BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2258, 10 June 1897, Page 13

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

London, May 31. Lord Ranfurly, en route for New Zealand, spends the jubilee with the Earl and Countess of Aberdeen at Ottawa. The New South Wales ride team are practising with Les-Metford rifles at the Bisley range, with excellent results. Peterson's fast Atlantic mail service is for a period of 10 years. Four steamers, each of a capacity of 10,000 ton*, and capable of running at a speed of 21 knots, will be engaged in the service. The steamero will at first ran fortnightly, bnt the contract proTides for an eventual weekly service. Sir James Garrick, chairman of tho London board of directors of the London Bank of Australia, presiding at a meeting of deferred deposit-holders held to consider a report on the new scheme of rearrangement recently sanctioned by the British Parliament, said the stringent limitation introduced by Parliament had greatly impaired the Rearrangement BilJ, but still it would be to the advantage of the creditors of- the bank to' accept it. The report was unanimously adopted. . June 1, A ohess match by cable is being played between teams selected from members of the House of Commons and the American' House of Rapresentatives. Each side has won one game. Messages recording each move occupied 40 seconds in transmission. June 2. Lieutenant Henderson, leader of the expedition captured by the chief Samory in the Hinterland of Lagos, has bean released, and is returning to Coomassie with Samory'B presents to Sir W. E. Maxwell, Gavernor of the Gold Coast. Mr Richards, city surveyor of Sydney, advocates as a result of his inquiries in England and on the Continent that the electric lighting of Sydney be introduced and conducted by the City Council, instead i of by a private company. He has ascertained ' that the London County Council are dis- I satisfied with the present refuse destructor, i and have been considering for the past two years the question of reform in this direction. June 3- j At a meeting of the creditors of the ! Queensland National Bank the scheme of rearrangement was finally adopted. The result of the poll was 10S9 depositore, representing L 730.000, against 22 depositors, representing LII.OOO. The Bimetallic League are again showing j activity with a renewed demand for the j remonetisation of silver. ' Jane 4. In December last G. Brook, an ex-Congre-gationalist minister, brought an action against London Truth (Mr Labouchere's paper) claiming damages in respect to an article accusing him of imposture by means of begging letters. The trial resulted in a verdict for the defendant newspaper. Yes- j terday Brook's son met Mr Labouchere in , the street and assaulted him. South Australian 3 per cents, are quoted at 99£. Nineteen yachts have entered for Emperor , William's Jubilee Cup. The race, which is | from Dover to Heligoland, takes place on June 22. I The Standard suggests that a chess match by cable be arranged between the House of Commons and an Australian parliamentary team on similar lines to the contest just ' concluded with the American representatives. The London Bank of Australia Bill has received Royal assent. Justice Vaughan Williams has sanctioned the Queensland National Bank rearrangement scheme. The Earl and Countess Ranfurly and family left yesterday for Canada en route to Wellington. Mr, Mr?, and the Misses Seddon bade them farewell. June 5. Sir W. V. Whiteway, Premier of Newfoundland, is negotiating with Lord Salisbury for the settlement of the French shore quention in Newfoundland. By the Treaty of Paris French fishermen were granted certain rights on the coast of Newfoundland. They now claim the exclusive right to fish along the coast from Oape John to Caps Ray. Frequent troubles have arisen owing to these claims. June 6. -Lady Shenton, wife of the President of the West Australian Legislative Council, has died from pneumonia supervening on influenza. The deceased lady was visiting London with her husband (Sir George Shenton) to participate in the Jubilee celebrations. Sir George Turner, who is in excellent health, says that he intends to take an early opportunity of reorganising the office of Agent-general. He will probably divide the duties, leaving diplomatic matters to be dealt with at the present office, and selecting an office in the City where all business will be transacted connected with the importations of Victorian produce, the negotiation of loans, and matters affecting Victorian mining. Sir Henry Norman, who visited the West Indies as president of the Sugar Commission, ■will resume the office of Agent-general for Queensland in August. . A special series of competitions has been arranged for the colonial representatives at the National Rifle Association's meeting at Bisley. The winners in these competitions will compete w.ith the winning members of the regular and auxiliary forces for special prizes open to the Empire. The Bisley meeting commences on July 13 and terminates on July 24. The New Zealand marksmen, together with the mounted contingent, who left by the Ruahine, are due at Plymouth on Priday next. June 7. Lord Hopetoun waited upon aiad cordially welcomed Sir George Turner, Premier of Victoria. Mr James Huddart, in a letter in The Times, says that Petersen's contract for a fast Atlantic steam service between England and Canada in foredoomed to prove a financial failure. Paris, June 3. The Government are asking the Chamber pi Deputies to vote one million francs for the purposes of tie secret service. Tha amount

shows a large increase in the earn hitherto voted. Jane 6. President Faure, M. Hanotaux, and several generals of the French army will visit the Czar at St. Petersburg in July. Berlin, May 31. The trial of Tousch and Lutzow is proceeding. Baron Marschall yon Bieberstein, Minister for Foreign Affairs, deposed that Touech'B agent had published monstrous lies regarding the Emperor William, members of the Government, and Prince Bismarck. , June'l. The Prussian Diet has passed the bill dealing with the right of public meeting and association. June 4* The National Zaitung newspaper, com- ' mooting on the clause in the Canadian Tariff Bill giving preference to British goods, j says it expects to see a speedy cessation of ; fche difficulty so far aa restrictions on j German trade are concerned, otherwise Germany will make reprisals which will be : damaging to Britain. { The trial of Tausch and Lutzow is concluded. Tausoh was acquitted and Luizow sentenced to two months' imprisonment. The fact that Marscball Bieberstein has taken a holiday is accepted as an indication of a possible Ministerial crisis. Brussels, June 1. A Belgian syndicate is floating a Chinese loan of four and a-half millions. The syndicate receives the privilege of supplying material for important lines of railway proposed to be constructed in China. June 3. A Belgian syndicate has been formed to build a railway to Hankow, in China. The # length of the line is 700 miles. The syndicate have also secured the tole right to construct 2000 miles of trunk lines in China. News received hero from the Belgian authorities in the Congo State is that Captain Ohalton, in command of a force operating on the Soudan frontier of the Equatorial Province, defeated two chiefs supporting theMahdi, and is following up his victories. The troops of the Congo State have occupied Redjaphi. Madeid, June 4. The Queen Regent of Spain has summoned Marshal Campos, formerly commander of the Spanish troops in Cuba, to a consultation on the subject of the revolution in that island. Ib is expected that Senor Sagrasta, who was Premier before the Oanovas Cabinet came into office, will be asked to form a new Ministry. June 7. ' The Qaeen Regent has retused to accept the resignation of Senor Canovas as Premier. ] Cairo, June 2. ] Colonel Sir H. H. Kitchener, Sirdar of tha j Egyptian army, considers everything ready j for an advance of the Egyptian army from ! Dongola upon the dervishes' position at Abu Hamed, but the time at whioh the expedition will get away depends on the riss of the ' Nile. He hopes to start; in August. Jane 3. I King Menelik showed extreme cordiality ! to Mr J. R Rodd, the British Envoy to j Abysßinia. Hia departure on the return to ! England was made the occasion of a great I display. Mr Rodd and party were escorted j by the principal chiefs and 25,000 soldiers i for a distance of three miles.. -i Foocbow, June 3. The Taiyuan sails on June 16 and the Guthrie on Jane 27 for Australian ports, i Each steamer takes 1000 tons of tea only. \ Compared with last season prices are about : the same. Holders are firm. ; Washington, May 31. Mr J. G. Dufiy, Postmaster-general, of j Victoria, is urging the International Postal ! Congress to disagree with the proposal for a reduction of the rate of postage for foreign letters. He objects that England is forcing the hands of the colonies without prior negotiations on the question. New York, Jane 2. The chess tournameot- by cable between members of the British House of Commons and the American House of Representatives ended in a draw. France has arranged a monthly service of steamers between Tahiti, o£ the Society Group, and Tacoma, Washington Territory. June 3. A Spanish cruiser fired upon the American steamer Valencia off the coast of Cuba. America has protested to the Spanish Government against; the action of the warship. Two steamare laden with wheat are being sent from America to the relief of the famine ' districts in India. Ottawa, May 31. , In the Dominion House of Commons Mr L^urier stated that .excepting Britain, and possibly New South Waleß, no country would I be entitled to the benefits of the reciprocal j clause in the Tariff Bill.