BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5757, 29 December 1896, Page 3

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

♦__ [Br ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH - COPYRIGHT.'] TPeb Press Association.! THE UNIONIST PARTY. LONDON, Dec. 28. Mr Balfour, speaking at Waddington, declared that the malevolent prophecy of division among the Unionist wings proved false, and that they were working together in absolute harmony.; further, that no revolution was likely to separate them. A CONVICr RECAPTURED. The third convict who escaped from Dartmoor has been recaptured. ' A PROJECTED AMALGAMATION. The Times says it is believed that the great firms of Armstrong and Whitworth will shortly be amalgamated. OFFICIAL SECRETS. LONDON, Dec. 28. The Official Secrets Act is to be strictly enforced. Owing to excessive leakage in the public offices, the Powers are believed to be aware of the chief British naval and military secrets. RESIGNED. Dec. 28. The Servian Government has resigned. FIGHTING IN SOUTH AFRICA. CAPE TOWN, Dec. 28. The rebels made a second attack on Pokwan, but sustained heavy loss. Fighting still goes on in the hills. CECIL RHODES. The Gape Times says that Mr Rhodes's attempt to bully the British Government is ungrateful. AN OVATION. Mr Rhodes was received on his arrival at Kimbarley with frantic enthusiasm. THE STAMBULOFF MURDER. SOFIA, Dec. 28. At the trial; of the prisoners for me muraer oi m. oiamuuion; nig wne gave evidence that those in custody were innocent of the charge, and that the Count, prior to his death, knew who were the real assassins. BUDDHA'S BIRTHPLACE. CALCUTTA, Dec. 28. Buddha's birthplace has been discovered in the Nepaul Terai. PASTEUR'S REMAINSPARIS, Dec. 28. Pasteur's remains have been removed from the Cathedral of Notre Dame to tbe Pasteur Institute. GOVERNOR OF TONQUIN. M. Doumer, who was Minister of Finance in M. Bourgeois's Cabinet, has been appointed Governor of Tonquin. BANK FAILURE. WASHINGTON, Dec. 28. The Atlas National Bank of Chicago has suspended. It has been discovered that large loansjsvere advanced to directors and officers. r ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES. — — ♦ — — A RAILWAY DISASTER. [Per Press Association.] NEW YORK, Dec. 28. A train was derailed at Birmingham, Alabama, on a trestle bridge. One hundred and seventeen persons were killed. A FIENDISH ACT. WASHINGTON, Dec. 28. The train fell a hundred feet on to the rocks below. Many of tbe passengers, who were chiefly miners, were burned to death through the stoves setting the carriages alight. Thirtyfive in all were killed. A rail had been maliciously removed. AUCKLAND, Dec. 28. Frederick Stainton, thirty-two, employed by Porter and Co., was drowned while with a picnic at Tamaki River. He went down to the river alone to bathe, and got into a sort of whirlpool. Deceased's wife and children were at the picnic. He was Secretary of the Mount Eden Baptist Sunday School. — [The deceased is a brother-in-law of Mr W. Langford, of this city.] WAIPAWA, Dec. 29. Thomas Stephenson was killed at Ongaonga while carting water. The holts of the axle of the trolly jolted out, causing the tank, containing 150 gallons of water, to capsize on him, crushing him to death. WELLINGTON, Dec. 29. During the voyage of the Soukav, Ernest Winter, aged nineteen, ah assistant steward, was missed on Nov. 8. It was supposed that he had fallen overboard, but as a heavy sea was running, and no boat could live, and the vessel was going at over ten knots, it was thought -useless to stop and look for him, i ■: