Mail News.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1985, 15 May 1875, Page 2

Mail News.

By the arrival of tho City of Melbourne we are in possession of Sydney papers' in advance of the regular mail, from which we extract the following :— An effigy of the Eev J.- Colley, who refused to bury a parishoner, has been paraded through-Oxford and burnt. . The foundation stone of : a Scientific College for Birmingham was laid „by the donor, Sir Josiah- Mason. At luncheon Mr Bright made a complimentary speech. At a meeting of literary men, a resold* tion was passed to support the motion of Mr Edward Jenkins "for a select com. mittee to enquire into the whole subject of domestic,- colonial- and .international copyright. The motion was postponed till after Easter. -" - „ f * ■ -r Mr Barry Sullivan has been playing "Othello" at Glasgow, .whence.he proceeds to the United States. Sir Charles Mordaunt's suit for a' divorce, on.account of his wife's adultery with" Viscount Cole, was disposed of in one day, the Judge granting a decree nisi for dissolution of the marriage. - - The strike of 10,000 men connected with the Tyno ship-building terminated on March 10, by the men returning to work on the old terms. A thousand men and boys, struck work at Wearmouth Colliery, owing to the masters having refused to diioharge nonunionists. The Earl of Limerick succeeds Earl Percy as Grand Master of tKo Mark degree of English Freemasons. _ . • Mr Gladstone has replied to his critics in another pamphlet-. entitled N '^Vaticanism.' ' 150,000 of his former pamphlet have been sold. The City of. London Liberal [Registration Association has passed a resolution expressive of gratitude to Mr Gladstone for his eminent public services. - • n ' Sir G. Bpwen and Sir J. Fergusson were present at a meeting of the Eoyal Colonial Institution, —the Duke of Manchester in the chair. Sir George Bbwen spoke of New Zealand as .the Italy of Australasia, healthier for ' Englishmen than even England itself, and for evidence he stated that whereas the deaths among soldiers here were 20 per 1000, there, including the men who had been killed by the Maoris, the mortality rate was only 7 'in the 1000. ;- The Pope has addressed an Encyclical to the Prussian Bishops, urging them to set the "falck" laws at defiance. All - interference by the State with spiritual persons and things, is repudiated. The Encyclical occasioned a great stir throughout Germany. The Government are passing a bill, withdrawing State aid from the Catholic Church in Germany, &c. So alarmed are the Catholic authorities at the hostile attitude and reprisals provoked by the Pope's Bull, that attempts are being made to induce the clergy to. disregard it, and submit to State laws. Those Bishops who communicate it .to their flocks will be prosecuted under the criminal code,; and, official communications -between' Bishops and the Vatican are to be subjected to Government supervision. Prince Bismarck's health, is improving. To, prevent the necessity of resignation he will be relieved from a portion of his labours. - .

The .Emperor i 3 now convalescent. Several German Catholic members have published a declaration against the Ency« clical. They deny that ecclesiastical laws have overthrown the constitution of Churches, and they protest against the Pope's views on the subject. The Qld Catholics heartily concur in this declaration. This body 13 rapidly growing. The Government, has prohibited the exportation of horses, owing to an attempt on the part of France to purchase 10,000 to reorganise their cavalry. Earnest efforts are being made in Prussia to arrest the exodus of tho. agricultural population. One .proposal is the creation of peasant proprietorship, by a division of State domains into small allotments.

The Cospatrick relief fund amounts to £3,050. £500 has been awarded! to. tho two orphan daughters of Captain Elmslie. Mr Macdonald, second mate has been appointed Dundee agent for Messrs Aimball and Morton, sewing-machine menu* facturers. Sir Arthur Gordon leaves for the* seat of his new Government on March 26: Anumerous detachment of Royal Engineers wijl shortly be selepted from those "qt hcad-quarterg, the iSphaol of-Military Engineering at Chatham, to prdceed for service to the Fiji Islands., The .soldier's who will be taken will chiefly, be men who have passed through a course of surveying satisfactorily. It *• expected that Major Pratt will go out in command of the, party. The bill to legaliie marriage with a de-

ceased wife's sisterbas been thrown out 'by a majority of 29. The Bank -Holidays \ Act has been nmended, to embrace Dock and Custom-, house employees in its provisions. Questions asked in ,the House respecting the recOYeryipf stolen!jewels seem to imply that Farl Dudley has compounded ■ a felony. ~ i The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, are residing at Eastvrell Park, where they have entertained several distinguished guests. Clarence; House} their town', residence, is rapidly approaching completion The magnificent piece of plate which is to be presented by the London Corporation to the Duke and Duchess has been on view at the Mansion House. \ Lord Charles Russell having resigned the office of rSergeant«at-Arms in the House of Commons, his late deputy, Captain Gossett, has been advanced to the post. Moody and Sankey, _ American Evangelists, commenced their special services in Lbn^oi^ttjMarch mh.;;2oX>oo persons aaseMbi^every evening in the AgriculturatWall, and crowded midday meetings are held in Exter Hall. Two or three weekly organs excepted, tke London Press speaks -favourably of them. The Opera-house;in therHaymarket is engaged for the West End services^ : _ ....-.■'.;: -J ,