ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 818, 28 October 1872, Page 3

ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

The rinderpest continues to spread m the provinces. A powder mill at Hauaton exploded recently, and four persons were killed. The Times expects that, when the conference at Berlin is over, a circular note will be issued explaining it 3 pacific nature. Discoveries of valuable diamonds continue frequent at the Cape. The Govvernor is absent from his post, and Lynch law prevails. A largejnumber of persons, mostly natives, have suffered from violence. On July 20 the city of Oxford, with its 35,000 inhabitants, had not a single occupant m its prison. The circumstance was marked by the hoisting of a " white flag" on the tower of the gaol, and the sheriff threw the gates of the building open, and large numbers of the public inspected the interior. The Superb, the largest iron-clad ship of any yet constructed, one of four new vessels to be built at Chatham dockyard, is ordered to be commenced on one of the large building slips at that estabishment, and to fee pushed forward m her construction, so that she may be ready for launching during the ensuing year. The Advertiser expresses m strong terms, its dissatisfaction at the result of the labors of the Geneva Arbitrators. It says the plain English of it is, that the British Government has allowed the Americans to bully us out of three or four millions pounds to curry favor with them, and they modestly congratulate us upon paying the amount m the settlement of claims for which, a few weeks ago, it was affirmed, Englanl is neither legally or morally bovirid. An elderly maiden lady called Hougfy of Highshot House, Twickenham, sister of the Hey..Mr Hough, the vicar of Ham, while 'taking a walk m her garden a few mornings ago, was attacked by a swarm

of bees, which settled on top of her head and stung her so severely that Bhe died before medical assistance arrived. At the inquest, the medical evidence showed that death was probably caused by the shock to the nervous system arising from the sting of the bees. The deceased took much interest m bee-keeping. London advices, received at New York on September 7, show that the striking mania prevades all over England. Tho chair-makers of Wycomb, the coal men of Lowestoft, the silk weavers of Sadburystone, the masons of Preston, the bakera of Dublin, the engineers of Birkenhead, and china and earthenware manufacturers of Staffordshire, are all on strike. The London carpenters, painters, bricklayers, and cabinet-makers, continue to strike. The post-office employes have petitioned for advancing wages. The journeymen butchers of London have formed a union for the purpose of getting higher wages. The high price of meat is producing more curious results m the north of England. On July 23, upwards of 300 butchers attending the Salford cattle market met to discuss the subject, and a general agreement was arrived at that m the meantime no beef should be purchased and only a limited supply of other kinds of meat. The butchers of Huddersfield also met, and resolved to suspend business for fourteen days from Saturday next, under penalty of £20, to be given to the Huddersfield Infirmary. At a public meeting of women held m Chowbent on July 22, a resolution was unanimously passed binding those present to abstain from the use of butchers' meat until the price was reduced to seven pence per pound. The', Congress of the International Society held its first public sitting at the .Hague on September 5. A resolution was introduced and unanimously adopted expressing, m the name of the working classes of the world, admiration for the heroism of the champions who have fallen m battle for the people's rights, and greeting,- witn. hope for freedom, all people still m chains. The President of the Congress m a violent speech denounced General Trochu as a traitor to his country, and called Jules Favre a wretch. The Delegates to the Congress numbered sixty-nine, including three women. A lively discussion took place to-day on tho question of the abolition of the General Council. A report was presented to the Congress which says that Bismarck is the soveivign-in-chief of the German Empire. It declares the Government of Berlin projects another war, while the Congress at the Hague has for its object the preservation of peace. It also declared that never since 1848 have the masses of the people been so united as now, under the flag of the Commune. : . . . • The work of breaking up the vessels attached to the reserve squadron at Chatham, the services of which are no. longer required, is being actively carried out at the dockyard, by which the whole of the vessels which now encumber the Medway, forming what is known as " Rotten-row," will gradually be got rid of. The workmen have just completed breaking up the Linnet, and on July 23, commenced taking to pieces the tine old line-of-battle sailing ship Belleisle. The other vessels already ordered to meet a similar fate are the floating batteries Thunder and Etna, built for service m the Black Sea during the Crimean war, but which have ever since been rotting out a useless existence m the Medway, where they have been occasionally used as receiving ships. The International Chess Tournament at the Crystal Palace was brought to a close on Sept. 9. Herr Zukertort, the visitor from Berlin, conducted ten games at once, without seeing the board, and a series of matches took place on a scale never before attempted. Wires were laid on to the concert hall, where the tournament was held, and direct communication was thus secured with the clubs of Glasgow,' Birmingham^ Bristol, Nottingham, and Hull. Against the representatives of these five towns the leading metropolitan amateurs played a series of twenty games by telegraph ; but want of time pre vented most of the games from being finished. Consultation games were also played, m which Mr Steinitz, who this year carried off the chief prize m the tournament open to all comers, chiefly figured. The report that the Prince Imperial is about to enter upon a course of study at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, is confirmed. It is rumoured that the Prince intends ultimately to enter her Majesty's service, either m the Royal Artillery or Royal Engineers. The • Emperor Napoleon has expressed a desire that his son should conform m every way to the rules usually observed iv the establishment, except m the matters of the study of foreign languages and the sleeping beneath the roof of the Academy, which two conditions have been waived by the authorities m consideration of the position of their prospective cadet. It has also been requested that accommodation should be provided "for the Prince where he might receive his friends and members of the household at Chislehurst, consequently arrangements have been made for fitting up two reception-rooms m the Academy, which will be reserved for his Imperial Highness's use on these and on ordinary occasions. A house haa been secured m the vicinity of Woolwichcommon, which will contain, when m readiness, the sleeping apartments of the Prince Imperial and his attendants. New York, Sept. 9. — The London Nevus of August 29 oh says Prince Bismarck doubtless counted the cost when he reaolved on the expulsion of the Jesuits from Germany, though he knew he waa dealing with an order which ha 3 evidently perplexed or baffled the arts of the ablest statesmen m Europe. It is now announced that the law to ' enforce the departure of the Jesuits has led to popular riots m Rhenish Prussia. In the mining and manufacturing town of Essen, the Roman Catholics resolved to back up the protests of their Bishops against the new law, by organising a torchlight procession m honor of the expelled fathers on the evening of their departure. To allow a public manifestation against the law would have been very unlike Prussian authority; so the procession was forbidden. The prohibition resulted on Friday ' last m a riot. The mob attacked and destroyed several houses, and were proceeding to greater lengths when two battalions of soldiers arrived and put a stop to the proceedings. On Sunday, however, the disturbances were renewed and the soldiers were compelled to charge the crowd. Order was not restored until a considerable number of the riotera had been, wounded.