CABLEGRAMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2265, 29 July 1897, Page 15

CABLEGRAMS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN. London, July 19. The annual report of the Union Mortgage •Agency Company of Australia shows a profit of L 13.354, whioh the directors recommend shall be carried forward. The Agents-general have requested Mr Sinclair, superintendent of exports for the Victorian Government, and Mr Cameron, of New Zealand, to give evidence before the Produce Marks Committee. j At the wool sales to-day an inferior catalogue was submitted, and prices were i irregular. Better classes remain firm. Wheat is quoted Is dearer on the week. The commission appointed by the French Chamber to inquire into the Panama Canal > scandal will visit Bonrnemouth with a view to obtaining from Dr Herz the terms of the concession for cutting the canal. Lord Revelstoke, the senior partner of Baring Bros., and lately a direocor of the Bank of, England, i« dead. Dr Jameson is at present investigating the State of native affairs in Rhodesia. Sixteen Bwimmers started for the Fivemile Amateur Championship of the World. The coarse_was from Kew to Patnoy. The race was contested on a fast ebb tide. Tyers, the amateur champion, was absent. Green, champion of the southern counties, was leading "by 20 yards at Barnes Bridge, -which was reached in 18 rain ssec. Cavili was 6sec behind, with Hawes (of London) third, and Hart (the American champion) fourth. Rougher water was. mow entered. This suited Cavill, who was level with Green at Chiswick, where 34mm Sssec) he was swimming very strongly. Cavill soon led by 30 yards, and at Ham- ,, .mersmitb Bridge bad increased his lead to 50 yard*. Time, 43min 37sec— a record for the distance. Green's time was 44tnin 15sec. Green was seized with cramp in the stomach, bat, after taking a stimulant, swam amazingly well, and fast gained on Cavill. In the last half mile the Sydney man was seized with a bad attack of cramp. He took a breather, and eventually won a • plucky race by 12* ec, breaking the record for five miles by 6min 22iec. Hawes was a bad third, and Hart fourth. It was a splendid" contest. .There was an enormous attendance of spectators. Green wishes to meet Cavill in the Halfmile Amateur Championship, which will be decided on July 31. Percy Cavill and Jack Hellings (of Sydney) and Sfcratton (New Zealand) will ; compete in the international swimming contests at Brussels on Saturday and Sunday. July 20. Several newspapers censure the authorities of the Imperial Institute for refusing colonial pressmen facilities .on the occasion, of the Jubilee dinner. News from Africa states that a body of French cavalry, while pursuing a band of robbers at Timbuctoo, was defeated, losing four European officers and 25 Spahis or native cavalry. . Sir John Forrest promised a deputation from the -West Australian section of the London Chamber of Commerce that the West Australian Parliament would settle the mining tenure so as to prevent the jumping of claims. In an interview Sir John F,orrest promised the, commercial representatives that the Government would legislate with a view to "Improve the West Australian pastoral industry. „ He added that he desired to obtain only the low.est payipg railway freights. Sir J. Forrest addressed a large meeting of the West Australian Mining Exchange. He said he expected that the gold export of ! West Australia for 1897^ would be considerably over two millions.- By 1899 the colony ought to be the greatest gold pro- j ducer in Australasia. Personally he would j be very glad for his colony to assist in j the matter of national defence, but he Asked the British people to remember that, • if Australia did not contribute, yet she was building up another Britain for all their countrymen. He intended to do everything to assist capitalists. Any reasonable requeso would be considered, and the mining laws would be carefully amended. He hoped that future Governments and capitalists would pull more together. The half-yearly report ot the Union Bank shows a net profit of L 62.067. Deposits amount to L 16.333.000; securities in cash, £5,979,000; advances on bills, L 15.145.500. The report states that the directors have -carefully investigated the business of the bank, and consider that sufficient reserves have been made to provide for doubtful debts. Sir Westby Perceval has been appointed a director. The death is announced of Jean Ingelow, poetess and authoress. [Jean Ingelow, who was born at Boston, Lincolnshire, in 1820, is the author of some volumes of poems and also of various prose works, includiDg the novels " Off the Skelligs," " Fated to be Free," " Sarah deßerenger," and "Don John."] July 21. Sir J. O. Backnill, eminent medico and eriginator of the volunteer movement, is dead. *£ir J. C. Bucknill was born in 1817. educated

! at Rugby and Bosworth, and received his medical i trainiDg at "University College, London _ In 1844 i he was appointed the first medical Buperintendent of the Devou County Lunatic Asylum, an office which he held until 1862, when he was appointed the Lord Chancellor's Medical Visitor of Lunatics, which office he held until 1876. He originated the "Journal of Medical Science" in 1853, and was one of the original editors of " Brain." He : published various works on insanity and allied subjects. In 1852 Dr Bucknill, through the influence of the late Earl Fortescue, obtained the permission of the Government that the Ist Devon and Exeter Volunteer llifles should be emb >died, and he was the first recruit of this, the primary regiment of the then new volunteer movement. He was knighted in 1894.] Renter's representative in British Columbia states that a great rush bas taken place in view of the gold find at Klondike. Intense excitement prevails, and food is very »carce. The Hon. H. C. Mackintosh, Governor of North-west Canada, confirms the reports as to the extreme richness of the find. The Salvation Army Congress, held at the Crystal Palace, passed a resolution congratulating the Queen on her Oubilae. Her Majesty wired a reply expressing her heartfelt thank?, and stating that she fully recognised the great, varied, and courageous work of the Army, and that she fervently trusted that the Divine blessing would accompany them in their future efforts. The 'Standard states that Mr Hanbury (Financial Secretary to the Treasury) will on Thursday move in the House of Commons for the ratification of the Australian mail contracts, and that Mr Henniker Heaton will move that they be not ratified on the ground that the Australian Governments are totally dissatisfied owing to the rate of speed being inadequate, and that they do not provide for the prohibition of the employment of coloured labour. The New South Wales Mortgage, Loan, and Agency Company is issuing L 160.000 worth of 4 'per cent, debentures, of which L 99.521 worth have already been allotted to the shareholders and debenture-holders of the company. The price of the new debenture stock is fixed at 9S. The issue is the result of the* recent meeting in London, whioh decided to reduce the terminable debentures to L 160,000, and convert them into 4 per cent, debenture stock. The members of the Maori) contingent .visiting England in connection with the Jubilee celebrations have petitioned the Queen to have five million acres of land they now hold secured inalienably to them. The death is announced of Mr Mundeila. [The Right Hon. A. J. Mundeila, M.P., was of Italian ancestry, being the son of Signor Antonio Mundeila, of Oomo, and was boijri in 1825. He received a liberal education, and was subsequently engaged in the staple trade of T^pttingkum, of which town he 'became sheriff in 1852. He organised, ia 1859, the first courts of arbitration - for the settlement of trade disputes! In 1868 he ent ered Parliament as an advanced Liberal member for Sheffield* which constituency he represented until 18S5, when he was returned by the Brightside division of Sheffield. He was vicepresident of the Council on Education, and a charity commissioner from 1880 to 1885; and in 1836 he became President of the Board of Trade in Mr Gladstone's Ministry. In 1892 he was re-elected for the Brightside division and reappointed President of the Board of Trade, but he resigned the latter office in 1834. At the last general election he was returned without opposition for the Brightside aeat.l July 22. Filzgerald Bros, have bought for their Australian circus Hagenbach's troupes of performing elephants, ponies, monkeys, lions, and doga, and have also engaged Hagenbach's trainer. Sir Eobert Herbert, formerly Under-Secre-tary for State, is one of the Government nominees as directors of the British-South Africa Company under the new scheme. The Prince of Wales yesterday opened the National Gallery ot British Art, erected by Mr Henry Tait, which contains his fine v collection of pictures presented to the nation: The British military and naval authorities prefer the cable proposed to be laid from Perth to Cape Colony to the Pacific cable. Mr S9ddon sails on his return to New Zealand, via Brindisi, on the Ist August. A brilliant reception was accorded to Mr Seddon and his wife and to Chiefs-Justice Way by the Constitution Club. ThW"visitors were met by Mr A. J. Balfour, Sir M. HicksBeach, the Dake of Norfolk, and Mr C. T. I Ritchie (President of the Board of Trade). 1 • July 23. Lord Charles Beresf ord has written a letter in which he says he feels sure the colonies will do their part in reference to defence. He hopes soon to see the day when they will have a voice in the Imperial policy. ■ July 24. Mrs Samuelson, a Yorkshire lady visiting ] London, directed a hairdresser to use petro- | lsum -wash.- The bottle containing the wash exploded, and Mrs Samuelson was terribly | burned, and died after prolonged Buffering. The Rev. W. L. Watkinson has been elected president of the British Wesley an Conference. Major Reay and the majority of the Victorian and South Australian Mounted llifles sailed by the Oroya. The Scots Guards Band escorted them from Chelsea BarraclfS to the station. The colonials were enthusiastically cheered in the streets. Sir John and Lady Forrest sailed on their return to West Australia A large number of West Australians save them a send-off.

The new Anglo-Australian mail contracts involve the sailing of mail steamers from Albany on Sundays on the homeward voyage. n Mr Chamberlain has stated that it is the intention of the West Australian Government to create a special department for the protection of the Natives of that colony, and to distribute relief amongst them. A fire broke out in the Eiffal Tower at Blackpool, Lancashire. The structure was" soon a mass of flames. A portion of the tower fell on the pleasure buildings below, completely wrecking them. In the House of Lords the Marquis of Salisbury, replying to a question, said that .while he was willing to inquire into the working of the Irish Land Act he declined jto upset it. Political economy advised the j Irish landlords to act with moderation. ! Mr Seddon delivered an address before the Australian Chamber of Mines. He described the mining legislation of New Zealand, and said the Government had deemed it desirable to define the relative positions of owners, prospectors, and the Crown. The act passed last session had met the difficulty fairly. He hoped that Londoners would believe that the Government had done what they believed to b9 fair and honest. The relations between the employers and the men in New Zealand were all that could be desired, strikes being unknown. The overloading of capital alone checked mining enterprise in the colony. July 26. The New Zealand Shipping Company has" ordered two large steamers for the produce trade. Wilson Barrett, the actor, sails for Australia in January. He has been guaranteed L.10,000 for 100 performances. Gsorge Elder, brother of the lat« Sir Thomas Elder, of Adelaide, is dead. Sir Eobert Eomer, one of the Jutticss of the Chancery Division of the' High Court of Justice, has sanctioned the scheme of rearrangement of the London Bask of Australia. ' A West Australian and New Zealand Market Trust has been formed with a capital of two and'a-half millions, of which a million and a-balf is being issued for public subscription. Mr H. Bottomley is chairman of the board of directors. Mr Seddon bade farewell to Sir Georga Grey, who charged him with a loving message | for New Zsalanders. Mr S addon intends to consult the Cabinet ; with reference to granting larger subsidies to the mail lines with the view of obtaining a greater speed. ' Mr Seddon, as the regult of inquiries, states that the shipping companies intend to reduce the dairy produce freights, placing them on a similar level to the meat freights. Paris, July 21. The commission appointed by the Chamber j of Deputies to inquire into the Panama Canal frauds has abandoned the proposed visit to Dr Cornelius Herz, at Bournemouth, with the view of obtaining his concession for cutting the canal. This abandonment is owing to Herz having requested a postponement until he arranged his documents and in consequence of his claiming L 1,000,000 1 from the French Government for his arrest and conviction in connection with the Panama Lottery Loan Bill in 1893. Berlin, July 25. The Prussian, Chamber, by a majority ot 4, rejected the Law of Association Bill, which was directed against Socialists. St. Petebsbubg, July 20. M. Nelidoff, the Kussian Ambassador at Constantinople, has been transferred to Rome as ambassador, and M. Zinovieff, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Stockholm, succeeds M. Nelidoff. - Jaly 26. The Czar and Czarina will officially welcome the Ecnperor and Empress of Germany on their visit to Russia at Cronstadt on August 7. Some, July 21. Signor Crispi, late Premier, is visiting ', Sicily. In the course of a speech he complained that Italy wan always yielding in i order to avoid exciting indignation abroad. i IE this policy were continued she would soon ! forfeit her position as a Great Power. Calcutta, July 22. The punitive expedition despatched against the treacherous tribesmen at Tochi has occupied Sherandiand Muzor, and captured large stores of grain. For some months prior to the recent plague riots the native journals in Bombay and Poonah incited the native population to rise and murder the officers conducting the operations in the suppression of the plague. The native editors of a number of Poonah papers are now being tried at Bombay on charges of inciting to sedition. The Council of the Governor-general of India has passed the Cantonments Bill, which was introduced with a view to improving the health of the army in India. The bill restores the powers of medical inspection. The Lieutenant-goverbor of Panjaub, Mr W. Mackworth Young, during the discussion on the measure, expressed the , hope that this would initiate a new era. j Daring a conference between the Colonial ' Office omcials and the visiting Premiers the

latter informed Mr Chamberlain that Australia would' gladly welcome him if he paid it a visit. Mr Chamberlain replied that it would be quite impossible for him to visit the colonies unless he resigned from the Cabinet or some definite momentous matter arose in connection with which his visit could be of service both to the colonies and to England. Should suoh an occasion arise, he would go. ... 1 " Capetown, July 20. ; The remainder of the men who were entombed in a rush of mud in Da Beer's mine at Eimberley have been rescued. Jaly 26. Captain Meintjes and Lieutenant Coetzee, two Transvaal officers, commanding Burger forces, are being tried for shooting friendly natives at Lanzsbeergen. Evidence has been given that they shot two Kaffir women and two children who were carrying a white rag. Five thousand persons are in a state of starvation at Johannesburg owing to the closing of the mines. Washington, July 19. A Joint Committee of Congress have scheduled the duty on hides at 15 per cent., on first-class wools at lie, on second-class wools at 12c, and on third class 4c to 8o per Ib. The bounty on beet sugar is increased by nearly LI, with the object of excluding foreign bounty-fed sugar. July 21. The House of Representatives has adopted the report of the Joint Committee of the Congress upon the Tariff Bill. Mr Dingley, dealing with the new Tariff Bill in the House, explained that first-class washed and scoured wools would pay -respectively twice and thrice as much as the unwashed article. Third-class wool prepared for carding and spinning, and containing less than 8 per cenc. of foreign matter, would also pay thrice as much as unwashed. Carpet wools would be charged 4 to . 7 cents. The duties on other wools would'ba as already announced. ' " July 26. Japan has agreed to submit the difficulty which has arisen with Hiwaii over the landing of Japanese immigrants to arbitration. Mr Whitelaw Reid, the American representative to the Queen's Jubilee, says that his visit has greatly impressed upon him the strong desire -of the English to ba on good terms with America. President M'Kinley, in his " Messaga to Congress, recommends the appointment of a currency bank commission, to report in time for legislating upon the subject in December. The Senate, by "a majority of 10, has ratified the report of the two Houues of Congress upon the tariff. President M'Kinley has given his assent to the bill, which cornea into operation immediately. New York, July 19. The official report of rich gold discoveriea in the Klondike district in British Columbia bas caused great excitement in the Pacific coast towns. An expedition to the district is also being organised in New York. July 21. - The Atlantic liner Baltimore has gone ashore in the Strait of Belle Isle, effi the Newfoundland coast.