GENERAL SUMMARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1851, 17 August 1893, Page 14

GENERAL SUMMARY.

J. S. Shaw's wool warehouse, Bradford, England, was burned on July 3. The loss is £50,000. The German Emperor is delighted at the passage of the Army Bill. Rumour has it he will confer on Count Yon Caprivi the dignity ot Prince. . , „ . The Jews of Yalta, on the Crimea, refused to obey a decree to retire to their homes. For several days an auti- Jewish mob broke mto the houses occupied by the Jews. The Jews fought back, and dozens were dragged into the streets and beaten, and many were killed. The houses owned by' the Jews were plundered and wrecked. The troops were called out to restore order. None of the rivals were killed, but a few were injured. .... „ . v An extraordinary story, which is said to nave been the cause for tradesmen effecting insurance against the Royal wedding not taking \ om .' <« it is stated that between four and five years' ago George, Duke of York, was married by Roman Catholic ritual to the daughter of a British naval officer of high rank, and that there are children by the marriage; It is told by a lady that one week before the marriage letters received from Princess May were being shown about in Court circles in which the princess said to her titled lady correspondent that she knew all about the whole • affair.' " It is noW said the largest rough diamond ever found in "Rica" arrived in London on July 7. It is a bluish white stone, weighs 170 carats, and was fsund in. the Jagger Fontein mines. The Koh-i-Noor weighs over 102£ carats. A yacht having on board 30 excursionists capsized off Skeyness, England,- on the afternoon of July 8, and 27 persons were drowned, all railway builders, who, with thousands of other excursionists, had gone to the little watering place for a day's sport. When they were •well out the yacht, The Shannon, was overtaken by a thunderstorm, and the craft was Boon bottom up, with the men clinging to the keel. The others perished. A boat was launched and the survivors brought to the shore. They agreed that nobody was to blame. The suddenness of the squall could not be anticipated. On the night of July 6, Sir Bache Cunard, of Bache and Cunard (of Atlantic steamship fame), attended by two keepers, surprised a party of poachers on hiß ground* at Melville Hall, Market Harborough, Leicester, and a desperate light ensued. Cunard was struck on the head and otherwise injured. One of the keepers was also wounded so badly thasr his life is despaired of. The poachers escaped. Denny -Bros., of Dumbarton, Scotland, launched at their yard on July 4- a steel twin- ' screw cargo and passenger steamer of 10,000 - tons, built for the American trade, to ply v . between Liverpool and Philadelphia. Mrs Gression, wife of the president of the company, christened the steamer Southward. The vessel, it is claimed, is unsinkable. She has a double bottom, and the hull is divided by bulkheads into water-tight compartments. Lord Coleridge, Lord Chief Justice of England, was taken suddenly ill on July 11 at Newcastle assizes, and the court was hastily adjourned. The pilgrimage of the youthful Khedive to Stamboul occasions the greatest anxiety to the British Foreign Office. It will cost him at least 500,000 franss in backsheesh ; and between the Sultan; who proposes to marry his daughter to Abbas 11., and Ismail Pacha, who is most anxious to take his grandson under his wing, a good many international troubles are likely to be hatched.

France has submitted to England and America a proposal to improve and simplify the code of signals. Some reform is necessary on account of the increase of the speed of vessels.

The Marquis of Dufferin (British Ambassador to France), accompanied by his family, arrived in P»ns on July 21. His dis? pleasure at the conduct of the French press has not yet subsided ; but he was ordered back to his post by his Government, and brings carefully formulated instructions in regard to Franco - Siamese difficulties. He exercised great influence among the official classes in Paris, which is one of the common complaints of the French newspapers against him. There are signs that the' attacks will be renewed. La Cocarde of the 21st urges him to cease being the tool of creatures like M. Blowitz if he wishes to have the respect to which his abilities and position as England's representative entitle him. The last quarterly trade returns for Sheffield, Birmingham, and other important districts showed a marked diminution of trade with the United States. .Within one year Birmingham's trade has fallen off 10 per cent., principally caused by American orders for guns being directed to less expensive factories in Belgium. In general the local authorities admit that the downward course of the export trade with America cannot be entirely the result of the M'Kinley Bill. In several industries comparatively unaffected by the bill the decrease has been exceptionally large. The silver trouble and consequent financial depression in the United States are regarded as the primary causes of the unfavourable changes, which are unprecedentedly important. A reshuffling of the cards in the British Diplomatic Corps is likely to take place shortly. According to a London despatch of July 11, Lord^Rosebery will have a difficulty in filling all the vacant posts without appointing outeiders. Sir Clare Ford will not remain in Constantinople as he has made a great strategic error about the Khedive's visit which may occasion most serious complications in the near future. "Lord Cromer is anxious to quit Cairo immediately. Sir John Walsham meditates a speedy retirement to private aife. Sir Robert Morier is far too ill to remain at Sfc. Petersburg and Lord Miran will ceitainly leave Rome as soon as possible. It is probable, too, that' Sir Francis Plunkett will be moved again. The former will shortly be sworn into the Privy Council.