BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2413, 31 May 1900, Page 13

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

LONPON, May 22,

In the House of 'Commons Mr Brodrick stated that Russia had a lease of a site at Masampo, in Corea, but that it had obtained no exclusive right thereby. May 24. Consols are quoted at JSIOI. The Queen has gone to Balmoral. The Khedive arrives in England on June 21' on a lv days' visit. In Ithe House of Commons, Sir E. Sa&soon urged that a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into the commercial and strategic defects of the cable system. Mr Hanbury, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, opposed the appointment, but Mr Balfour ultimately promised a departmental inquiry. The American visible supply of wheat is estimated at 61,079,000 bushels. The bank rate of discount is 3£ per cent. May 25. Russia is preparing Manchurian defence, adjacent to the Corean frontier. Sir William White, Director of the Naval Construction department, has rej signed, owing to ill-health and the hostile i 'Criticism passed upon his work. I The Appeal Court have reversed the dei cision of Mr Justice Grantham in the case | of Francis Times versus Carr, in which the plaintiff applied for compensation for the seizure, at Muscat, of a consignment of [ aims, manufactured at Birmingham, alleged to be intended for a Persian Gulf port, from whence they were to be taken across country to the Afridis, then in revolt. The | owner of the arms thus obtains compensation for the seizure. ! Lieutenant R. ¥. Scott, of the battleship i Majestic, has been appointed to command the Antarctic expedition inaugurated by the Royal Society and Royal Geographical Society. Mr J. Sealey, Liberal - Unionist, has succeeded Sir Richard E. Webster as member

i for the Isle of Wight by a largely increased majority. j May 26. | The Hon. William Peel, Unionist, succeeds the Marquis of Lome as member for South Manchester 'by a majority of 2039. 'Che feeling is increasing in England that Parliament will be dissolved in July. j ■ May 27. ', The Privy Council appeal, W. B. Gray (of Maldon, Victoria) v. the Australian Gold Recovery Company, has been abandoned, probably on account of the Victorian Government's purchase of. the cyanide patent rights. A terrible catastrophe is reported from British Guiana. A steamer was swept over the Sumatumas Cataract, and every person on board drowned. PARIS, May 26. An officer of the French army, having communicated to a politician the contents of certain War Office documents relating to Dreyfus, with the object of re-opening the case, defended his action on the ground that it was a political matter. M. Gallifet, Minister of War, dismissed the officer, and characterised hi^ offence as a crime. NEW YOKK, May 26. The dynamiters Well and Lock have been found guilty, and sentenced to imprisonment for life. May 28. In pursuance with the law relating to felony convictions, Mullet and Fitzharris, ex-convicts, connected with the notorious Phoenix Park murderers, were not allowed to land in America. • . HONGKONG, May 27. - The Powers have represented to the , Tsung-li-Yamen the necessity for suppress1 ing the bands of rebels locally known as j " Boxers," who for a considerable time ■ raided and terrorised portions of North- | Eastern China. j . TOKIO, May 27. Live torpedoes have been placed in position for the protection of all Japanese harbours. |