MAIL ITEMS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XVI, Issue 5186, 5 June 1885, Page 3

MAIL ITEMS.

Mr Obamborlain, in acknowledging a memorial sent to him by the crof tip of Staffing Skye, says:—"l am pleased to Hear; of the, kindly feeling towards mysolf on the part ofthe crofters andl their friends. I have .great sympathy with these poor people, and although, as a I member of, the Government, it is ; not possible for me to tab an independent part in advocating their claims, you may rely onmy doing so in tho Cabinofc and on every proper-opportunity." : Oii the 4th pf April a Conservative Working' MenV Constitutional Club was opened in Ycovil. ,At the' luncheon Colonol Paget read a letter which had bee.n .receivod from Sir Stafford ; N6rihcp.te, who, referring to the, cheap loaf, said :-"It is worth iwhilq to remind tho people that it was not given by tho Liberals, but by a Consorvative : Ministry, of whiob Sir Robert Peel-was the chief.' Aa regards the futufo, I am distinctly of opinion that the return to a protective duty on corn would bo impossible, and that the idea that a .Conservative Grovorninont would attempt to impose ono is groundless, 1 A strange misfortune happened to eomo farmers in the Auhford district, of Bast Kont. A great portion of thoir crop of clovor sownjast spring has entirely failed, thus necessitating the ploughing up of tho land and tho re-sowing of seed. It is supposed that the drought of last suminor' was the cause of the failure of the plant. This spring clover sowing has progrossed favourably, and tho land being in fine.condition tbero is;every reason to oxpoet lhat.M partial failurerin^clovers of the present season will : not bo repeated in theensuingyear. ■ , ■~'.: ' .,' '.[..,. ,;The New .York Tim concludesfrom the reports of :the American naval officers, of which it presents a summary, affording tho latest aad most complete presentation of : the 'condition and prospects of the Panama Canal, that it cannot be completed in , less than five'yearfl- nor; at a leas cost than 350,000,000dqls'annually,.aleo; that if its. net receipts when completed Bhould be as high as 13,000,0p0d015. annually' tho fixed charges-would swallow up nearly all, if:not the entire.amount" Itjs extremely doubtful, in point of fact, if the, interests on jte obligations coald be met, to say' nothing of the dividendeoti' its atocke. ! On its ability' to raise the money when its present resources' afe exhausted, ae they are likely to be in about. aVyear,■dependV absolutely the ability of the company to go,' on ._ If- it goes';icitq finaociai.straitsj what will be tjhie cpQeetfuebces?' Too inuch will have,,b'eeh:doflej and'.'tpo mucniex-. pended.. to : adinit :of the scheme,,being readily abandoned. Will ; . not the, interposition of the French Government be then invoked; and the political complications so often* prophesied come in sight ? ■ - ! ; f The launch of thei Oorangamite, ; a ; steel steamer/for. Messrs; Huddarr, 'Parker ;and Co,, : Australia,, took' :p'lace ; on ::i April 15 at Sunderland. There were ' preaerit—Mr. Huddart,Mr'.W.'. H.' Ih'ife (formerly /of the,. Admiralty j; and.,Mr, , ,Murray.Smith, 'Agent-General for.Victoria;Colony.' The launch was from the shipbuilding yarjl of Messrs Swan and Hunter,';Wallsend, -and the.ceremony of naming was performed by Miss Murray.Smith,' of-Australia; At the , luncheon on board the Burrumbeet, the sister-sliip, built By the same fi : rm, Mr. QainsfOi-d Bruce, Q.C.,: in,proposing: the toast of _ (( The Col6nieg]"sajd he believed in the history of nations there was no such poiut,as" rost, and be tliankfiil." ;To gain and maintain.our polonies ,and, possessions abroad wehadwagedmany,.wars, and incurred great sacrifices, and;wo. would; not be unwilling v tb: incur: greater sacrifices should occasion arise to still maintain them. MrMurray-Smith responded^'Mr-W./H. White proposed!'' Success to Burrumbeet and the Corang'airiite,". and spoke very highly of their efficiency.' ''•■ ''":.. ' The 'steamer Bombay, of 2,044! tons, Captain "Inch, chartered by Sir Saul Samuel, K,O.M.G. V Agcnt-Generar for;'No wSouth Wales, sailpd.from-Plymouth for.Sydney .on the 14th April, with a total ,oE. 625 emigrants, undoi , the supervision of Dr. J. A. Beattie ■as Burge6n-Buperiatundont, : ' Mrs. Eager ; being : in clnrgo of -the single women. '

.; A'.very: elaborate' dories oE tables has betin issued relating to wrecks and 'casualties m to,, British, ships .engaged in; the mercantile, saryice, ■ nod'. tho . lives' lost therehy; In tho'threq years,ending 1877 198,290 men"engaged at sea, and tho total drowned.and killed (exclusive of masters) numbered 8,273; iti tho threo years ending > 1880; tlioro wore .'l94,o3s'Beamononga'godi' and 7,580 lives wero lost; 'the' returns for 1881-2 aro given/but not for 1883. Tho death: rate of mon in tho merchant,'sorvice is one in 48; in the Royal Navy, one in 93; by accidents in' mines, one in 428; by railway accidents, one' in 625; and' amoggst males ashpro, one in 50. ; <

By the death of the. Earl. of Solkirk at his seat in Kirkcudbright on Saturday, Api'iMljthe title becomes, extinct.- ' . , ■ ;Ata mass moetingof tho chain/makcrs, belonging to the ; South Staffordshire dis-

trict, held at.Rowlpy dh April 10,' it was stilted that the,operative's had tho symtho, largest employers, who were anxious' f6r. 'theinj to receive a fair remuneration for their labour. Tho enormous reductions which had been imposed during .the; last twelve months had paralysed trade, 1 and reduced.working men to starvation. < It was resolved to continuo

tlie strike until an advance of twenty per cent, be conceded. ■ ■■

,Tho Graud Lodge jf the Independent Order of Good. Templars' pfEnglund re« eumed the annual coaforerico at Manchester, when. Mr.,,Malins, G.W.C.T., presided Several' influential deputations were introduced, and various reports were The membership, it appeared, had fallen off: by 6,000 during 4he year, which was rittributod to the state of trade.

Lord Randolph ■Churchill, , after >au absence" from England <>£ four months, arrived at Charing Cross Station from India on April 7, and whs met by several friends. 'Hislordship appeared in excellent health. Tlio London Chamber oE Commerce has sent to Lord Dorby, Secretary for tho Colonies; a potilion .in support of tho sohoiflb for tho feilorafion of; I ho colonies. The petitioners declare their belief that "a very widespread feeling exists that i' is to tho advantage o£ Great Britain and her colonies (hat the bonds oE union between them should bo strengthened, and that the adoption of a woll-coneiderod scheme nf Imperial federation would largely contribute to this end/ , Fuiiher they state, that ■while they.'' would uincorely wish to see 'the' colonics,' as well as I he mother country, perfectly free to adopt such fiscal systems as oiicli may. doom most Kuitable lo itepwn cireuinslaiuies, limy bolicvo.it is pnssiblo to arrive at sonui nielhod of combined' federal action wheroby the unity ni the Empire may bo nssurod, cffeetualsiifegiinrds proviileil-for tho large interests involved, ii fouling oE.loyally to ..panlr oilier inn! lo tlui. Throne preservod, ;i. splt'iidid future onsuroil for thill •Grimier- Britain boymi.l the.setts, ,, conjointly with tlio development of the resources of each colony, and un tstonsibu of the commerce and in-

dustry of Iho mother country."'"lα conelusion they urge that the Government of each colony ehould be invited to expreee its views on the subject. ■'I'M-- i; Such a scone as was witnessed on April 15 in Fore Street, Deyouport, has not been obeorved in 'tho main t horoiighfdre'of the town since the' Russiali , wan Work'tnen from all parts of Devon and Cdrnwoil, who woro already named, and 'others !, who attended with the hope of a chance of en« gagemont, surrounded the dockyard gates, and at one period of the mprninglat.least 500 were present. ..The police had'orders not to admit any pno but men bearing piisses to soe iho Chief? Constructor, ,M t\k sorvices of a full force, under: Inspectors Smith and Phillips and: jSorgeint Moorman;' wero needed';to" "carry" the instructions iuto effect. ':;

r The Navai Authorities,; are confident that they will ho ablo to deal, rapidly and effectually with the threo or four fast cruisers which Uussia possesses,.should they attempt to put to sea. The bijly* urni of naval .warfare in which' Russia is at nil formidable is torpedoes, of whioh it is said she has seventy in the 'Baltic.;:'": • It is said that the papers found in Ayo r ub Elian's rooms confirm unmistakeably the suspicions of his complicity ih" ,; AntiEnglish intrigues in Herat, which.led to his arrest. He is now closely confined in 4he citadel of Teheran.; The Russian authorities are using all their influence , to obttiiri his release. '. ''•':■:■•''■ '; A disgraceful sceno was , witnessed', at the early celebration of Holy Corarannion at St. Paul's Cathedral on Sunday, the sth of April. A reßpect(ib)y-d'rGßßed.';man made a rush at the'commiinion-tabJej and before ho could be intercepted smashed a a.decanter of. .wine. .He. was, at pneo secured and given into custody. Ho" has beon sentenced to one month's imprisonment without hard labour. ■■'.»:■ ! >u ;■;; '.'■'.•

The Minister of War has received tho following despatch from'QeWeial'Briero do I'lele, datotl I had sent; emissaries to' notify ihp Cbineee of tliei cessation of hostilitiesi.biit before' they wpreableto enter into cbpmunicatiop; tho military' mandarins,; not having ( ;receiVed the inatmctions from; an attack to be made upon Kepion the 14th inst. • TheGhineeoforce.wbiohnumbered 2,000 men, was driven back beyond BacLβ.' Our lose-was oho/killed' imdjseven wounded. The French gunboats stationed in the White Biver were? flred']upon yesterday while making af'retfonhaiseance on the' Black River, but no' ohe ! waeiiirt. A :iortie was; made by f tlie v 'garristfn ■of Hubg-Hoa, and the detachment .o£ Ghiaeeo which' had nUaoked^thev'gunboiitl l was routed., X' have 'also',' sent ,, emissaries 'to. that'district.to annbunce'tlie'ceeeation of hostilities." ;: : *j> ■■liiiwhJlr : .;.

'HerrWaltherA'ohGoethei'thelasi lineal; descendant of 'Goethe' died at Leipzig on' tk Isth;bf April.;' '■''''■\- n )'f0 ] y :- :i.v : ; 'The Globe ofl'thei adjustment , ofHhe'Russiari/dispiite' 4 is a poor : shift;! ThejSic»ida«? r eaysitiiipludes the ■! siirrender of' ; Pen to JRuseia. Despatches, ; of; the' pth' ; say' • the d English people a're : enraged at Mr Gla'dstono/whilo Lord Randolph Churchill is the favourite of theh'our. ! '' i ; / *^ ;: : ; -' ;i^-.! ' : : : '- ! '''^ : ' ■ ■'■: