CABLEGRAMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2253, 6 May 1897, Page 13

CABLEGRAMS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN. London. April 26. The Duchess of York has given birth to a daughter. Earl Ranfurly, the new Governor of New Zealand, sails in the Gothic. The War Offics requires 10,000 horses for remounts. Fifteen officers have been sent to the Argentine Republic to purchase them. April 27. A serions explosion occurred on the underground railway. One carriage was smashed, and many occupants injured. It is believed the explosion was caused by a bomb. The remains of the Dowager- Duchess of Bedford, who died a few days ago, have bsen cremated. A picture by Miss Florence Fuller, a Victorian artist, has been hung in the Royal Academy. Mr H. Bottomley has voluntarily recouped the shareholders of the Hansard Publishing Union a quarter of a million sterling. It is officially announced that the Earl and Countess of Ranfurly, their two daughters, and Captain Alexander (private secretary

and first ttide-de-camp) sail for Quebec in : June, and leave Vancouver on the Sbh July, j They are expected to arrive in Wellitgton on j the 12th August. i The- Hon. Cbarleß Hill Trevor, Captain Walsh (of the Fasilsers), and Lieutenant Ward (of the Royal Artillery), who have j been appointed aides-de-camp to Earl Ran- ! furly, sail for Wellington by the Gothic. j April 28. j I In the House of Commons, Mr Vincsnt, I | M.P. for Sheffield, moved that toll be levied ! | on foreign manufactures imported into Eng- | land, in order to provide pensions for the j i poor. Mr Balfour opposed the motion. He j admitted that it might possibly be neces- : sary in order to raise new revenue to modify ; the existing fiscal system. The motion was i i negatived. j The total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom is 1,440,000 j quarters, and for the Continent 690,000 I quarters. Mr Justice Williams made an order temporarily windicg up the Joint Stock Bank for the purpose of carrying out the rearrangement scheme. The order is purely formal. April 29. The Free Presbyterian Church Synod rejected the petition against " lan Maclaren," who was recently cited by a minister to appear before the synod on a charge of heresy. Beerbohm Tree's splendid new theatre, liar Majesty's, was opened last night. April 30. At a meeting of the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company the report showed a profit of L 21.940. A dividend at the rate of 5 per cent, was declared, and the sum of L 2403 carried forward. j The prospect of an early cessation of war has caused a reaction in the wheat markets, which Bhow a general decline. European newspapers consider that rapproolienusnt between Russia and Austria guarantees general peace to Europe. French papers, however, are reticent. The Queen has left Cherbourg on her return to England. Chief Juatica Way has been summoned to attend at Windsor on Tuesday, for the purpose of beicg sworn in as a member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Mr Alfred Beit, one of the directors of tha British South Africa Company, recently brought an action for libel against a newspaper published at Essen, in Russia, for its comments regarding his administration of the Kimberlay diamond mines. It is now reported that the action was dismissed on the ground that the comments of the paper were justified. May 1. Sir George O'Brien, successor to the late Sir J. B. Thurßton, Governor ol Fiji, will leave Vancouver for Fiji by the Aorangi. May 2. News has reached Lagos, West Africa, that Samory, a powerful chief, attacked the British expedition to the Hinterland. It is feared a serious disaster has befallen the party, and reinforcements have been despatched. Berlin, April 29. The Government refused to prosecute Dr Cirl Peters, recently dismissed from the Imperial service for cruelty to the natives of East Africa, on the ground that his conduct was not opposed to native law. O3car Blank, a prominent Hamburg merchant, visits Australia for the purpose of ascertaining its capacity for producing timber suitable for German requirements. Herr Blank has secured contracts for paving Hamburg and Cologne, and for the tallow

] wood and black butt required for decking ' ships. Rome, May 2. News has been received that a band of Ethiopians massacred Captain Bottego (leader) and several members of the Italian East Afriaan exploring party. The rest of I the party were captured by the natives. Madrid. May 2. Another batch of 26 Anarchists have been '. sentenced to death at Barcelona. i Capetown, April 29. ! A treaty of friendship and commerce has ; been concluded between Germany and the • Orange Free State. j April 30. J The Cape Budget shows a surplus for the ! year of half a million, which will be devoted to stamping out the rinderpest. May 2. * In the Assembly Mr Merriman , ex-Minister, ■ moved a vote of no confidence in the Govern- | ment. On a division being taken the voting j was equal, and the motion was defeated by the casting vote of the Speaker. New York, April 28. The statue to General Grant was dedicated at New York in the presence of a vast assemblage representing all the States in the Union. The ceremony was marked by \ splendid pageants by land and sea, many foreign warships taking part. President M'Kinley reviewed 60,000 troops, also the fleet.