BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2242, 18 February 1897, Page 13

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

London. February 8. The report of the Pacific Cable Convention will be posted to the various colonies on Friday. A heavy flood -hat occurred in the Thames Valley. Large areas of the eastern, southern, nd midland counties have oeen submerged. ■"he floods are the most serious for many > r«, and the damage to property is extensive. i' 19 Mansion Houae Indian relief fund ha* reached L 238.000. The Transvaai lias joined the Geneva Convention, which has for its objects the humane treatment of the sick and wounded during war. This step was • aken without, consulti jug England. The M -.rquis of Salisbury ftlaicd in the House or Lords that assent was necessary, but Great Britain wouid not assert its suzerainty on this occasion. February 9. The transport Tyne has left England with provisions for the relief of the sufferers by the Indian famine. She takes a sufficient 1 supply for 1200 persons for a fortnight. At a meeting or' tbe Colonial Institute, Mr T. A. Brassey read a paper on the question of Australian defences. In it he referred to the increasing importance of the naval reserve. English wheat is selling at Is lower. The market is weak. Foreign wheat is an- , changed. j February 10. : In the House of Commons a bill introj duced by Mr Charles Wilson, M.P. for Hull < West, to close the publichousea on Sundays, was rejected by 57 voteß. The Admiralty have sanctioned the construction of a graving dock to accommodate the largest ironclads of- the British navy. The graving dock (sanctioned by the Admi1 ralty will ba conßtructsd at Colombo. ITebruary 11. Russia, Persia, and Afghanistan have closed their fronriers towards India to preI vent the introduction of the plague. Ihe Madras authorities are appealing to Lord (teorge Hamilton, secretary of State for India, against bis decision to open the port of Mecca to pilgrims. February 12. A syndicate has taken up the balance of the Western Australian 3 per cent, stock at 96£. Toe Havana correspondent of The Times state* that the rebels refuse to accept the proposed reforms. The Spaniards and Cubans alike require to control the finances 61 Cuba. February 14. An accident occurred on board the cruiser Gibraltar, during the testing of Primer's torpedoes, by- which four seamen were killed. St. Petehsbuhg, February 9. The winter festivities at St. Petersburg have been abandoned owing to the state of the Czarina's health. February 10. The approach of the bubonic plague towards the Russian frontier has created quite a panic in tbis city. February 11. The Czarina is improving. February 13. Dr Stenitz, after his defeat by Tasker in tbe chess match, is lying seriously ill in a hospital. Constantinople, February 8. The police authorities at Constantinople have renewed the arrests of Armenians under the pretext of preventing mischief during the approaching feast of Ramadan. The Armenian Patriarch declares that he will be unable to restrain the Armenians from further revolt if the Sultan persists in his policy of deception. Madhid, February 8. The Premier has announced the intention of the G 'vernment to proceed with the contemplated reforms in Cuba. He stated that the Government would be satisfied at present if the rebellion were limited to the western districts of Cuba. Washington, February 8. The Senate has disagreed with the Immigration Bill as passed by the House. A further conference of the two H'.uses will be held with the object of arriving at a settlement. February 9. Mr John D. Long has been appointed Sscretary of Marine in the M'Kinley Cabinet. The Venezuelan Arbitration Commission meet in the middle of IS9S to settle the boundary dispute. New York, February 8. Tbe Herald, referring to the Arbitration Treaty, says that the senators are not entitled to commit a crime against the nation under the pretext of performing a public duty. February 10. The press describe M. Hanotaux's reply to the recent speech of Sir Michael HicksBeach as equivalent to a refusal to accept Sir Michael's challenge. Ottawa, February 10. Archbishop Lancevin has announced the intention of the Roman Catholic Church to found "separate" schools throughout the j Province of Maniotoba. 1 Capetown, February 13. 1 Dr Kooh, who *is at present in Cape

\ Colony, has discovered a process to render cattle secure against the attacks of rmderi pest, and is convinced it will eradicate the f disease. » ■