in which the Prince of Wales was riding through St. James's Park collided with another vehicle, and the Prince received a severe shaking. Tbe decision of the Chinese Government not to punish the murderers of the Swedish missionaries has caused Considerable alarm amongst the foreign residents in Shanghai. During manoeuvres off the coast of Ireland H.M S. Apollo was nearly lost in a fog at Crookhaven. She was within 50 yards of the coast when the Bhouts of the fishermen warned her of her dangerous position. Sir E. Grey, Under-secretary for Foreign Affairs, stated in the House of Commons that the Great Powers would teach Mataafa, of Samoa, the futility of resistance, and said that there was no agreement to revise the .settlement of the Berlin Conference. The United States warship Mohican dis.overed the Hawaiian steamer Alexandria poaching in Behring Sea and fired across her bow. The Alexandria returned the fire from a six-pounder she bad on board, smashing the Mohican's machinery, and thus enabling her to escape. By a fire at St. Mary Axe, in the City, 30 small warehouses were burnt to the ground, Two hundred firemen and 40 engines were engaged in preventing the spread of the fire. The fire at St. Mary Axe caused damage to 50 additional warehouses. A strong wind was blowing, which baffled the efforts of the firemen for four hours. The estimated loss is two millions Bterling. July 19. The total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom is 3,344,000 quarters, and for the Continent 1,580,000 quarters. ' For a cargo of Victorian wheat 28s 9d was offered. Twelve thousand quarters of Victorian wheat (March shipment) wera>sold at 295. , Silver, 2s 9d. Butter experts warn English producers that they may expect keener competition from the Danes both as regards quality and price of the article. In an article in the " Wine Trade Beview" the writer gives a glowing account of the state of the wine industry in Australia, and recommends merchants to push the trade, as affording a new opening for their sons. The authorship of the article is attributed to Mr Burgoyne, an Australian wine merchant. ,The' London County Council have withdrawn the fair wages clause from all their contracts. The damage by fire in St. Mary's Axe is now estimated at half a million. July 20. Sir S. Samuel, Agent-general for New South Wales, had an interview to-day with the Marquis of Ripon (Secretary for the Colonies) and Sir E. Grey (Parliamentary Under-secretary for the Foreign Office) with reference to the claims of the officers and crew and owners of the Sydney-owned vessel Costa Rica Packet seized by the Dutch. He argued that the vessel being a whaler, was unable to proceed without the captain, and therefore his detention by the Dutch •' justified the claim for special loss. Sir E. Grey has promised to reconsider the matter. Earl Jersey has been offered the chairmanship of the Agricultural Conference. A case of cholera, imported from Marseilles, is reported from Cardiff. Scarlet fever, almost amounting to epidemic proportions, is prevalent in Sydney. The Servian Skuptschina has passed a resolution impeaching a number of ex-Ministers for bringing the country to the verge of civil war. A letter in the Daily News complains bitterly of the Queensland National Bank paying the Government in full at the expense of the shareholders. The carriage in which Mr Gladstone was driving in Parliament Square collided with a van, but the Premier suffered no injury. He was warmly congratulated by members on his narrow eecape. -At the Rifle Association meeting at Bisley, Lieutenant Kennedy, of Napier, scored 83 in the first stage of the aggregates for the Queen's prize, and will probably be inclnded ! in the first 300, who are qualified to fire in the final stage for the trophy. News from' Capetown states that a serious rising is reported among the natives in tbe vicinity of Fort Victoria, and the whites are retiring , to the latter place to defend it against a rising of King LobeEgala, of Mata- ■ beleland. A later telegram, however, contains reassuring intelligence that King Lobengula is not unfriendly towards the whites. Several leading Russians have equipped an expedition to be under the command of ' Colonel' Yanoff, for an eight months' stay in, the Pamirs, with the intention of permanently possessing the country. The expedition will have instructions to establish military stations on the road to India, commanding tbe Baroghil Pass. The advance will be further than that made in 1891. Military stations are also to be established at Sarbad and- Wakham. At a meeting of shareholders of the New South Wales Mortgage, Loan, and Agency Company, the scheme propounded by the directors for reconstruction was approved. Mr Alexander M'Arthur, one of the directors, addressing the meeting, declared that British capitalists would soon be as ready as ever to invest in Australia. The weekly returns of the Bank of England, published to-day, show the total reserve to be L 19.280.000. The proportion of reserve to liabilities is 4798. Frozen mutton, firßt quality, 3£d per lb ;

lamb, first quality, 4f d ; beef— forequarters 3 7-16 d, hindquarters s£d. New Zealand hemp: Quotations unchanged. New Zealand long-berried wheat, ex warehouse (fiat), 29a 6d; South Australian wheat, ex warehouse (flat), 31s 6d; Victorian wheat, ex warehouse (flat), 31s. No. 1 best Scotch pig iron, f.o.b. in Clyde (flat), 41s 9d. The American visible supply of wheat is 69,200,000 bushels. A capitalist named Agins has decided to open refrigerating stores in Malta in which to store Australian meat for military purposes. The Channel Tunnel Bill has been withdrawn. July 21. It is likely that litigation will be resorted to to deoide whether L 1.800,000 worth of debentures of the Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, not converted into debenture stock, will have a first charge onthe uncalled capital with L 1.300,000 of converted debentures. It has been found impossible to frame a scheme of reconstruction until Mr Toung has completed his examination of the company's affairs. Mr Justice Williams granted an order for compulsory winding-up, and expressed a hope that a more detailed statement of the assets would be made. The Loan and Mercantile directors propose to call up an additional million of capital from the shareholders, and make the present terminable debentures permanent ones. I The Standard's St. Petersburg correspondent says that RuS3ia has doubled her forces on the Austrian frontier, and that they are now on a war footing. The Daily Chronicle considers that the Victorian income tax is solving the problem of government by democratic methods. An article headed " Braggart Queensland and the Australian Banks," published in the Investors' Review, is attracting attention in financial circles. , The appeal of Makin against the death sentence for infanticide at Sydney has been dismissed. Lord Herschell said the evidence objected to was admissible, and the reasons of the decision of the court would be given later. July 22. The Daily News, discussing the decision in th« case of Makin, of Sydney, the infantmurderer, considers the Privy Council rightly refused to entertain the appeal. Mr D> Wilson, the Victorian butter expert, has obtained from Sweden an explanation of the new method of bacteria cream fermentation, which secures the finest uniform aroma for all butters. He is taking samples of bacteria cream to Melbourne with him. A case of cholera, imported from Marseilles, is reported at Gravesend. Cholera is prevalent in St. Petersburg. Justice Williams has adjourned for a week the petition to transfer the assets of the Commercial Bank of Australia over to the new bank, and possibly a further meeting of creditors and shareholders will be necessary before the court will sanction the scheme of reconstruction. Justice Williams, in approving of the scheme of the Eoglisb, Scottish, and Australian Chartered Bank, remarked that the details offered to creditors were^ meagre. The same judge, in dealing with the London Chartered Bank of Australia, expressed his intention of inserting a provision preserving the liability of existing shareholders. The directors of the Bank of New Zealand recommend the declaration of a dividend for the half-year at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum. The sum of L 109.000 is carried forward to next year's account, and LIO.OOO placed to the reserve fund. Lieutenant Kennedy, of Napier, scored 185 points in the second stage for the Queen's Priz3 at the National Rifle Association meeting at Bisley. Nothing under 189 can compete in the final stage. A Yellow Book issued by the French Government snows that a number of arrogant despatches were sent from the French Government to England respecting Lord Cromer's treatment of Abbas Pasha in Egypt and of the alarm experienced in France at the increase of the British army in Cairo. The despatches show Mr Gladstone's attitude to. have been firm throughout. Mr Beerbohm estimates the wheat crop of tbe United Kingdom at 7,600,000 quarters, and of excellent'quality. The French crop he estimates will yield 100,000,000 hectolitres. * July 23. The Economist, referring to the Victorian Budget, approves of the policy of economy shadowed forth, but regrets that the Government found it necessary to increase the customs duties. Iv the House of Commons yesterday Sir E. Grey, Parliamentary Under-secretary for Foreign Affairs, refused to explain the terms of the Russian demands respecting the Pamirs. He explained that negotiations were still proceeding, and that in a despatch \ the Czar had assured the Imperial Government that the reported advance of a Russian expedition in the Pamirs was without foundation. The Tablet states that Cardinal Moran, of Sydney, is seriously ill at Dablin, and that, acting on the advice of his medical attendants, he will shortly leave there to seek a warmer climate. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company's directors are negotiating with Baron Schroder previous to settling the details of tbe reconstruction scheme. Messrs Huddart, Parker, and Go. are in communication with the Canadian Government respecting railway facilities for connecting with their line of steamers. Lieutenant Kennedy was sixth in the Colonial Match and second in the Armourers' Match. Tallow: Medium mutton, 28s;' do beef, 275. f The American and Continental wheat markets are declining, and the English is weak in tone. Prices are unchanged. A cargo of Victorian wheat has been sold for^9s. Sergeant Davis, of the First Welsh Volunteers, won the Qusen's Prize' at Bisley. Sharland, a London bicyclist, rode 426 miles in 24 hours,' establishing a new record. July 24. { Mr Hogan, M.P., in an interview with a Chronicle reporter, said he foresaw the advantage of having a party of Australian membere in the House of Commons able to compel attention to questions like Huddart,

Parker, and Co.'s claim for a subvention to their mail steamers. Twelve arrests (including some female students) have been effected at Kbartov, Russia, of persons charged with plotting to bring about the annexation of Ukraine by Austria. Eighty deaths from typhoid fever have occurred at Worthing, in Sussex. The ; victims are buried at night. All excursion trains to the town have been stopped. The British East Africa Company evacuates Witu on the 31st. The company petitions tbe Government to buy them out of the Coast zone for LIBO.OOO. Ib is estimated that the English hop crop will be one-third below last year's yield. Naval manoeuvres are proceeding off the Irish coast. A torpedo boat, in attempting to cross the bows of a schooner, came into collision with her and nearly sank. Other casualties are reported. PARIS, July 24. The President has remitted one year of the sentence passed on M. Blondin, one of the Panama convicts. The French elections take place on August 20. Bebi/in, July 19. The Emperor has bestowed warm commendation on Chancellor Oaprivi for his BucceES in getting the Army Bill passed. St. Petersburg July 20. A serious outbreak of cholera is reported from Moscow. The epidemic is still raging in Podolia, and exists in eight other provinces. Constantinople, July 24. Painful details are published of the torture to which the Armenian prisoners have been subjected by the Turkish authorities. Numbers of them were beaten almost to a jelly, while others were scarred with hot irons. Sofia, July 21. The trial of Clement, the metropolitan of Bulgaria, at Tirnova, for sedition, is causing some excitement. July 23. Clement, ex-Metropolitan of Bulgaria, has been sentenced to banishment for life for sedition. Lisbon, Jnly 22. The King of Portugal while intervening in a drunken street brawl was violently assaulted, but he captured his assailant and handed him over to the police. Brussels, July 24. Schouppe, an escaped convict from New Caledonia, was sentenced to five years' penal servitude at Brussels for anarchism. Singapore, July 24. Information has been received here that a number of Chinese passengers on board a Dutch trader captured the vessel, killing the English officers and 22 of the crew. Fifteen other members of the crew were injured. Calcutta, July 20. China is assembling a strong force on the Turkestan frontier with a view to defending the Pamirs. Cape Town, July 19. The Impi of Matabeles refused to withdraw from Victoria in Mashonaland. The Indunas became insolent, and 38 horsemen charged them, killing 30. July 21. The disturbance in Mashonaland has been caused by a few Matabeles under Lobengula, who have slipped out of his conbrol. Fort Victoria is well provisioned with stores and Gatling guns. Sir H. Loch has requested Lob6ngula to recall bis impi and to punish the induras who are responsible for the action of the natives. He expects that the order will be complied with, and does not anticipate any danger to the settlement, which is protected by 400 Europeans.) Latest reports say that theMatabelea have retired. July 22. News from Matabeleland states that matters are quiet there. Rio de Janeiro, July 20. During the month of June the death rate from yellow fever at Santos was 200 per day. A large number of the bodies were never buried,^and corpses were to be seen floating in the river. Forty-five sailing vessel were lying idle, the captains of nearly half of them having succumbed to the epidemic. July 22. The rebels have badly defeated the Government troops, and killed General Hoares.