BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2513, 14 May 1902, Page 21

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

LONDON, May 5. The Queen Viotoria memorial fund has Reached £195,000. Princess Beatrice Massime, Don Car\los's daughter, attempted to commit by jumping into the fliver Tiber, Mbufc was rescuea. She accused her husJband of infidelity. Colonel Swayne's flying column successfully raided the eastern. Somali itrlbes, capturing much stock. '±ne Daily Mail states that the imposition of fresh taxes led to a meeting of -3000 at Thasos for the purpose of arranging a memorial to Lord Cromer and '/the Khedive on the subject. The 'Ooyernor of the town, using a revolver, ordered the gendarmes to fire. One hundred and twenty were killed, including women and children, and many wounded. •TThe British Imperial Tobacco Company threaten to open factories in, America. nfcfr Shaffer, president of the Retail Butchers' Association, declares that the American Beef Trust are manoeuvring for ■the control of the Smithfield market. ■The German cast-iron works are arranging for a gigantic combination to resist the American invasion. May 6. Lord Cran'borne states that there have "been no negotiations with Italy regarding the eventual occupation of Tripoli. Good coal has been discovered at Roseires and Abuharraz, in the Soudan. Edison asserts that his magnetic process for the concentration of iron ore has been placed at Great Britain's disposal. The Norwegian deposits alone are sufficient for a century's work at present prices for American ore. At a sale of pictures at Christie's £60,000 was realised. A landscape by Holbein, the famous Dutch painter, fetched 9200 guineas, and a portrait by Sir Henry Raeburn 6500 guineas. May 7. The Morning Post asserts that Russia supports M. Klokukowski, the French Minister at Bangkok, in demanding the cession of the State of Luang, Prabang province. Siam's independence is thus j jeopardised. Great Britain's attention is urgently called to the movement. "The Trans-Mekong portion of the State of Luang Prabang is at present under French protectorate, the remainder still belonging to Siam. The Daily Mail states that the War Office has abandoned the idea of breeding horses. Registration is considered the most practicable and cheapest. Canada has agreed to furnish 500 horses yearly, full-grown and trained by Canadian local troops, at an annual cost of £20,000. Australia will also provide the proportion Tndia needs?. Turkey is sending large shipments of Mausers to Tripoli. The London County Council is trying to purchase St. Bartholomew's and Christ's Hospital?, with 10 acres of land, to use as their headquarters. May 8. The Channel fleet welcomed the "German squadron, under the command of Prince Henry, at Berehaven. J lt is expected that four or five millions iwill be available for carrying out che late Mr Cecil Rhodes's bequests. The executors are not likely to prove the will before the end of the year. , Dr Jameson, the leading executor, is aware of and fully shares Mr Rhodes's ideals. The King and Queen will reside at Aldershot for three days in June. They purpose witnessing the great military review to be held on the lGth prox. Mr Wolff Harris (senior member of the firm of Bing, Harris, and Co., of Dunedin) has purchased Sir E. J. Poynter's great Academy picture "Storm Nymphs." ■The Board of Trade returns for April show that the imports decreased £65,689, and the exports increased £1.505,496. A Reuter message states that Mr •Elihu Roetr^merican Secretary of War, considers that General Smith's methods in Samar and Batangas were the most humane and effective under the circumstances. The County Councils' Association have approved the Education Bill, provided a majority of the Educational Committee be councillors. May 9. The Education Bill was read a second time on a division by 402 votes to 165. On a charge of conspiring to defraud a number of solicitors and clients by means of forged leases, involving £50,000, Lomax (a solicitor) has been sentenced at the Old Bailey to five years', Thomas Simmons (solicitor's clerk) to four years', and J. M. Birkett (clerk) to 18 months' imprisonment. Charles Gibson, a house and estate agent, was discharged. "'Mr J. K. Caird, merchant, gives Dundee a cancer hospital costing £18,000 and «ndows a laboratory of research with £1000 per annum for five years. •Mr Chamberlain, in reply to a question, said it was not proposed to discuss at the Premiers' Conference the position jof Japanese within the Empire. J Mr W. T. Stead explains that from 1891 to 1899 he, under the late Cecil Rhodes's wills, was entrusted with tbe

sole execution of the testator's Imperialistic ideals, but that just before the war he was removed on the ground that he was too masterful a man to work witli the other executors. A steamship company termed the East Asiatique Francaise has been formed in Paris with a capital of £400,000, which has been partly subscribed by the Scandinavian Messageries and Danish East Asiatic Companies. Each will have two representatives on the board of directors. Mr Chamberlain has cabled to Lord Hopetoun that the Netherlands Minister explains that deportation of convicts to the Dutch colonies is unknown under the Netherlands Penal Code. The rumour respecting New Guinea probably arose through the temporary removal of some Java convicts to Meruke for the purpose of erecting a residency there May 10. A powerful company has been formed in London, with a capital of £730,000, to acquire Sandford's Lithgo'w Ironworks, near Sydney. The company has ordered two blast furnaces, steel furnaceSj and rail plate mills. One million and a-half Indian 3 per cents offered at a minimum of 99 were covered sevenfold. Applicants at 101-jl-are entitled to 57 per cent. May 11. Sir Clements Markham, president of the Royal Geographical Society, in a letter published in The Times, earnestly appeals to the public for £6000 to despatch a relief ship to the Antarctic expedition. The bye-election for the House of Commons for the Bury (Lancashire) seat, rendered vacant owing to Mr J. Kenyon's resignation, resulted in the return of Mr G. Toulmin (Liberal), who polled 4213 votes. The defeated candidate, MiHarry Lawson (Unionist), secured 3729 votes. [The new member unsuccessfully contested the eeafc against Air Kenyou (C.) in 1900, when he polled 3283.] PARIS, May 7. A train conveying Belgian pilgrims to Lourdes was derailed near Amiens. Nine were killed and 11 injured. May 10. A warraut has been issued for the arrest of Humbert, son of M. Humfbert, a member of De Freycint's Cabinet, together with his wife and wife's sister, Marie Daurignac, "who have all absconded. Madame Humbert borrowed two millions sterling on the strength of an alleged bequest of four millions locked in a safe. Neither Crawford (the alleged American testator) nor Newhews (one who was represented as being anxious to many Marie) had ever seen the family. The creditors of M. Humbert becoming clamorous, the justices opened the safe, which was found to fee empty. May 11. The solicitor for the brothers Crawford, the nephews of the Crawford who was alleged to have made the bequest to Madame Humbert, has been arrested. May 12. The second ballots in the French elections resulted in the return of all the members of the Ministry. BERLIN, May 7. The Budget Committee "of the Reichstag have agreed to the construction of the first section of the Dar-es-Salaam (on the east coa^t) and Mrogoro (inland) railway. MADRID, May 7. An earthquake occurred at Murchia. The tower of the cathedral oscillated, and the facades of the cathedral and convents were damaged. Schools and churches elsewhere were damaged and had to be closed. Boulders rolled down the Fuensanta Mountains. The shocks were felt in the South of Fraiice. WASHINGTON, May 8. In the Senate Senator Georgp F. Hoar (Massachusetts) introduced a bill authorising the President to select an Isthmian route, the cost of construction being limited to 180,000,000d01. NEW YORK, May 6. The St. Louis Exhibition has been postponed till 1904. President Roosevelt 'has declined to allow Admiral Dewey and General Miles to accept the French Legion of Honour. May 7. Signor Palma, the Cuban Presidentelect, opposes a commercial treaty with the United States until the present duty on Cuban sugar has been reduced by 25 per cent, or over. The United States Fishery Commissioners announce the amazing success of artificially introduced shad, striped bass, and other food fishes on the Pacific Coa&t. 3lay 9. Malcolm Foixl, an athlete, of Brooklyn, while in a fit of aberration, shot his brother, Leicester Ford, the novelist, dead, and then committed suicide. ♦ INTERCOLONIAL MELBOURNE, May 6. Anxiety is felt for the safety of the steamer Boveric, 45 days out from here to Durban. Mr Peacock, the State Premier, has decided not to accept his colleague-,' resieuatiou^. May 8. The re-port of the Factories Commis- • sion will be ready within a. fortniaht.

The evidence taken in New Zealand has convinced some, if not all, of the members who made the trip that the industrial laws of that colony operate to the advantage of employers as well as employees. The Boveric is 17 days overdue. She has 900 horses and 90 men aboard. May 9. The Presbyterian Assembly Committee have adopted a resolution affirming that the time is opportune for the withdrawal of any claim of France in the New Hebrides, and urging Mr Barton to press the matter on the attention of Mr Chamberlain. It was suggested that Martinique (? already a French possession) be given to France in exchange far .the group. May 10. The steamer Kilburn is under orders to leave here to search for the Boveric. The steamer Willyama is awaiting instructions at Fremantle. Vessels bound to a»d from the Cape have been instructed to keep a look-out. The non-arrival of the Orange Grange, now five days overdue at Durban, raises the suggestion that she may be towing the Boveric. May 12. A« the result of the House of Representatives rejecting the GovernorGeneral's Establishment Bill, Lord Hopetoun is reducing the expenses of Government House. He sends half his horses back to England, and di«niisses about 20 servants. There will al&o be less social entertaining. The State Premier, at Chines, outlined the Government's proposals for parliamentary reform. He said that economical reform was impossible without constitutional reform. He proposed to reduce the number of Ministers to six, the Assembly to 60, and the Council to 30, witho\it reducing the members' honorarium. He would thus save £13,500 annually. The franchise for the Council would be broadened, adopting the ratepayers' roll. The Assembly would be given single electorates, and adult suffrage would be adopted. Dealing with finance, he said that the financial situation was grave, and he intended to call Parliament together on the 27th, with a view to getting authority to meet the deficiency of £229,000 on the current year. Additional taxation would not be necessary, and there was no need for alarm. Treasury bonds would be issued to cover the deficit. There were too many civil servants, and there would be no further appointments to the service, but no drastic measures in the shape of arbitrary dismissals would be taken. They proposed to extend by half an hour the working time of civil servants. At the instance of Messrs Howard, Smith, and Co., the Federal Government have cabled to the Home authorities details of the Boveric's breakdown, and the urgent necessity for relieving her, and requesting that if practicable assistance by the warships on the East African station making a search. SYDNEY, May 12. The distressed vessel reported yesterday proves to be the barquentine Elverland, coal laden. She left Newcastle on April 26 for Lyttelton. The steamer Chillagoe took the Elverland in tow off Smoky Cape this afternoon, and is coming south. It is supposed the barquentine came to gi v ief in the late gales. It has been found impossible to secure the sen-ices of the Willyama to search for the Boveric. The Age left Wallaroo on Saturday night to join in the search. May 6. New South Wales will not be represented in the Bisley team. The men selected refused to go with the team as constituted. The Rev. Mr Walker, of Sydney, has been elected moderator of the Presbyterian Assembly. May 7. News from the Royalty group reports a disastrous- cyclone at Lifu. Great damage was done to the buildings and plantations. Two schooners were wreekfek The cyclone was also severely felt at Mare, where the recruiting schooner Rachel was wrecked. The crew were saved. The Rev. Mr Smaill, missionary for the Otngo Presbyterian Church at Epi (New Hebrides), is dead. May 8. The Presbyterian Assembly have expressed sympathy with the Otago Church in the death of the Rev. Mr Smaill. The Clouston Company, of Blenheim, have purchased the steamer Nambucca for New Zealand coastal work. The Boveric's horses are valued at £15,000, and the ship and cargo at £60,000. It is assumed the vessel has been drifting for the last month. May 11. South Solitary Island reports that a distressed vessel, painted white, apparently a barquentine, with the fore, main, and mizen masts gone, passed, heading south. ! ADELAIDE, May 7. ! There will be but four, at the outside, of the Labour party in the Council. The j household suffrage question has now re- j ceived its quietus. There will be only one new member in the Council. May 8. A shock of earthquake was felt throughout the State yesterday. No rla,mqga WaS doild

May 9. ' The Premier claims that the Government are materially strengthened by the elections. The leader of the Opposition says the chances are that his party will be quite as strong, if not stronger, than last year. FREMANTLE, May 8. The steamer Willyama picked up yesterday evening the lifeboat belonging to the s.s. Boveric, containing t-he chief officer and three of the crew. They report that the Boveric lost her propeller 1500 miles from Fremantle. No details are yet available. May 11. Three steamers the Willyama, Age, and Tagliaferro — have been chartered to search for the Boveric. They leave immediately. PERTH, May 9. The Boveric's tail shaft broke short at the stern tube, and the propeller was lost. Eight days were allowed to elapse in the hope of receiving assistance. Itwas then decided to send, to Fremantle. The crew in the whaleboat consisted of Mr Hayman (chief officer), Mr M'Carthy (second officer), and two seamen named Dry and Timmins. For 18 days they experienced light winds; then a succession of gales for the remaining nine. They suffered but little discomfort, only getting an occasional wetting. Mr Wayman has little fear of the Boveric running short of provisions. THURSDAY ISLAND, May 6. The steamer Penarth, to load coal at Avestport for the Admiralty, has parsed south.