BRITISH AND FOREIGN. LONDON, February 12.

Otago Witness, Issue 2399, 22 February 1900, Page 16

BRITISH AND FOREIGN. LONDON, February 12.

Professor Fo&ter, Unionist, has been elected by a large majority to represent the London University in Parliament, vice Sir John Lubbock, raised to the peerage. The Lord Mayor's Indian famine relief fund lias reached £21,000. In consequence of heavy frost in England the Waterloo Cup has been postponed for a week. Wheat at Mark Lane is sixpence dearer on the week. February 14. Mr Mather (Liberal) has been elected to the House of Commons for the Ros&endale Division of Lancashire by a majority of 1372, replacing Mr Maden, resigned. [At the general election Mr Maden (Liberal) was elected imoppofced.] A .severe blizzard in England caused great damage to the telegraph lines and blocked the i ail ways. Shareholders of both companion have endorsed the amalgamation of the Castle line and British. Union Steam Ship Companies, trading to South Africa. February 15. The lead imports are 20,682 tons, of which 5280 are Australian. The exports were 3449 tons. The W. N. White Company, fruitbrokers, Covent Garden, are being wound up. The liquidator reports, that it is impossible to reconstruct the company. February 17. In the. House of Commons Mr M'Cartney said that owing to the high price of coal in Britain the Admiralty was considering offers of Australian coal. February 18. The Duke of Westminster's personalty has been sworn at £594.229. The Rev. Hugh Price Hughes visits Australasia shortly in connection with the Wesleyan missions. The hemp maiket is dull ; fair Wellington, January and March shipments, £31. Mutton and lamb for all classes remain unchanged. PARIS, February 16. The French expedition despatched against tlie notorious Central African conqueror and despot Rabah, otherwise known as the Arabian Napoleon, captured his fortress at Kuka, on Lake Tchad, in the sultanate of Bornw, after defeating his ainry, numbering 12,000, and killing 2000. Eabah fled. Rabah was originally a slave of the Egyptian Governor of Bahr-el-G-hazal. After an adventurous career he conquered the sultanate of Bornu and portions of the adjoining native kingdoms. He came into collision with the French through attacking the Sultan Baghirni, who had accepted French protection. BERLIN", February 13. The Reichstag have approved of the Samoan treaty. February 17. Germany adds 38 batteries of fully equipped machine guns to her army. CAIRO, February 12. The 38 soldiers who have been sent as a reinforcement to Major Marchand have arrived at Khartoum. NEW YORK, February 12. Roland Molyneux, who was acquitted on his first trial at New York on a charge of poisoning Henry Cornish and Mrs Kate Adams with cyanide of potassium, which was sent through the post, has been again placed on trial and convicted. The verdict created a sensation. The prisoner appeals against it. February 18. Roland Molineux, who was found guilty and sentenced to death for the poisoning of Mrs K. J- Adams in December, 1898, will be electrocuted at New York on Maicli 26. President M'Kinley, believing that the Filipino war is ended, withdraws shortly half the troops from the Philippines, and appoints a Civil Commission to organise a municipal government. The military will control the group. WASHINGTON, February 15. The Committees of Commerce and Foreign Affairs of the United States Congress favour the granting of a subsidy of 400,000d0l (£80,000) per annum, for a period of 20 years, to forward on the construction of a Pacific cable by private enterprise. OTTAWA, February 16. The Bishop of Moosonee states that the Eskimos report that two men descended in a balloon and were subsequently murdered by the natives. The Bishop believes that the report is authentic, and that the balloon was that of Andree, who attempted to reach the North Pole by its means, CALCUTTA, February 15. SS war tribe at Monghao, on the Burmese frontier, have murdered Mr Southland, one of the members of the Burmah Chinese Delimitation Commission. They also killed the doctors who were accompanying the party and wounded Mr S t J. Litton A the British co»*>jJk '