The Star. MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 1898. IN A NUTSHELL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6091, 31 January 1898, Page 2

The Star. MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 1898. IN A NUTSHELL.

Supreme Court sittings' to be resumed to-morrow. A serious movement is on foot in Albania to secure autonomy. " Social " to Mr Ben Tillett to-morroyr night in the Choral Hall. Germany will send two cruisers and surveying ships to Australia shortly. President Kruger his ordered all Indian traders and coolies to remove to locations outside the towns. "Nansen's Farthest North," illustrated with lantern pictures, in the Art Gallery to-morrow night, in aid of the Bush Fires Relief Fund. Mr Leiter, a Chicago speculator who recently bought a large quantity of wheat, asserts that he owns every bushel, of surplus wheat in America. Eepresentatives of the Employers' Federation and the allied trades have agreed upon and signed a settlement. Work was to be re-started to-day. With the object of overcoming the friction between Great Britain and Russia, the Chinese Government suggests that each should take half of the indemnity loan. The third ballot among the engineers upon the conditions of management proposed by the employers, , resulted in 28,588 voting for acceptance and 13,727 against. According to a German newspaper Great Britain is to drop tho proposal for opening Talienwan Bay, Russia withdrawing all opposition to British control of the Chinese customs. " I say, sergeant !— hie— if you lock me up with the othaw prisoners it will be a — hie — deuced outrage, bear in mind !" Sergeant :" I know it will ; but they are all so drunk I don't think they'll mind it." The fourth test match between Sfcoddart's team and an Australian eleveu was commenced at Melbourne on' Saturday, The Australians in their first innings had scored 275 runs for the loss of seven wickets. An old Crimean veteran, William Boxall, who lived at the Thames for the past TO i years ' is dead - In his time he held the Napier record for throwing the cricket ball, and was well-known in connection with athletic matters. .f hei ' e was no loss of life by the wreck ot the Mataura. The steamer struck upon an uncharted rock, and was run ashore to prevent her sinking in deep water. Her masts are visible, and it is believed that a portion of the cargo will be saved The belief is current in China that the withdrawal of the British warships from Lort Arthur indicates irresolution on the part of Great Britain, and Russia is inspiring rumours at Pekin that the vessels withdrew under Russian pressure From the TToiraropo Daily, relative to the bush and grass fires :-The evidences of the severity of the blast w^e lonvTc Lg enough. No dead cattle were encountered, but there were a good many « dead sheep " to be seen m some of the paddocks and particularly on the hillside. "Some of them were still alive," frothino- aTthe mouth and doomed. n