LATEST EUROPEAN NEWS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VIII, Issue 1506, 31 December 1881, Page 2

LATEST EUROPEAN NEWS.

«. . [VIA MELBoIRNK.] LONDON, December 19. M. Roustai), French Minister resident in Tunis, has prosecuted M. Rochfort editor of the " Intr.insigeant," an extreme radical journal published in Paris, for libel, for having falsely accused him in the columns of his paper, of having prompted the outbreak of hostilities in North Africa, from a c».rupt desire to benefit his speculation in Barose-Tunis-ian bonds. The trial lasted three days, aud was watched witk extraordinary interest, The trial, however, resulted in the acquittal of Kocheforr. When the decision was announced the spectators in Court applauded loudly. A profound sensation has been created not only in the Capital but throughout France. M. Roustan has been condemned to pay the costs of the action. The British Government are negotiating with the United States, Germany, and France, the three Powers primarily interested in the South Seas, for the erection of an International Court of Control for the Western Paoi6o. Pending the conclusion of such arrnngemunt, the Admiralty will take additional precrutions for the protection of British subjects, for maintaining a more watchful supervision over the mutual relations of the white aud native races in the Pacific, in compliance with the undertaking given in the House of Commons some mon.hs ago by Mr. Trevellyan, Secretary to tho Admiralty. Communications have been exchanged between the British and French Governments with respect to the annexation by tho latter of Raitea, one of tho Society Islands. The French Government express a desire to retain possession of the island in order that the prestige of the Republic in the South Seas may not suffer. The British Government reply that if they recognise the treaty under which tho island has been ceded to France care must be taken to secure not only that the interests of British trade aro protected, but the pledges given to the natives of the group are reapocted. Earl Kimborley has informed the Government of Natal that tho administration of affairs completed with Transvaal has been entrusted to Sir Hercules Robinson, High Commissioner for South Africa. Representatives of twenty British cablo companies waited upon Earl Granville, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, yesterday, and requested that the Government would take caro to protect ocean cables from careless and wilful interference. It is rumoured tnat Mr. G. Errington, member for County Longford, who is visiting Rome, has been entrusted with a mission by the British Government to tho Vatican. Dr. Vaughan, Roman Catholic Bishop of Salford, has stated that Mr. Errington holds confidential instruction! from the Government, although not an accredited Minister. Murders and other crimes of violence aro still of frequent occurrence in Ireland, and tho porsons who refused to obey the orders of the Land League are kept in a state of constant fear. In Roscommon, a fannei haa been shot for no other reason but that of paying his rent. In spite of the vigorous efforts of the Government to put. them down, terrorism and intimidation are still widely resorted tq by the Land League and its agents. In all parts of Ireland placards nave been discovered threatening death to all who disobey the mandates of tho Land League, or in any way submit to the established Government. The police authorities are endeavouring to discover tho ayonts employed in distributing and p^ting these placards. There is evidence of strong sympathy entertained for Parnell, now confined in Kilmainhara gaol. A large number of tenant farmers and labourers assembled on his estate at Wicklow, and performed the neoesiary operations of ploughing. Over 3,000 assembled ni»d undertook the work, which was done gratis. This action has occasioned sonic comment. Owing to tho rocent activity displayed among the Nihilists, the Russian police have been on the alert, and numerous arrests of suspected persqns have been, made. U St. Petersburg during tfto last few days, 2000 Nihilists have been arroa ted who jt is believed were engaged in a plot against iho life of tf'Q Cff&r.

Mr. HUinc has been selected to deliver a panegyric oil the deceased President before the .Senate of the United States. It is reported that Monsignor Jacob, Secrofary of Ecclesiastic.il Affairs Extraordinary, being disappointed at ttio program of negotiations, has taken tho mat tor into his own hands with a view of facilitating the settlement. The balloon which drifted across the English Channel on Saturday last has been seen off Aldertiey, the must northerly of the Channel Inlands. H.M.S. Dasher has been despatched in the direction in which the balloon seemed to be drifting for the purpose of picking up tho occupants of the car should they be able to descend. H.M.S. Dasher has since returned to her station. Her commander reports that the search for the billocn was fruitless. The Marquis of Lome, GovernorGoner*! of Canadian Dominion, last evening addressed a meeting convened in the interests of tho Women's Emigration Society of England. He proposed that the committee organised in England should be affiliated with committees established in the colonies, and that the two should work in unison one collecting and despatching suitable emigrants to j the colonial dependencies of the Empire, and the other watching over the interests of the immigrants on their arrival. The disposition exhibited by Mr. Blame, late Secretary of State for United States, to interfere with the affairs of foreign nations is resented by many Americans as an infringement of the national policy of neutrality abroad. The English Press denounces the proposal of Mr. Blame, late United States Secretary of State, to revise tho BullerClayton Treaty for the purpose of giving the United States the exclusive jurisdiction over the Panama Canal. Chili reasserts her right to annex Peru. A slave dhow has been captured at Zanzibar. Her captain was made prisoner. Thu robbers who carried off £40,000 worth of jewellery from Brynkinalt, the seat of Lord Hill Trevor.Chirk,Denbighshire, have not been discovered. Two servants, who were arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the robbery, have been discharged. With regard to the disappearance of Viscount Boyle, Lieutenant of the Prince Consort's Own (Rifle Brigade), from the Garrison, Dublin, it turns out that the Viscount is merely absent without leave. A Fenian plot to destroy some public building in Dublin has been frustrated by the activity of the police, who have seized a quantity of dynamite, which was concealed in the city. They also seized a nsmber of firearms and some documents which indicate the nature of the plot, and implicate some conspirators. Three persons have already been arrested. The balloon which drifted across the English Channel on Saturday the 10th inst. has again been sighted. It has been carried across the Bay of Biscay, and has been seen at Santander, a port of Notth Spain. It was then proceeding in an easterly direction. Another plot to murder the Czar Alexander h%s been discovered. The plan proposed wri to blow up the Imperial Palace, Gatachina, by means of a mine. Numbers of officers of the guard have been arrested on suspicion.