GENERAL NEWS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1180, 16 September 1885, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

Clemenceau is a determined freetrader, whilst nine-tenths of the Republicans are Protectionists. He is hostile to all Jingoism and to war ; whilst no Republican in office would dare avow himself, not a Chauvtn thirsting for conquest and lying in wait for la ravauclic. He is a professed Anglomaiie ; whilst assuredly never has perfidious Albion been more hated than now since the days of Waterloo. And yet Clemenceauis the "coming man." Three things fix public attention upon, him— he is credited with an iron will, devoted to the service of inflexible conviction, he is above all suspicion honest, and he is the most remarkable orator, save one, in all France. — "St. .lames Gazette."

The following is from a Wellington paper : — Ah Sin isn't dead yet. He was run in for smuggling the other day, and on his way to the station it looked as if ho was playing hare and hounds, wilh cigars for scent. The gamins didn't mind, however ; they followed and picked up the weeds, and there were more sick boys about that night than a few. Ah Sin's sleeves were long and wide, and his trousers were short and wide, and together they held hundreds of cigars. The special correspondent of the " Pioneer" wrote from Taghur Robat on the 3rd July : — The chief news from the frontier relates to the sickness of the Russian troops at Penjdeh, who are said to be "lying off in numbers, and to the arrival of a new Russian general, who was received at Penjdeh with- a salute and much distinction. The Sarik Turkomans at Penjdeh are much dissatisfied with Russian rule, and talk of migrating south in a body to escape it. The Afghan troops have not yet advanced beyond Bala Murghab, as any occupation of Maruchak might only lead to fresh excitement. The heat and want of water in the desert will be so great for the next two months that it is not considered probable that we shall commence the demarcation of the frontier before September, supposing that the negotiations are brought to a successful conclusion in the meantime.

The Invercargill Chamber of Commerce have adopted the following resolution :—: — " That this Chamber view with alarm the proposal to ask Parliament to vote £150,000 for the purpose of commencing the East aud West Coast railway, because the passing of such a vote would commit the Colony to the construction of a gigantic work, which neither the circumstances of the Colony at the present time nor the nature of the country traversed warrant the Colony in prosecuting ; and in the opinion of this Chamber Parliament has already made ample provision for developing the resources of the East Coast by giving power to the harbor boards of WeatporC and Greymouth to borrow, water communication being afc all fcimes cheaper than haulage by land over long distances. "

The earthquake shocks which were felt recently over a wide area in Yorkshire remind us (" Home News ") that an authority on the subject ot these phenomena, M. Delawnay, of Paris, is of opinion that next year will see the recurrence of uphe?»vels of the earth's crust in em intensified form. M. Delaunay is a prophet of evil but, unfortunately, all his prohecies have hitherto come true. His speciality is earthquakes, and he predicts them only too surely. In 1877 he announced that that year would not conclude without violent disturbances of the earth, and as a matter of fact the frightful catastrophes on the coasts of South America followed. In 1883, M. Delaunay again pointed to approaching earthquakes, and soon after the volcanic eruptions in the Indian Archipelago occurred, by which thousands of human beings lost their lives and hundreds of square miles of terra firma were engulfed by the sea. Towards the end of last year M. Delaunay once more raised his warning voice, and the earthquakes in Spain showed how well founded were his warnings. Quite recently he has prophesied very severe volcanic disturbances for 1886. Having acquired a well-merited notoriety in foretelling earthquakes, some weight ought to be attached to M. Delawnay's utterances. He affirms that next year these natural phenomena will be of a very intense character, <md they will show themselves either when the earth is under the influence of a planet of the first rank, such as Jupiter, or under that of a group of arteroids. or at a time when sun and moon are nearest our planet at the same lime.—" Iron."

According to reports which we hear from all parts, not only of this district, but of the Colony generally (aaya the " Oamaru Mail "), a comparatively small area of lard has been placed under crop this year, and the yield of wheat next season is likely to fail a long way short of even the diminished amount of the late season. This, we think, is a matter for regret. No doubt grain-growers have been subjected to sad disappointments, and in many cases to considerable loss during the past two seasons in consequence of the low price of wheat, the natural result of over-production ; but the evidence available tends to show that next year will find a wonderful change in the aspect of the grain market, and every week that evidence becomes the stronger. It is a matter for regret that a larger area h;is not been sown, and it is well worthy of the consideration of farmers whether or not even now the area under crop should not be greatly extended. It niay seem like proposing to cart coal to Newcastle to 1 suggest America as a likely market for frozen meat, but, a paragraph from the San Francisco "NewsLetter " suggests that a market is available for Australian beef in San IVncisco : — "The last Australian steamer," it aays, " brought over two fine pieces of Australian frozen New Zealand be«f. One of these pieces was proaonled fco ihe proprietor of the Pantheon, in Califorrnasireet, who had it cooked and placed on his lunch-table. It was found equal to the best stall-fed meat in our nrukets. This beef can be sold here at 15 cents a Ib, while our butchers charge 25 cents for an inferior article to tho New Zealwid beef." We can bear testimony to the scarcity of good meat ii America. Tho re is nothing that " Australian in Amend " longs for more than a taste once more of Australian meat.

■ BbnbfaCTOHS — " When a board of eminent physicians and chemists announced the discovery that by combining some well-known valuable remedies a most wonderful medicine was produced, which would cure such a wide rauge at diseases that most all other remedies couid be dispensed with, many were skeptical, but proof of i's merits by actual trkl hos dispelled all doubt, and today she discoverers of that great medicine, Dr Soule's American Co's Hop Biticrs, are honored and blessed by all as benefactors." Read. Men of high station. — Aeronauts.