NEWS BY THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3314, 20 November 1878, Page 3

NEWS BY THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

[peb PHKsa aobwotJ [Per B.s. City of New York via Auckland.] Auckland, Nor. 19. The mail steamer arrived at 5.30 p.m. Passengers for Lvttelton — Mr J". A. Sutfcon .and wife, H. H. H~iU, J. T. Widte and wife. GENERAL SUMMARY. The City of Glasgow Bank failed on Oct. 3, for £5,000,000, iri consequence of large advances on American sureties, grain, and real estate. Tho value of the latter is much depreciated. Smith, Fleming and Co., Eaat India merchants, Lcadenhall street, arc liable for cash advances amounting to £853,000, and acceptances for £900,000. All the directors hare been arrested charged with fraud and -confined separately. Of these W. E. Taylor is ex-Town. Collector of Glasgow, L member of the School Board, and partner in a largo grain • dealing firm m the West of Scotland ; Ir.glis is a landed proprietor in East Scotland ; Louis Potter is a member of a large shipping firm in Glasgow ; Wright is a member of an East Indian firm, London and Glasgow ; Robert Salmon was manager of the City of Glasgow Bank when ■it stopped in 1857 ; Stewart is an Edinburgh merchant. The arrest created a great sensation, but it met with general approval. The •Grown authorities appointed a lawyer officially to investigate the affairs of the Bank, the research to extend hack to 1857. The report is worse than the most gloomy .forebodings. The loss is £5,190,933, which, with the addition of £1,000,000 capital, the shareholders will have to mate good. The report shows systematic deception. A call has been made on the shareholders for £500 per share. S,teps are being taken to organise a relief fund for the shareholders. Nicol Fleming, connected with the bank, has absconded. He chartered a steamer for the east of Kintyre, whence he hoped to reach Spain. A large number of Glasgow and London failures have followed this financial crash— among them Potter, Wihon, and Co., Glasgow, for £600,000, Hanna, Donald and "Wilson, engineers, Paisley, for £70,000, "Westwich and Co.,*roerchants, of London, for £70,000. James Morton and Co., Glasgow, have placed their Books in the hands of accountants. They were largely indebted to the bank. Hugh Balfour and Co., Manchester, have also failed for £2,000,000. Five batteries of the Artillery and the second battalion of the 14th regiment at Curra?h are ordered to India. * A correspondent of Calcutta telegraphs as fallow a : — Unless Sherc AH gives us satisfaction, the present occasion will be seized to secure for ourselves the passes piercing the mountain ranges along the whole frontier from Khyber to Bolan, and further. Strategic measures will be adopted to dominate the Sulieman range and Hindoo Koosh mountains. A number of war ships have been ordered to the Persian Gulf from the squadron of the Admiral of the East Indian station. The Bombay newspapers announce that the Khyberees have declared in favour of the British. A despatch from Bombay to London says : Troops have been ordered to advance from Dera-ghazikan, thus threatening Afghanistan from a new point. It is reported that dissensions have broken out among the great Afghanistan chiefs. The Ameer has asked the Tribal Councils for assistance. It is believed that tribes mustering 150,000 fighting men have assented. The other tribes, with about 35,000 warriors, remain neutral. The Ameer has freed from prison his son Yakoub Ehaa, wko is a noted general. A despatch from Darjedingsaya : Two hundred men of each regiment at Peshawar, and the hone artillery witn 40 powder batteries, have gone to Tamrood. A despatch from St. Petersburg ays: If the Ameer is beaten, and his territory annexed

to England, Russia will occupy Merrand Balkh in southern TurkStan, iiear^e Afghan bordew." -. **■ " „'■•' ' ; The Ameer's forces at Ali 'Musjid are estimated at 25,000. c 10 An Afghan embassy is toi proceed to St. Petersburgh. - The Ameer's reply to the Viceroy has been received, and is in substance: "You may do your worst, and the issue is in God's hands." Sir 8. Northcote admitted in a speech at Wolverhampton the possibility of the rer newalof war. , . , Government has offered a free passage to the families of officers engaged in active service in India. The organisation of the Quettah column of invasion is approaching completion. It will have six months' supplies by Oct. 31. The French Cabinet is discussing the English and Afghanistan question, and the state of affairs in Turkey. The situation is held to be very grave. A movement is on foot in Bulgaria to exterminate the Mohammedans. Baker Pasha has undertaken to complete the fortifications of Constantinople in two months. ■ ■ . - The British Minister energetically insists that the Turkish slave trade must be abolished. Eighty thousand Austrian troops have been withdrawn from Bosnia. ■ Roumania has been recognised by the United States. The British fleet has been withdrawn to Artaki Bay. Further withdrawal has been stayed on account of the movements of the Russians. Turkish money depreciated so rdpidly that it is now worth only one-third its nominal value. Corruption among the Russian army officere is discovered to be wide spread. Five hundred officers, including 40 colonels, are accused of misapplication of money. The Government at Constantinople, has received intelligence that Saad Gcdden Pasha on announcing that he had received orders to surrender Podgoritza to the Montenegrins, was killed by the Albanians, and 156 officers and men under his command were massacred. Turkey definitely rejects the Austro-Turkish : Convention. I Pirates hare appeared in the Persian Gutf. War between Turkey and Greece is considered inevitable. A dispatch from Vienna states that Russia has informed the Powers of the stoppage of the retreat of the Russian troops, and has invited them to join in the energetic representations which Prince Lobanoff is instructed to make in order to induce the Porte to take prompt meosnres to stop outrages upon Christians. . < | A Tienna dispatch says that Russia is still urging Roumania to conclude a convention granting right of passage for Russian troops through her territory for the minimum period of two years. Count Andrassy has so far induced Roumania to withhold her consent. The Russian army in Roumelia and Bui' garia still amounts, contrary to treaty, to 153,000 men. , Four thousand waggons with Christians are in the wake of the Russian army. The Sultan declared to Minister Layard "that he would never conclude an alliarice with Russia. _ The Russians refuse to quit Adrianople till the signing of a definite treaty with Turkey. The Czar is contracting for the issue of military furloughs. In no case arc they extended beyond February. Russia wiil make an immediate demand for 3,000,000 roubles. The Russian tariff is to be raised 15 per. cent, and an income tax added. \ The Servian army is to be reduced to a peace footing immediately. The Clyde shipbuilders have reduced wage 3 7k per cent. The reduction affecte 40,000 employes. It has been quietly accepted. ' "The Eddystone lighthouse remains uninjured. The foundation, however, is reported to be UDPufe. The Colonial Trust Corporation of London has decided on voluntary liquidation. "~^ Wages have been reduced 10 percent afc Oldham. Negotiations are said to be pending between Austria, France, and England, to secure an anti-Russian alliance. ' James Lawers and Co. of Liverpool have , suspended ; liabilities one to two millions. Count Von Bismark^ nephew to tho German Chancellor, committed suicide. The cause was physical suffering. There is a panic- in the Glasgow iron trade. The price of pig-iron was at one time lOd lower. / ' '.-,.. "Vi?count Bury and other directors of the London Colonial Trust Corporation, which defaulted in its debenture interest, have been sued, and the books of the company ordered into Court. One thousand Glasgow weavers are on strike against 1\ per cent, reduction in wages. A panic at the Coliseum Theatre in Liverpool led to a frightful result. Thirty- five men, two lad?, and several women were suffocated. There were between 4QOO.andJj.QOQ in the Theatre at the • time. ' The panic was caused by the cry of " fire " without cause. By a railway collision at Ponty Pridd, in Wales, twelve persona were killed and thirty wounded. ~ . : A Prussian four per cent loan has been effected with the Berlin bankers, to the amount of 60,000,000 marks. The Countess Bismark, Prince Bismark's daughter, will, it is announced, marry Count Kantzan on Nov. 4. The Emperor William resumes the reins of Government early in December. The German Socialist Bill has passed, and the Central Socialist Committee has been voluntarily dissolved. The Socialist newspapers are also suspended, aud will appear under new titles. The Rotli33hilds have agreed to lend Egypt £6,000,000. England," Italy, and France, will not, recognise Servian independence till the ciril and political equality of the Jews isjproclaisied The Duke of Edinburgh sailed from Mar eeilles for Canada to welcome the Marquis of Lome. Negotiations between the Vatican and Germany have ceased. A report that the annual military conscription of Germany has been increased by 20,000 is denied. After the passage of the Anti-Socialistic Bill on Oct. 19 by 221 against 149, the Reichstag was prorogued. Prince Bismark read the message. Armed with this Bill, he hoped to cure t'e prevalent disease. _X£_.not successful in two and a half years ho hoped to obtain further concession. The Emperor William sent 1700 dols. for the benefit of tho yellow fever sufferers in the Southern Stater of America. The International Peace Congress at Paris has ended. Rumours of Prince Louis Napoleon and the Princess Thyra's betrothal are revived. A strong French fleet has been ordered to the Mediterranean. No more Communists are to be arrested. Seventeen persons were drowned by floods in northern Italy. The Italian consul at Trieste La? teen insulted by Austrian sailors, crying "Death to Italy." An Internationalist named Inan Monkasi attempted to assasinale King Alfonso on Oct. 25. The cashier of the Bank of Odessa levanted with 16,000 dollars, and a run on the Bank followed. 1,500,000 dols were withdrawn. The deaths from cholera in Morocco have reached 696. It is expected that tho proclamation of war against the Ameer will be gazetted shortly, specifying full reasons for declaring it. Army officers have been ordered to learn the Afghan language. Herr Hoffman, Imperial Chancellor of Germany, has resigned. A dyke on Aamita branch canal has burst. It is impossible to repair it, and 10,000 men are engaged in building a new one. Great damage was done. Twelve square miles are overflowed and 20 villages submerged, involving a loss of from 600 to 1000 lives. Cetywayo, chief of the Zulu Caffirs, threatens open hostilities against the British. ST PBTEBBBUKO, Oct. 22. Tile Journal de St Petertburg exhorts the

I .people to improve the agrieu^turol,-fixpo|tsl i "i j 'M B '£?M **&% m considere dt '|hat adef . manS for the iniitoediatejpayai'enfc' (tfUired xnUlion roubles is probable. \ ; ! r-i" ! " ; " " : " Jfa^fYoßK,Ocii^2. j The SerauPg correspondent at . Glasgow; i telegraphs as: follows s— The meeting of , the; > shareholders of the Cityof Glasgow Bank wad ' 'largely attended. In view of the hopeless! ; .ness o£ the resuscitation of the, shattered ■ concern, a' strong feeh'rig\wW expressed byi a few/prphunenfc shareholders; in, favour of i voluntary liquidation, as being less costly; j than judicial liquidation and less oppressive; to the poorer shareholders. Repeated refer-: once was made to the prompt action of the' Crown, and the names of the shareholders, wlio can testify that they purchased shares on fraudulent misrepresentations were taken; down for the use of the public prosecutor. Rumours reach mo that further warrants, have been issued for the arre3t of the. old' directors of tho Bank. There have been runs! on some of thp local building societies to-day,! but nothing seriously approaching a panic. . London, Oct. 23. : A despatch, from Constantinople contains; tho following : — The bidk of the Russianforces in Bulgaria are moving southward. The Russian infantry alone tit Eastern Roumelia already numbers 80,000 men. Another! Army Corps is near Constantinople, and there are 15,000 men in Adrianople. a Oct. 25. / The > Standard publishes a sensational •despatch from Tienna, stating that Russian military preparations are so vast that nobody can doubt that she is bent upon further conquest. The only question appears to be whether she will wait till spring or re- ' commence war before that time. Her excuse [will probably be the outbreaks of the Bulgarians, which were prompted by Russian agents. A camp of 60,000- men is forming at KischenefE to replace the troops who have crossed the Balkans southward. Russia refuses to evacute the Dobrudscha or Roumania until Roumania has concluded an offensive and defensive alliance. Russian agents openly claim that Moldavia as far as the Sereth, must become Russian. The Times in a leader says : — Russia ventures to stand in the way of the execution of the Berlin Treaty because she trusts to' the forbearance of othere. A word spoken in earnest by England or Austria would bring her to her senses in a moment. It is preposterous to assert that our hands can be tied by the Afghan difficulty.; We must force ourselves upon Afghanistan to the exclusion of others who have rto right there. Our course is clear j when we shall enter upon it is another question. It is certain, however, that the decisive campaign will not commence before spring. Our attention will meanwhile be given to carrying out the Berlin Treaty. The St. Petersburg BusJca Mir says that Anglo-Turkish intrigues are on foot to spread the Rhodope insurrection to Shuinla. The only result of such a move will be to cause Russia to assert her rights as the conqueror, and revert to the treaty of San Stefano. All the Powers are too much occupied elsewhere to offer any resistance. A Bucharest dispatch eaysi The Bulgarians have been informed from St. Petersburg that neitheifPrince Nikitaof Montenegro, nor Prince < Milan of Servia, has a chance of becoming their ruler. It is believed that the election will be managed quietly, and that Europe will be confronted with an accomplished fact.. A dispatch from Rome announces that the ministerial crisis is over. Admiral Bricco has accepted the Ministry of Marine,