CABLEGRAMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2565, 13 May 1903, Page 20

CABLEGRAMS.

BRITISH A3D FOREIGN. LONDON, May 4. A proposal has been made to amalgamate eight of the principal milling firms in London to compete against the American millers. Messrs Weddell, Turner, and Co. have secured the Admiralty contract for the conveyance of 50,000 tons of coal from Westport to Hongkong. The Federal Steam Navigation Company's steamer Somerset and the Northern Steamship Company's Karawa have been launched on the Clyde and at Dundee respectively. May 5. At the Old Bailey H. Bernstein was sentenced to 10 years and Goldman to five years imprisonment in connection with the Bank of England note forgeries. Bernstein was arrested at Capetown in January last. The Admiralty has planned four cruisers of the Duke of Edinburgh type, with a speed of 22 knots. Private contractors will build three of them. Consols were quoted at £92 lls 3d on Mr Balfour's announcement in the Commons that the Transvaal Loan Bill would be introduced to-morrow. It is expected that the loan will be issued on Thursday in the form of 3 per cents, at about par. On the Stock Exchange dealings have already taken place at 1 1-16 premium. Replying to the Duke of Bedford's criticism in the Lords on his action in placing Colonel Kiuloch on the retired list in connection with " ragging " in the Guards, Lord Roberts declared that the decision was in accordance with the regulations, and also in the best interests of the army. He would not allow the honourable traditions of the army to be sullied by such a disgusting and degrading form of bullying as had been proved to exist. May 6. King Edward has commanded the Inniskilling Fusiliers to wear a grey plume in recognition of their brilliant services in South Africa. A severe earthquake shock has been felt in some Derbyshire villages. The Right Hon. J. Chamberlain, replying to Mr J. Cathcart Wason, said that on learning hereafter the Governor of Fiji's views he would consider if an alteration of taxation were advisable. It would be unprecedented and inconvenient to ask Mr Seddon for a report on the native regulations promulgated in Fiji. The proper method for natives petitioning would be through the Governor. Ordinance 20 of 1887 was still operative. As at present advised, he was of opinion that it was necessary to retain powers of deportation. The Emerald, a turbine steamer, has successfully crossed the Atlantic, despite severe gales. Mr Morrison, an American missionary, has reported to Lord Lansdowne (Minister of Foreign Affairs) many flagrant cases of official atrocities in the Congo. He declares that no Government in the world is so wicked — not even Turkey's. May 7. The Daily Express states that the Havershain Grange brought from Buenos Ayres to Capetown 2000 sheep and 250 cattle suffering from foot-and-mouth disease. Mr Arthur Balfour's motor-driver has been thrice fined for "scorching" when the Premier was riding. The Liberal press condemns Mr Balfour's repeated breaches of the law, which was one of his own making. Germany is experiencing some difficulty in securing financial support to the Bagdad railway. The Swiss, French, and Americans are threatening to withdraw. The Crown Prince of Saxony has telegraphed in the tenderest terms congratulating the Princess Louise upon her recent accouchement. The Princess burst into tears. The proposed Japanese naval expenditure is 115,000,000 yen (about £•11,500,000). May 8. Mr G. R. Le Hunte, C.M.G., Governor of New Guinea, has been appointed Governor of South Australia. The Board of Trade returns for April show that the imports decreased by £2,397,601. The exports decreased by £356,156. The Standard's Odessa correspondent states that Russia intends settling emigrants in the vicinity of Afghanistan in batches of from 100 to 500. The Italian and Japanese fleets will arrive at Spithead in July. King Edward will hold a grand review. The Court of Chancery has granted a commission to enable Ernest Henri Sack-ville-West to secure testimony abroad with a view to showing that he is Baron Sackville's lawful son, alleging that Baron Sackville married Josephine Duran de Ortega in 1864. Baron Sackville declares that Josephine married Juan de la Oliva in 1851, and that this marriage was not dissolved. Baron Sackvills ia a son of the fifth Earl De la Warr and uncle of the present (eighth) Earl. The family name of the De la Warrs is Sackville-West. Baron Sackville has been British Minister to the Argentine Republic and to Madrid and Washington. He is second heir to the present Earl De la Warr. He is generally supposed not to be married, and his brother, the Hon. William Edward Sackville- West, is looked upon ac heir to the barony and third heir to the

earldom. Baron Sackville is 76 years of age, and his present heir 73. The heir to ihe earldom is Lord Buckhurst, son of the present (eighth) earl, a child three years of age. Sir Hector Macdonald's widow receives a pension of £120. Lord Roberts has ordered an inquiry into a charge of "ragging" connected with an officers' dance at the Mount Nelson Hotel, Capetown, on Christmas Ere, 1901. W. E. Stanford, C.8., a Capetown officer who served in the Sout-i African war, is the complainant. May 10. Shamrock 111 has been repaired, and has restarted on her trials. The Benidir and Kabyles tribemen in Morocco are threatening Tetuan and Guleyarafa. After a sanguinary figh' they retired. The insurgents are encamped on the outskirts. Santos Dumout ascended in a navigable balloon from Paris, and carried out many successful evolutions. M. Lebaudy ascended in a steerable balloon at Nantes. The weather was rainy and windy. He travelled 38 Kilometres (about 24 miles) in 90 minutes, and made various evolutions at an altitude of 300 metres (about 330 yards). May 11. The Board of Agriculture has practically prohibited the importation into Great Britain of Argentine and Uruguayan live cattle owing oo foot-and-mouth disease. The Times' Hongkong correspondent, in announcing the Spartiate's arrival there from Portsmouth, state 3 that if she becomes the Australian flagship the colonies will .secure the most economical and best steaming cruiser in the navy. An unknown donor has guaranteed £300,000 for the modernisation and rebuilding of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London. The Unionists' dissatisfaction at the Government's action in abandoning the Corn Tax is increasing. Mr Ritchie is receiving many indignant protests. PARIS, May 6. The Pope upholds the French protectorate of Catholics in the East, and seeks to settle the difficulty concerning the promulgation of Bulls in France. The French Dominicans., Franciscans, and Capuchins have applied for authorisation as congregations restricted to missions abroad. Two submarines at La Rochelle attacked a fleet of ironclads forward, then plunged and attacked them aft. Eyewitness i declare that in actual warfare the division would have been annihilated. * May 7. M. Rouvier, Minister of Finance, is introducing an Income Tax Bill with a new method of collection. He does not require a declaration or inquiry as to the taxpayer s financial position, but the amount of the tax will vary according to the taxpayer's apparent circumstances. BERLIN, May 5. Prince Henry of Prussia shortly takes his squadron to Antwerp. The ex-Crown Princess Louise of Saxony has given birth, to a daughter. May 8. Prince Henry's fleet is the finest German squadron ever voyaging, consisting of five battleships of tne Kaiser class and six modern S^uisers. As well as calling at Antwerp, "tte-will call at Cherbourg and Lisbon. The German Arctic expedition will utilise a submarine boat, and a wireless telegraphy station is being erected at Spitzbergen. The expedition is also carrying an apparatus with it. The Reichstag has voted funds for the purchase of a whaler to relieve the German Antarctic expedition. ' VIENNA, May 8. A Hungarian aristocrat won £100,000 at a baccarat sitting at the Buda-Pesth Club. ROME, May 6. Signor Baccclli, Italian Minister of Marine, speaking in the Chamber of Deputies, said that Great Britain had not approached Italy in favour of simultaneous naval reductions. In the event of Great Britain proposing such a course, Italy would reduce her armaments. The proposal might seem inopportune, because others had been increasing their fleets while Italy, for financial reasons, had been reducing her Estimates. Italy needed a powerful navy, owing to her position, the great interests she had to defend in distant parts, and also to protect emigrants. ST. PETERSBURG, May 5. A hundred Jewfih families, fearing massacre, have left Keiff. Troops are patrolling the streets. Assemblages have been forbidden, and the populace warned that the troops in case of need will use their weanons. NEW YORK, May 5. Mr Carnetrie has given one million dollars towards the erection in NewYork of headquarters of the National Engineering Societies. Mr Mark Hanna, in an interview, declared that President Roosevelt would certainly receive the Republican nomi-« nation in 1904. May 6. The Dominion liner Hamilton rammed; the Clyde liner Saganaw off the Delaware coast. Twenty of the Saganaw'a passengers were drowned. The Chief Commissioner of Lands for* British Columbia states that the Columbia Western Railway Company offered him 30,000 acres if he would issue them

£rown grants for 600,000 acres, including valuable coal and petroleum lands in the Kootenay district. The grants, jtfhich had been signed, were cancelled. May 8. News has been received that the Americans captured ten forts in the Taraca Country, Mindanao. One hundred and fifteen Moras were iLiiled, 10 pounded, and 60 captured. There were nine American casualties. The British-American Tobacco Com- j pany has purchased its rival, the T. C. \ Williams Company, of Richmond. The price is 2,000,000d01. The American Army Board's new ser- ; ivice rifle is a pound lighter than its The barrel is 24in long, encased in wood, and its calibre .30. The ball penetrates through 24 lhi; (planks. I Signor Bacelli, Acting-Minister of , Foreign Affairs for Italy, has informed the Washington authorities that Italy be no party to the acceptance by the families of two Italians who were lynched at Erwin of an indemnity of 5000dol while the criminals go nnpunished. He considers the failure to, suppress lynching . as unworthy of a ■nation in the van of civilisation. May 10. The New York police, in consequence of a letter they received stating that the Mafia Society contemplated the destruction of an English liner, discovered aboard the steamer Unibria a box containing 1001b of dynamite, fitted with mechanism which was working, and ( arranged to explode after 36 hours. ° May 11. The letter received by the New York i police warned them that the Mafia Society had ordered the destruction of every steamer sailing from New York flying the British flag. The Oceanic was spared out of pity for the large number of women and children aboard. When the letter was received a hoax was suspected. The infernal machine containing a hundred pounds of dynamite, which was j discovered, was of most ingenious con- i struction. It was found on the pier among the passengers' luggage, with the clockwork ticking away. It was promptly dropped into the sea. When examined at first it was discovered to be scorched, suggesting an intention to burn the steamer. It is thought two Italians brought the box to the pier. The police, however, suspect the Fenians, despite Patrick Ford's denial. : • Coolie riots have occurred at Berbice, in British Guiana. The police fired on them, killing six and wounding seven. OTTAWA, May 4. A stampede has occurred from Frank, owing to the discovery of fissures in the mountain, some of which are 10ft wide, 500 ft deep, and extend for 1000 ft. May 11. A fire in Ottawa destroyed 300 houses. r A thousand persons were rendered homeless. The damage is estimated at a million and a-half dollars. An incendiary has been arrested for firing the lumber yard where the conflagration started. BUENOS AYRES, May 8. Argentine decrees prohibit the exportation of cattle, sheep, and pigs, owing to one case of foot and mouth disease among imported cattle now at Buenos Ayres and the cases reported at Capetown CAPETOWN, May 5. It has been ascertained that the deaths in Johannesburg, which it was feareel were due to an outbreak of bubonic plague, were due to pneumoncoccus. May 8. The Haversham Grange's cargo was filaughtere.l before landing. Others will be similarly dealt with. •Obituary: Mwanga, the late King of .Uganda. [A British protectorate over Uganda proper was proclaimed in 1894. Mwanga, the King, left Uganda in 1897, and headed an insurrectionary movement in Buddu, which was f-uppressed. He then fled to the neighbouring German territory, and his infant son was declared King, with a native council of regency. In 1897 a mutiny broke out among the Soudanese troops in the. protectorate, which was only suppressed after several months' fighting, during which several British officers lost their lives.]