English News per Chimborazo.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3367, 7 October 1879, Page 2

English News per Chimborazo.

(Pee Tabaetja, via Melboubste.)

The question ef the confirmation of the P. and O. Company's new contract was discussed in the House of Commons on August 8, when it was stated by Sir Selwyn Ibotsen that four tenders were sent in from the P. and O. Company's Steamshipping Company of LiverpoolMr Smith of Glasgow, and Mr Holt of Liverpool considered that the P. and O. Company's offer was very advantageous, and moved that it be accepted for eight years at £370,000 per annum. An amendment was proposed by J. Holmes to reduce the terms from two to three years. Lord Jno. Manners stated that the Company wanted £50,000 per j annum more for five years' service than ' for eight years. The motion approving of the contract was agreed to by 142 to 54 The calculations show that the Glasgow firm offered its ships at 11s 2d per mile, the Liverpool Company at 12s Id, Mr Holmes at 83 lOd, and the P. and O. Co. 9s Cd. Public opinion was decidedly favorable to the mail service to the East being carried out by the company that had performed it for the whole four decades, though all the advantages that may be derived by them could be offered by any other contractors for the mails. The postal subsidies' committee allege it will cost the country £2,500,000 nnnecessailry, and pointed out that Victoria having had the benefit of the real com* petitioirhad reduced the subsidy between Galle and Melbourne from 14a 4d to 6s 9d per mile. The reference made in the House of Commons on August 8 on the danger of another native war in New Zealand. Mr J. P. Smyth asked if it was true that preparations were being made " to settle at once and for ever the native difficulty " in accordance with the wishes of the new settlers. Sir Michael Hicki-Beach replied that he had receivedj no communication on the subject and should therefore infer that nothing very serious had taken place. He added that the news in the Press was six weeks old, and he hoped that ore then any apprehensiou of disturbance would pasa. A postscript of date 23rd June contained in a letter to hand from our own correspondent at Wellington, gave the principal ground for alarm as the writer said—" I learn by telegraph that the settlers have precipitated matters by forcibly ejecting tho native ploughmen. It is feared that hostilities are imminent." The Standard followed up the letter by a leader commencing—" It will be seen by the letter of our own correspondent in Hew Zealand that the colony is upon the edge of another native war. 1' '

At a raeoting of shareholders of the Bank of New Zealand, Sir Chas. Clifford took an opportunity to refer to the Tjftfte thus created by the Standard »nd pointed out that the area affected by the new war if it did take place was so small compared with the rest of Few Zealand that it was scarcely worth a thought. In the Southern Island there were great centres of population, and they might as well speak about the trade of London being affected by a strike of the Durham coal miners. Sir Chat, paid a high tribute to the progress of the Maoris in civilisation. His remarks altogether had a considerable influence in putting a proper construction on the actual atato of affairs before the public. A series of letters which recently appeared in the Daily News on the English agricultural laborer in the Britain Wf the South, together with many other details useful to intending immigrants, has been re-published in pamphlet form under the name, " The England of the Pacific, or New Zealand as an English middle class immigration field.," Viscount Trafalgar married Miss Dalpetty, the eldest daughter of Dalgetty of Loeksley Hall, Hampshire. Next session Col. Arbuthuot intends to call attention to tho revenue and coin*

as compared with 'those of tho Colonies, and moved—"That in tho opinion of Ibis House the burdens of Ininemi defi-m-e arc unequally distributed, and requires readjustment." In reply to a question, Sir Michael Hicks-Bench declined to publish cc- tain official information regarding Australian defences. Ho concenti'd to have the documents placed nt tho liberty of the House for perusal by members. In a kltcr to the Globe, Col. Arbulhnot subsequently pointed out that Sir Michael Hicks-Beach's action vras very much like locking tho stable door after tho horse had been stolen, as the papers pointed to by tho Colonel were, to his certain knowledge, iv tho hands of the foreign Governments. On August 2nd, the emigrant ship Enterpo, for Canterbury, New Zealand, was run into off Gravf send by the Telford s.s., from Colombo, doing damage to the starboard bow, injuri'iy one man, and carrying away the. niizzcn booms, etc. The ship Pericles, which put back to Plymouth after having been ashore on a rock near the Mauncles, whilst ou a voyage to Sydney with 409 emigrant's, discharged her passengers ou tho 26th at the emigration depot. It was deemed necessary to dock the vessel and overhaul her. Tho Lyons papers announced a disco,very which in time will have a very important influence on the silk trade, and on all textile iudnstries. It is stated that tho last re-appearance and durability of silk can be communicated to fibres of flax by certain chemical process. Flax steeped in a bath of dissolved silk waste, emerges therefrom in a condition which renders it indistinguishable, save by aualysis from silk itself.