BRITISH AND FOREIGN. LONDON, February 5.

Otago Witness, Issue 2398, 15 February 1900, Page 17

BRITISH AND FOREIGN. LONDON, February 5.

•r A million pounds' worth of New South Wales 4 per cent. Treasury bills, with a currency of two years, have been placed on the London market. The minimum has been fixed at £99 10s. ' Captain H. C. A. Bayne, of the second class cruiser Diana, now conveying reliefs to the Australian squadron, recommissions the Mildura. Captain Leah, of the Mildura, will be transferred to the Diana. Heavy snow is falling throughout England. February 6. - Although the Nicaraguan Canal Convention does not reveal the fact, there is an impression that America makes concessions to Great Britain in Alaska as a set-off for the latter's relinquishment of her canal claims. - - The total quantity of wheat anel flour | afloat for the United Kingdom is 1,925,000 quarters, and for the Continent 810,000 quarters. Shares in the Australian and New Zealand Mortgage Company are unchanged. February 7. Mr John Redmond has been elected chairman of the Irish. Nationalist party. Mr Chamberlain, in thanking the Newfoundland Government for renewing the modus vivendi in connection with the shore j fisheries, saiel the action was serviceable to j Imperialism equally with Canada's and Australia's offers of contingents. The United Irish League have ordered the graziers in the counties of Mayo, Ros- I common, and Eastern Galway to surrender ; their pastures by May next, otherwise they will be boycotted. Some years ago a num.- I ber of Irish landlords in the districts mentioned evicted the small tenant farmers and converted the lands into grazing sections. The object of the league is to compel the graziers to throw the lands idle on the landlords' hanels, and so compel the latter to again cut the land \ip into small farms. Mr W. H. Long, president of the Board of Agriculture, has announced a serious outbreak of foot and mouth disease among the cattle of Yarmouth. Mr Bernard Abrahams, solicitor, Great ! Marlborough. street, London, and three ! others, have been arrested on a charge of ■conspiracy to obtain the naturalisation of _ an alien, knowing their action to be dis- i ■honest. Mr Martin, chairman of directors of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, is dead. " February 8. The majority of the remainder of the missing notes stolen from Parr's Bank last year have been sent to the bank. February 9. Silver is quoteel at 2s 3 7-16 cl per oz. February 11. Mr Chamberlain informed the House of . Commons that the Australian Common- | wealth Bill woulel be introduced after the arrival of the delegation from Australia. February 12. Mr Redmond has issued a manifesto appealing for funds to conduct the Irish campaign and combat in the House of Commons. The manifesto indicates that Home Rule anel compulsory land purchase will be the chief issues of the campaign. PARIS, February 5. ' The French newspapers assert that President Loubet has decorated M. Leaudre, the author of the recent objectionable caricature on the Queen, and that Sir Edward Monson, the British Ambassador, had protested, referring to the matter as " a regrettable incident." M. Leygues, the 'Minister of Public Instruction, is said to (have replied that M. Leaudre had caricatured other sovereigns without any protests being made. February 6. Sir E. Monson, the British Ambassador, !has left Paris, and gone to Nice and San Remo on leave. BERLIN, February 5. The German newspapers Vossische Zeitung and Berlin Post strongly warn the Germans against their exhibition of passionate hostility towards Great Britain, -is such feeling will only benefit Russia and France. PEKIN, February 6. The German and other ambassadors in Pekin have presenteel a note to the Chinese Government insisting upon adequate protection for missionaries throughout China. February 7. The Chinese provinces are so opposed to tlie Emperor's deposition that the Dowager, •Empress now explains that only an heir ihas been selected. NEW YORK, February 7. * The United States Jingo party are opiposing the Nicaraguan Canal Convention Ibecause the States are not allowed full military control of the canal. They also dislike the stringency of the neutrality i