BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Otago Witness, Volume 14, Issue 2648, 14 December 1904, Page 24

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

LONDON, December 5. Joseph. Pee, pig butcher, was convicted on his third trial, and sentenced to death »t Belfast for the murder of John Flanagan, a produce dealer at Clones. _ Adeline Sargeant, the novelist is dead ; Xged 53 years. [Emily Frances Adeline Sergeant was torn jri Derbyshire in 1851, her mother being well known in religious circles as a writer cf verse and short stories. After her father's death Miss Sergeant was for some time engaged in teaching. She gained the £100 prize offered by the proprietors of the Dundee People's Friend with her story " Jacob's Wife," and later she was for come time on the staff of Sir John Lang's papers in Dundee. She wrote over 30 novels and . stories. She was deeply interested in philanthropic matters, and especially concerned herself with the lives and welfare of working girls.] The Times' correspondent says that there is' a bitter feeling in Vienna- regarding Germany's hectoring- attitude over the commercial treaty with Austria, Germany hinting that she may possibly refuse Austria the- "favoured nation" treatment. Germany is endeavouring to abrogate such arrangements, notably with Great Britain, and even with the United States. Mr Roberts, collier and" student, the leader of" the Welsh religious revival, is causing, a great upheaval throughout the principality. As a nucleus to the Mansion House Fund £15,000' has been- privately subscribed in London towards a scheme for the relief of the unemployed. Mr Gladstone, speaking, at Leeds, declared it was the duty of the Government to provide wort for the unemployed 5 . A picture by Roniney, sold for 6500g5, was purchased a few years ago at a, country sale for 20s. George -Romriey- was born in 1734-, and worked for 10 years at his father's trade -of cabinet-making. In 1755" he- wa& articled' „ bo a "Count" Steele* to- be taught the art or science of a painter. In 1756- he marriedj and next year set, up 'as a portrait painter. In 1762 he went to London, leaving behind him at Beckside, Dalton-in-Furness, his wife, eon, and" baby girl. He visited France twice, and spent two years' in Italy, and then, set up. in Londo^n as zi portrait -painter, and in 1786' he made^3sQogs. Of all- his sitters, Lady; Hamilton, the friend of Nelson, was the most famous, and> hepainted her. in fully 30' characters. In. 1798, nearly mad. and quite desolate, Romney returned to his deserted" wife, ahdr died in l€o2. His sad life' is referred to mi Fitzgerald's "Letters, HayJeyV ''Two Poor Lives," and in other works, while Lord'Tennyson wrote- a- -poem, "Roniney's Remorse." , December 6. The Duchess of Aosta has rallied from r severe attack of pneumonia. The Queen of Portugal is hastening from London to Turin, but King, "Carlos remains at Buckingham- Palace, though, he- has postponed his visit to Welbeck. Mr G. C. Russell, of New Zealand, won the Whewell scholarship for international law at Cambridgei Sir Michael Hicks-Beach' and, Sir John. Dolomb introduced' to> Mr Balfour a deputation from, the- Imperial l Federation Defence Committee, asking . that' the proposed Colonial Conference should giv& primary consideration' to the necessity of ImperiaL co-Gpe"ration fcr the maintenance of the navy, hi order that the Empire might retain its maritime supremacy. The Standard's Moscow < correspondent j reports that an entire division of the ; Caucasus army has been ordered to the ftighan frontier. Ine Russians consider this a counter-stroke against Great Britain tor nursing the Baltic fleet," or> it. ! is connected with the Dardanelles agita.- 5 tion- . ! The American bumper' cotton crop caused" j jcenes of wild excitement on the Liverpool j market, and the price fell 40 points. Yarrow's Shipbuilding Company explain "that they. -g,ave- the" Admiralty 12 • days 3notice that the turbine destroyer Caroline had been sold as a- yacht to an American millionaire^ The Times says that the responsibility resta on the Admiralty, and that the public awaits an explanation of its remissness in allowing the destroyer to be gold to, Russia. George Deyes, a- Customs preventive officer, committed suicide. It is reported that he was oeiisured in connection, with \he Caroline's escape from the Thames. .December 7. At the instance of the Public Prosecutor, Roche and Sinnet, negotiators for the purchase of the Caroline, have been summoned to Bow street. They are believed to be residing- in France. Sir H. Tozer, replying to an address presented By the Australasian Club- prior tofoia> departure- for Queensland, said Australian legislation was undoubtedly unpopular here. The Commonwealth Government- must change its methods if it /wished people with: money to go there. It ought to imitate Canada's -methods of advertising. Regarding- naval defence, he said the colonies* were all doing their best. jWhen. able they would, do morej The Colonial 'Office ought to place AgentsgeneraP on a closer and more friendly footing. Mr E. S. Wyatt, who recently visited fche colonies- as delegate for. the Navy tieague, read a paper on "The Navy and Hie Empire " before the Colonial Institute. • There is a plague case on a Thames Jteamship recently from, the River Plata. There has been more drinking in clubs ifter .hours since early was §njoiced in Edinburgh*

The Sultan has agreed to Great Britain's demands respecting the Aden hinterland.

Austria has presented to the Porte an ! ultimatum demanding the dismissal within three days and the punishment of the Chief | of the Customs and the Chief of the Gendarmes at Scutari for gross irregularities. December 8. The Eight Hon. A. J. Balfour, the Premier, has recovered from his indisposition. The King of Portugal is visiting Welbeck. The Coivrt of Appeal dismissed the appeal of the case of the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company v. the Tasmanian Commissioners for inland revenue. The Standard, commenting on the declining birth rate and the white Australia policy, asks how Australasians can dam out the Oriental flood with a mere fringe of white inhabitants on the coast. How ' can they refuse the aid of willing Asiatics if no others are available to work a most gigantic, undeveloped estate? I Mr J". T. Earke,. Canadian ex-Minister ! of^Works, advises the encouragement of European immigration imitating the Canadian policy. ' Tlie South Africa Chartered Company , announces the discovery in the Victoria • district of an auriferous banket similar to that at Johannesburg. The Privy Council has reserved judgment in the Wellington case of Riddiford v. the King. A gang of men severely assulted " Bob " ' Sievisr,. the bookmaker, in the street. Prince 1 Arthur of Connaught represented King Edward at tlie Prince of Piedmont's ' baptism, and afterwards visited the Pope. Tha Russian representative at Teheran has been ordered to send a- commission to South-eastern Persia; to watch, the Indian Mission. Sir Thomaa Barclay, formerly president of the- British Chamber of Commerce in j Paris, and an authority on international I law., is levisiting Germany in order to '. endeavour to associate the various Cham- , bers of Commerce, Boards of Trade, and ' business classes in his pacific mission in - the .direction of international arbitration • treaties. December 9. The Education Committee propos-es, sub- ■ ject to the London County Council approv- : ing, to distribute £275,200 annually in • scholarships for London. Juniors, inter- ' mediates, and university students are eligible. i "Interviewed respecting., the. Standard's article oix a white Australia, most . of .the_ Agents-general thought Australasia was in no <fanger from the yellow peril. Mr Dobson (Tasmania) admitted the possibility i of the peril, and- said 1 then Australia must look to the navy for protection. ' Mr Long, President of the Local Govern- ; ment Board, speaking at Brackley, admitted that the- Sugar Convention might have slightly increased the cost of sugar, but the crop" shortage of a million tons was the real cause.. Silver" is quoted at 2s- 3 11-16 d per ounce. Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman, speaking at ' Dunfermline, declared that he did notr object to a, redistribution of seats, bulb it r nmst be on an honest footing and consti1 tute- part of a whole scheme, including the : reform of the electoral machinery. Lori Welby,. formerly Permanent Secre- ■ tary of the- Treasury, predicts a deficit in the- Imperial Exchequer in, April nest of between four and' five millions sterling. | Twelve fishermen were going to a vessel i in distress off Newbiggen (Nbrthirmber}*land), when their boat capsized, and seven. j of theni, were drowned. i ■ December 10. ■ A .fishing boat overturned in Donegal ! Bay and seven of those on board were ! drowneds I The Xatal Government is issuing a- 3£ i per cent^ two million loan at 95. Mr James", * the West Australian Agentgeneral, in a letter to^Ehe Times, deprecates Mr Wv-att and; others reopening the question of an increased naval contribu- l tion, so soon' after the new arrangements. { He contrasts the Australian and Canadian ■ attitude' towards* the • navy. The Pacific Cable Conference has been postponed 1 owing- to the absence of Sir W. , Muloek, the Canadian! Postmaster-general, { ■ on a mission to Mexico. ■ The British Small Arms Committee re- ' commends the adoption, by all branches of the service of the new short rifles, which have been satisfactorily tested, for three months. December 11. The Bfitish India steamer Secundra-, of s 2610 tons, struck a- rock outside Galle j , Harbour, and sank in two minutes. Seven were drowned. Mr James Cranston, the well-known • Gloucestershire cricketer, is dead. : . The King of. Portugal has arrived in > Paris, whei'e the Queen rejoins Mm. The Duchess of Aosta is now pronounced : out of danger. The British Post Office is testing the invention, of Berren Anton Pollak and , Josef Virag, Hungarian electricians, who claim, that they are able to transmit tele- j grams at. the rate of 40,000 words an hour between Berlin and Konigsberg, reproducing the message in the form it was written by the sender. The Pollak-Virag system of • rapid telegraphy utilises photography in ' racdf ding" the' transmitted messages. PARIS, December 6. - M. Brunct submitted to the Chamber of • Deputies the report of the committee on the petition of settlers in New Caledonia ' and the< New Hebrides praying for the 'establishment of a protectorate .ever the

[ New Hebrides. The report expresses the conviction that a solution is desirable in the interests of foreign as well as French residents. Either annexation or a protectoI rate would solve the difficulty. In any case, the New Hebrides ought to be attached politically to New Caledionia. December 7. MM. Derraulede and Joures harmlessly exchanged! pistol shots at Hendaye in connection with an article published by the newspaper Humanite. December 8. The Senate, by 215 to 37,^ratified the Anglo-French Convention, also the Siamese Convention. December 9. M. Combes, the Premier, by 295 to 268, escaped defeat in the Chamber of Deputies in connection with a vote- of censure on the official spying system. M. Valle, Minister of Justice, has warned the rectors of universities not to -assume the role of political inquisitors. I Syreton, who recently assaulted General • Andre in the Chamoer of Deputies, was asphyxiated by gas in his study. Suicide is suspected. The sudden death of M. Syveton, who struck General Andre in the face during a heated scene in the Chamber of Dexjuties, has caused a- sensation. The Opposition newspapers allege that the Freemasons murdered him to prevent his promised revelations. There are indications of suicide or else a defective gaspipe. BERLIN, December 6. i The German Foreign Office is sending an important mission to Abyssinia to open 'up commercial, relations. Councillor Rosen commands the mission. Count Yon. Buiow, replying to Herr Bebel's heated attack on the external policy of Germany, repudiated the idea that itie German fleet was a menace to England, with whom they desired to maintain pacific , relations. He characterised as lies the stories that Germany was interested in hibet or had caused the Norfch Sea incident By perfidious insinuations. Count Yon Bulow, in dwelling upon the amount of military expenditure, urged that it was an insurance premium for Germany's security, and that it was not too high, and fully justified, considering the lust of revenge still existing in France. December 8. The Krupp firm's gross profits for the year amounted lo one million sterling. j December 9. General Trotha reports the defeat and flight of 200 Witbois near Riemoont. Eight thousand cattle and sheep and many waggons were captured. ST. PETERSBUBG, December 5. j A number of sailors at Sebastopol mutinied owing to the closing of the disorderly/ houses and taveras. Soldiers sup- i pressed the mutiny. i Two hundred Russian lawyers, who were ] forbidden to meet in the St. Petersburg j law courts, assembled at the mayoralty i and endorsed the Moscow advocate's de- ; - mands for judicial reforms, the inviolability ! of the person and &welling--house, freedom ,of the press, and freedom of personal opinion. j CONSTANTINOPLE, December 8. ; A boat capsized off Tripoli and drowned 19 sailors belonging to the Turkish cor- ' vette Manura. The Port© has conceded Austria's demajids. The irregularities consisted of the seizure of the Austrian mails and prevent- , ing> their distribution by the local Austrian post office. Several Austrians were ill- : treated. j WASHINGTON, December 7. President Roosevelt's Message to Congress stated that Labour organisations deserved encouragement while they exhibited a decent regard in the fight for others. A stringent employers' liability law ought to , apply to the trovernment as well as to others. - It was v grave impropriety that ■ Government employees should' band together to extort improperly high salaries. The National Government alone was able i to deal with abuses by great corporations. j Constructive legislation, and not destructive persecution, should be the aim of the Bureau of Corporations. He advocated severe child labour and factory inspection laws. Married women ought not to I work in factories. Their duty as mothers f and housewives required their attention. He urged a currency securing elasticity consistent with safety. He advocated legislation for the encouragement of a merchant marine. He promised to> refer to the tariff later. It was impossible to conduct a strong foreign policy without an j adequate army and navy. The national ideal ought to be peace with justice, each nation being safeguarded in its own rights and scrupulously performing its duty to others. It would be wicked to disarm xmtil some international control was established over offending nations. Monroeism might force the United States to exercise international police duty in flagrant cases. He expressed horror of the Kisheniff massacre in Russia, and the cruel oppression of Armenians. The war in the Far East showed the necessity for more battleships. December 9. Japan has accepted President Roosevelt's peace conference proposals conditionally on its rulings not affecting the present war. NEW YORK, December 5. The Mrs Chadwick mystery deepens. Several banks conceal their losses in order to prevent runs on them. December 6. The New York Herald states that members of both Houses collect unfavourably