BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Otago Witness, Volume 01, Issue 2123, 1 November 1894, Page 38

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

London, Ootober 23. The Home Secretary, Mr Asqulth, In the course of a speech to his constituents, said that the House of Lords was a carioaturt, and perverted the functions of an Upper House. The Government would bring forward proposals for the settlement of the question that would open up a new chapter }n the Constitution, and would reoognise the logical result of the extension Of the franchise. The Times' thinks that it would be worth Inquiring if the Porte will assign a similar -privilege to British as to Russian warships of passing through the Dardanelles. Owing to the poor response to his pro* .posalfl, Mr F. F. Begg has abandoned his deposit trust conversion soheme for tbe present. The Portuguese have declined offers to .enlist volunteers in the Transvaal. The death is announoed of Lord Basing. [Lord Basics la bettor known as Mr SolaterBcoth. The sou of Mr W. L. Sclater, of Hants, he assumed tbe name of Booth by Royal license. He was educated at Winchester and Oxford, and graduated M.A. in 1848 and was called to the bar in 1851. He was elected to represent North Hants aud was appointed a Public Works Loan Commissioner, and held office as secretary of the Poor Law Board, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, and President of the Local Government Board.] Ootober 24. Mr Acqoith insists that the power of veto of the House of Lords is incompatible with democratic government. General Bchofield, oommander-in-chief of the American army, urges that the troops are inadequate to enforce federal authority in view of possible strikes, and that it is necessary to increase the force by extra artillery and cavalry and four regiments of ' Infantry The dissolution of tbe Frozen Meat Importers' Association Is announoed. The quantity of wheat and flour afloat for tbe United Kingdom 1% 2,060,000 quarters, and for the Continent 1,090,000. A cargo of Adelaide wheat ex Vale Doon was sold at 23s l^d. • . The shares of Robert Campbell and Oompany are at L 2 Jo<. The petition of the Marchioness of Queens- - berry for a decree of nullity of marriage has been successful. October 25. Mr Valentine, the dairy expert, Is promoting and will shortly register a colonial produce distributing company with a large capital. He expresses himself confident that «uoh a oompany will minimise the charges pf distribution if colonial producers 00bperate in taking up shares and divide the profits. In connection with the trade shipment of chilled beef by the steamer Port Pirie it is found that the chilling machinery was stopped at Colombo, and the meat bad to Toe frozen. When the machinery stopped the meat was in excellent condition, and experts state that they are convinced of tbe possibility of conveying chilled meat to England, provlded sufficient steam is furnished for the refrigerating chamber. Consignees intend to issue legal proceedings, owing to the stoppage of the machinery damaging the meat. Lord Yarmouth has sailed for New Zealand. Bir Saul Bamuel, agent-general for New South Wales, does not approve of the Chancellor's agreement that Victoria should continue to purchase supplies of silver and bronze from the Imperial Mint, accounting for tbe sale, and retaining sufficient profit < to recoup the oolony for the loss on gold 1 coinage, and declares that the oolony he represents will seek the right to coin silver. Mr W. H. Mercer, of the Colonial Office, < who accompanied Mr Sandford Fleming to ] Hawaii, to negotiate for a landing plaoe for : the Pacific cable on Necker Island, asked for i a lease of the island and a Hawaiian subsidy of L 76.000 for 15 years. He made an offer 1 to-day by cable to lay a cable to Honolulu, and make the public rate Is per word, with a < lower rate for press and Government work, 1 -Conditional on Hawaii oonoeding the island to Great Britain in the event of the United 1 States annexing Hawaii. It is now reported 1 that Hawaii is willing to oonsiderthe matter * If a lower subsidy is accepted, and the pro- i vielon regarding the cession of the island deleted. £ Mr Valentine's Co-operative Distributing t -Oompany will cover operations in the provinces and on the Continent. The Jjondon board will include direotors repre- 1 - sentlng the consignors. 1 Tbe price of Irish butter ia lower than for a quarter of a century. i The general opinion among the Smithfield i dealers is one of confidence that ohilled < meat will sucoeed with greater care. President Cleveland has officially recog- 1 nised the Hawaiian consuls, and thus < acknowledged the existence of the Republic, i Tbree thousand houses were destroyed and 260 live* lose by recent earthqoafces In t Japan. j October 26. t The Chamber of Deputies is being speoially 1 guarded owing to a reported attempt of Anarchists to destroy it by dynamite. ] The weekly returns of the Bank of Eng- ( land published to-day show the total re- j serve to be £28,122,000, and the proportion a of reserve to liabilities 63 08. t Consols, lOlf. Three months' bills are discounted at | per a cent. I New Zealand 4 per oent. Inscribed stock, n f New Zealand long-berried wheat (ex d Warehouse), steady, 24a; South Australian n Wheat (ex warehouse), steady, 24s 6d ; Vie- s; .torlan do, firm, 245. d New Zealand frozen meat unchanged, t) Lamb (first quality), 4si per lb. Hemp market flat, and at auction no New f< Zealand was sold. 1 Sugar: German beet, 10fl 6d ; Java a (steady), 139. Danish butter 114s per owt, the rise being vs due to the cold weather. g The Colonial Office state that Mr W. H, I Meroer had no authority to negotiate for the cessioAof Necker Island, and declare that b the island is waterless and possesses no d facility for landing the cable. Mr Mercer was inquiring if possible to obtain the exclusive al &£o of on« ol a&veral .email uninhabited J]

isSwdViq "the Vicinity of Hawaii, and th sovereignty was nob Bought. It is furthe *"' stated that Mr Mercer had no authority t make overtures regarding a subsidy or t arrange for cable rates. Ie The American meat companies decline t< Id withdraw their claim that the Smithfiel< 9 authorities should abolish the ancient ens 3 r torn of abating lib weight in every quarte r . of beet The American proposal is on i e whioh is strongly opposed by the Londoi Br butchers' trade sooiety as an innovatioi ie likely to lead to serious loss. Ie October 27. Sir J B. Lawes estimates the British whea b orop at 33 bushels per aore. There are jus ir under two million acres under crop, an< >f British requirements will be 22 millioi quarters. > The ohilled beef syndicate intend to oarrj Is out further experiments. c The Empire Music Hall has been closed There was a scene of great excitement at th< 0 close, the audience singing "Auld Lanj Syne." There is a general feeling that ai injustice has been done to the proprietors 0, r- the Empire, as other halls are allowed £ 3, promenade. »; Ootober 28. r The Ameer of Afghanistan is again attend h ing to business. ° Mr Huddart's newly chartered steamei 6 Anglian has sailed for Australia. t Mies Shaw will read a paper at the Colonial Institute on November 30 on "Colonial Expansion." 0 The nominal capital of Mr Valentine's h co-operative distributing company is one million. It is expected that it will be formed f in a fortnight. c The Morning Post urges that the Austraa Man military conference should recommend s the appointment of an Imperial federal 1 adviser for Australia, in the event of a f European war, similar to the practice observed 10 years ago. ,t The London County Council approved oi the report of the Licensing Committee rer commending that the license of the Empire ;, Music Hall be renewed on condition that the promenade be abolished and no drinks 3 sold in the auditorium. The orusade of the women agitators against the music balls is . causing some stir in London. The manager of the Empire threatens to close the house . and throw 700 people out of employment. 3 There are many inquiries in Scotland for Queensland sugar lands. A syndicate is willing to invest LBO.OOO in the event of a ■ sufficient guarantee being offered, and Mr > Black announces that the Queensland Govern- > ment propose to institute a register of dairy ; and sugar farmers who are willing to instruct t immigrant pupils. The Government are altio prepared to give advice as to judicious in1 vestments, but will not accept any financial liability. Germany has forbidden the impost of American cattle and beef, thus beginning a policy of retaliation owing to the hostile 1 tariff of the United States regarding beet 1 sugar. The Berlin Socialist Congress carried a ' resolution demanding the nationalisation of ' the land, that producers should share in the 1 profits, and asking for the abolition of [ landlords. i Merohants in Brussels and in Antwerp 1 believe there is a good opening for Australian meat owing to the elections resulting ■ in a triumph for the opponents to the imposition of duties on articles of food. Nelson Brothers state that the result of the shipment of chilled beef confirms the belief that unless a temperature of 22deg is maintained mildew is oertain. The Kitty French has foundered with 30 hands in the British Channel. Severe gales are being experienced along the coast. October 29. The Russian offioial journal of trade declares that the Emperor of Germany's permission for the Imperial Government to make advances on Russian securities has awakened the sincereet good feeling. H.M.S. Pylades has sailed for the Australian station. The Admiralty has decided to build two cruisers of a new type with a speed of 22 knots. " j Master Alan Fergusson, son of Sir James Fergusson, formerly colonial Governor, has been arrested on a charge of setting fire to Trinity College, at Glenalmond, near Perth, in Scotland, where he was a student. News has been reoelved that the Mahdi is arming 12,000 Arabs to prosecute hostilities against the Italians. October 30. The Canadian loan of two and a-quarter millions sterling at 3 per oent., with a minimum of 05, was subscribed fivefold. The Pall Mall Gazette cays that Lord Jersey's report on the recent Canadian Conference heartily supports Mr Huddart'a line of Bteamers. Mr Valentine, the dairy expert, expects to register his Colonial Produce Distributing Company this' week. He is issuing about 400,000 shares. William Heaton Rhodes, youngest son of the late Mr B. H. Rhodes, of Canterbury, New Zealand, An Oxford student, fell from the scaffolding of Brasenose College, and was killed. The directors of the New Zealand and River Plate Land and Mortgage Agenoy Company, Limited, have received 85,000 proxies in favour of re-forming the oompany, as against 45,000 foi- the contraction of business and gradual liquidation. At a meeting of the English, Scottish, and Australian Chartered Bank, Mr O. J. Hegan, the chairman, said that the bank had never been in so strong a position as it was at the present time. ,The policy of the direotors was to concentrate business and retrench as much as possible. Mr Hegan said there was no prospect of paying a dividend for some time, and he hinted at the possibility of paying off deposits In advance. Over 11 million sterling was subscribed for the Canadian Dominion 3 per oent. loan. Tbe minimum was fixed at 95, and tenders at L 97 9a and above have been allotted fully. Some of the Radical organs doubt the wisdom of jeopardising the Newcastle programme for a orusade against the House of Lords. The Order of Knight of the Garter has been conferred on the Marquis of Lansdowne. The Freeman* Journal admits that the abolition of thfl^Loids' j[fit» ffiujjjjra.cidfl Home Rule,

The Chief Secretary for Ireland, replying to a deputation headed by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, refused to release prisoners convicted of dynamite outrages, and declined to hold out any hope of their release until their sentences were served. Sir Saul Samuel is urging the Board of Agriculture to relax tbe provisions for the compulsory slaughter of cattle within 10 days of arrival, and suggests that free entrj be extended to New South Wales cattle. The Marquis of Ripon supports the Astentgencral. The board state that they wish to be satisfied that* tbe laws of the exporting oolony afford reasonable security against the importation of disease ; also statistical information as to the number of cattle in New South Wales affected with rinderpest, pleuropneumonia, and foot and mouth disease. A correspondent wires from Sydney to The Times that Mr Henniker Heaton was banqueted at Parliament House, and that, in replying to the toast of bis health, he announoed that the South Australian, Vio- , torian, New South Wales, and Queensland j Governments bad agreed to a 2d postal rate to England. Mr Cook (Postmaster-general of New South Wales) is reported to have denounced the 2£d rate as unpopular, awkward, and inconvenient ; and the latter announcement attracts a good deal of attention, as no representations or reference has ever been made to the Agent-general on the subjeot. Pabis, October 24. The funds in the hands of the banks here belonging to the Irish party, over which there has been a great difference of opinion as to whom they should be handed, have eventually been placed to tbe credit of Mr Justin M'Carthy. Ootober 25. Lord Dufferin, British Ambassador, has returned here. A boiler exploded on board the Frenoh cruiser Arethuse during a trial trip at Brest, aad 26 of her crew were either killed or wounded. October 27. The French newspapers believe Lord Rosebery will do nothing to hinder Frenoh action in Madagascar. October 30. Reports have been reoeived here of most inhuman cruelties alleged to have been practised on oonvicts in the French penal settlement at Cayenne, an island near the coast of French Guiana, South America. It is stated that tbe warders placed the prisoners on ant hills after smearirg thevn with molasßGS, and another charge is that live men were chained to bodies already dead. Rome, October 24. Signor Crisp! declares thar. he has suppressed upwards of 55 Socialistic societies. Zanzibar, October 27. Doctors Lieut and Ktabzchner, members of tbe German scientific expedition in Kilimanjaro, with several porters, have been massaored by the natives. Yokohama, October 24. A severe earthquake was experienced at Takata, and great lorfs of life and destruction of property is recorded. New Yobk, October 29. The New York Herald asserts that 2000 people were killed by the earthquake in the province of San Juan and Tarioja, in the Argentine Republic, and that 20,000 persons have been rendered homeless. San Fbanoisco, October 27. Messrs Fleming and Mercer sounded and surveyed Bird Island as a suitable plaoe for landing tke Pacific cable, and proceed to Washington to ascertain if it is possible to reconcile the American exolusive rights under the Hawaiian treaty with England's desire for a cable station. Rio de Janeiro, October 24. While soldiers were cleaning up a magazine here, an explosion of cartridges took place and 60 persons were killed. j Ootober 27, A revolt has broken out in Pernambuco, and the rebels have captured the capital. The Governor has been deposed. Buenos Ayres, Ootober 28. An earthquake has utterly destroyed San Juan. Details as to loss of life, Sec. are not yet to hand. [San Juan is the capital town of the province of San Juan de la Frontera, Argentine Republic. The town has a population of about 10,000 inhabitants.] October 29. Twenty persons were killed by the earthquake experienced Id San Juan in Argentina.