BRITISH AND FOREIGN. LONDON, April 4.

Otago Witness, Issue 2665, 12 April 1905, Page 26

BRITISH AND FOREIGN. LONDON, April 4.

As a result of the late Atlantic rate war the Cunard S.S. Company will not pay a dividend for the year ended December 31, and will borrow from the reserve fund to meet the depreciation.

The Prince of Wales suffered from a boil. Sir Frederick Larking operated on it after an anaesthetic had been administered.

Emir Hadazin, the last of the great hostile Nigerian chiefs, whose territory is near Lake Tchad, has submitted to the British, and requested! Sir Frederick Lugard to send a British E-esident.

It is understood, as a result of Mr Louis Dane's mission, that Afghanistan does not obtain a port, but receiv.es a definite guarantee against external attacks in return for unknown concessions. Apparently the Afghans are still hostile' to railway concessions.

Queen Alexandra's tour will be extended to Greece if the weather is sufficiently favourable and does not prejudice the Princess Victoria's convalescence. April 5. It is stated in Paris that though King Edward travels incognito President Loubet will greet him at Noisy-le-Sec.

The War Office announces that defective colour vision will not disqualify a candidate for commissions in the army.

The Times says the Motherland's principal feeling regarding the revival of the weekly mail service is one of satisfaction that the difficulty has been overcome. If Australians care to pay £35,000 per annum for the privilege of excluding British Indians on the Orient Company's boats that is their own affair. They are hardly likely to rescind section 16 of the agreement for the purpose '-of escaping this burdon, but after the check at the first fence they might at least ask themselves whether the White Australia doctrine is altogether a sale horse to ride.

The directors of the British and Australasian Trust and Loan Association have declared a dividend of 5 per gent. and a bonus of 2 per cent., and placed £3000 to the reserve.

The population of London metropolis in the middle of 1904 numbered 4,648,950.

The Agents-general for Victoria, New South Wales, and Westralia propose that the Agents-general meet monthly to discuss matters of Australian interest.

Dr Morrison, describing the final contract for the Anglo-G.erman Tientsin-Linkian Trunk railway, emphasises the anxiety wherewith Chinese officials in Shantung witness Great Britain's assistance in the developments of German policy, and mentions that new demands have been advanced to secure a German monopoly for mining in Shantung.

There were simultaneous fires from three of the National Telephone Company's exchanges on February 28. They wers due to an electric train on the district railway. The line of rail was transmitting 600 volts, while the telephone cable used was carrying only 22 volts.

The directors of the Great Boulder Perseverance Company having requested Sir John Bonser to investigate the charge of the Westralian Commission, Sir J. Bonser has reported) that after examining the directors and auditors he had found no ground for the suggestion that any member of the present board was guilty of improper conduct.

Leading African shares rose smartly in London on the news of the proposed formation of an Anglo-French trust, with a capital of six millions, to supersede all African ventures of the existing syndi cate.

April 6.

King Edward and President Loubet met to-day by mutual desire, President Loubet accompanying the King in a saloon carriage from Pierrefitte, a Parisian suburb, to Caredelvon.

Lord Salisbury goes with King Edward as Minister-in-attendanoe.

The Italian press is not sympathetic with the Kaiser's policy in Morocro.

Replying to a deputation from the Confectionery Manufacturers' Association, who desired the abolition of the sugar duties and the non-removal of the Brussels Conyention. Sir H._ CanvDbgU-Bannerman ej-

pressed very keen sympathy with Prolessor Hryco, who introduced them Fp thought that the sugar duty was the first tax that ought to be removed.

Apiil 7.

The Liverpool Municipality, by 33 to 29, decided to obliterate betting news in newspapers in the public libraries.

Justice Buckley refused to order the compulsory w induig-up of the Nelson .Share iSyndic.it c. A company ontitkd the M'Arthur and Atkins Company is being formed, with a capital of £400.000. to develop W. and A. M" Arthur's and Hemy Atkins"s South African businesses. The company is issuing 175, C00 7 per cent, cumulative shares at par and 150,000 ordinary shares. The vendors and diiectors take the ordinary shares.

The manager.* of the Australian banks have pres-ent-ed Mr Henniker Heaton with an address of appreciation of the great value to Australasian trade his exertions on behalf of postal reform have succeeded in accomplishing.

The North German Lloyd Shipping Company's annual report admits that the company is establishing a coaling station at Haven, New Guinea. It also proposes to establish a special monthly line to Australia of altercating mail steamers, and has ordered six new steamers, which will call at all the important Queensland and South Australian ports. '

Professor Barnes, from the Wifeon Peak Observatory, discovered near Sagittarius an unknown nebula capable of easily containing a thousand solar systems.

The Times' Vienna correspondent states that the Kaiser's hope in visiting Morocco was, firstly, to separate France and) England; secondly, to induce Italy to repeat her flirtation with France ; and thirdly, to dictate terms to France. He has been frustrated for the time being owing to Great Britain's attitude. April 8. Henry Corbett Jones, late town clerk of Holborn, has been sentenced to seven years' imprisonment at the Old Bailey for embezzling £11,820.

The steamer Nile, from Buenos Ayres, brought smallpox to Southampton. There are 17 cases, including 10 of the crew.

The steamer Ashmount, from Adelaide, was stranded near East London, >South Africa. There is 16ft of water in the hold. The crew quitted the vessel.

A farcical breach of promise ease was brought by Agn.es Isabel Hales, of Suez, v. the Hon. Rupert Guinness, eldest son of Lord Iveagh. As no documents andi no witnesses were produced, and there was no corroboration of her evidence, h.er counsel at the outset withdrew. The plaintiff made damaging admissions regarding her past life and of a false statement of her age when confronted) with the register. She also admitted sl\e had two aliases. A verdict was immediately returned for the defendant, with costs.

Colonel Morgan has been awarded £250 damages for a libellous article published in The Times on June 4, 1904.

The Pretoria correspondent of The Times cabled on Juno 3 that the Chief Justice of the Transvaal passed remarks on a transaction in which Colonel Morgan, of the Army Service Corps, Director of Supplies during the late war, was concerned. Evidence was produced which wont to show that Colonel Morgan sold a quantity of chaff belonging to the military for £300 to Mr Hunter, who sold it again, at a clear profit of £1800. One-third of this profit, it was stated, went to Mr Frank Morgan, Colonel Morgan's brother. The correspondent wen^ on to say that, unfortunately, the transaction confirmed what was common talk during and immediately after the war, and added that it was imperative that the War Office should hold an inquiry and give Colonel Morgan an opportunity of explaining.

April 9.

Krupp's have contracted to supply Turkey with 91 gun batteries, delivery to be within two years, at a cost of £1,840,000. Germany provides the loan for their payment.

April 10. The Times, referring to Dr Roth's report on the treatment of Westralian blacks, urges the provision of reserves for natives, coupled with the systematic ti'aining of the black children in the elements of civilisation.

PARIS, April 7.

Twelve hundred rifles, the concealment of which is attributed to Tamburini, have been discovered in a warehouse pit in a Paris subuib.

BERLIN, April 6.

The Lokal Anzeiger says, in reference to Lord Lansdowne's statement on tlyj Marshall Islands, that objection has already been raised in Berlin to the Jaluit Company acting in the dual capacity of Governor and traders. It is anticipated that the matter will be remedied. STOCKHOLM, April 7. The Crown Prince of Sweden, who is Acting -Regent, proposes a. settlement of the existing difficulty by placing the Swedish and Norwegian Consuls under a common Minister of Foreign Affairs in all matters affecting the relations of foreign Powers, and to maintain the union of the two countries on a basis of equality.

In 1815 the Kingdom of Sweden was united indissolublv with the Kingdom o£ Norway without prejudice to the- separate constitution, government, and laws of either. If the throne become vacant through the failure of legal heirs to the succession, the Diets of both kingdoms elect, and in default of an agreement an equal number of Swede and' Norse deputies make an absolute nomination. Affairs common to both kingdoms are administered by jk _9°isi?9ii §1 §tate, on \\_hich. both nations

are rr>provu<Nl. A grav-o constitution^ ftruGj'-rlo iiio-o bei\,ron fhr tv.e comitiscs fiom the (kmniul for "reator mdependf nro for XoiHfly m hi r foreign policy, which i^ energetically backed b> th-> Liberals. In .7 ..mc, 18Q2. the Storth'ng pa-~i'c.l a resolution in fa\ our of independent et'n=ulptp«. which King Oscar lvfusocl to "-auction, and the Mii't-rry m coiiwquciioo resigned-- A deadlock ensued, and in July a rp^o'ution. was pa csi rd askinar M. Stern to remain m office, and deferring the cons-ulate question miio die. In 1893 M. Stocn resigned, and M. Sfang, th-o Ccnservativ-e leader, succeeded him, although he «a 5 in a minority. The general olect.on of 1897 resulted in the return of 79 Radicals and 35 Conseri atives and JMcd<?ratPs, as against 59 Radicals and 55 Conservatives in the former Storthing. The Radicals, not sati-fiod with the separate Norwegian flag, which the King sanctioned in October, 1897, pressed for a separate consular system and Ministry of , foreign affairs for Norway. ROME, April 5. The new Italian Premier announces his policy as the maintenance of existing alliances, the strengthening of the navy, and the State management of railways. i received an ovation at Naples. King .Emmanuel meets him to-day. April 7. At the meeting of the Kaiser and King Emmanuel at Naples they mutually toasted the Triple Alliance as a pledge of peace. King Emmanuel lunched on the German. Imperial yacht Hohenzolkrn. The Kaiser prolongs his visit. I The Italian Chamber of Deputies largely approved of a commercial treaty with. Germany. j April 10. I King Edward and Queen Alexandra have arrived at Port Mahon. They remain for two days. The visit evoked much enthusiasm. ST. PETERSBURG, April 7. Some miscreants sprinkled arsenic on the floor of a cotton factory at Pabinace. in Poland. Seventy girls fell unconscious, and 30 had to be removed to the hospital. CONSTANTINOPLE, April 6. iSome Turkish regulars annihilated a Bulgarian band of 21 at Lestcovantepe, themselves losing six. NEW YORK, April 4. " 1 Owing to the meningitis and other epidemics in New York 150 inspectors have been engaged to report on the sanitary condition of every house. Every person will b& subjected to examination. I April 5. j Thirty-four lives were lost as the result of the explosion at Leiter's Ziegler mine, Illinois. The Newfoundland Government has despatched a revenue cruiser with an inspector, magistrate, and some police to prevent American fishermen obtaining bait, as formerly allowed. The Americans are naTich concerned over the action of tha authorities. { April 8. | A stockholder in the Equitable Life j Assurance Society of New York has applied for an injunction to prevent the mutualisation of the society, which is alleged j to be a violation of the State insurance ' law. April 9. Mr J. Phelph Stokes, a millionaire, is engaged to Miss Rose Pastor, lately a. i cigar-roller. Both were Jews, but are now Christians and engaged in philanthropic work in the slums of New York. CAPETOWN, April 7. In fhe Cape Assembly Mr J. X. Merriman indignantly resisted the idea embodied' in Mr O'Kelly's motion for the formation of an International Commission toameliorate the condition of the native races in view of the reports of ill-treatment in Australia, Nigeria, the Congo Free

State, South Africa, and various Portuguese possessions. Mr Merriman con-

tended that to a self-governing colony it was intolerable to have international interference in native policy, which in the case of the Cape was most liberal and singularly successful.