BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

West Coast Times, Issue 10671, 27 December 1897, Page 2

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

London, Dec 23.The Engineer says' the/employers in the engineering trades expect the dispute with the men, which Resulted in the re- " cent conference, will b e quickly terminated Employers intimate they have finally declined to /consider the compromise suggested .'by the fcngitieers for reduction in hours of labor to 52 a week, also they regard as useless the ballot now being taken among the members of the Society of Engineer* upon the question of acceptance of the 1 masters' proposals.

Tii9 indemnity-»pa'id to Great Britain 1 ' by the United States in respfcct of ihe Behring Sea churns amounts io 857,000 dollars with interest ab the fate.of 7 per cent., extending over a period of years. (Received Dec 24, at §.20 p.m.).) - Barnes, Secretary of the states that the engirieers of Manchester,Newcastle, Glasgow, and other

centres refuse to resume work, unless .the hours of labour are reduced, and ( the old conditions of employment conceded^.

/Received on Dep 24 at 1,15 a.m.)

Later reports show that the late Wm. Maxwell, Governor of the Gold .Coast, was ill a long time, and for some time was unable to walk fifty yards,, but ignored the advice to return to ,the Coast as he w#s anxidu's to finish his' mission in connection wito the settlement of the native troubles in the Benin cbijnjir'y, .

W ( . R. Kermy, golicitor-Geheral for Ireland, has been appointed to the vacant judgeship. D. P. Barton, member for Midj-Afmah, succeeds Kenny. Dense fogs are experienced in London and traffic is considerably impeded. A, conference of engineering and kindred trades have discussed the proposal to operate to demarid 51 fiou'rs T^eekjy'. A resolution was passed which has not been allowed to transpire. „ , Calcutta, Dec. 23. Brigadier General Biggs, who took a proMnent part in the frontier campaign, is invalided. ! The Indian newspapers severely oriticise the marme.r of conducting the frontier campaign, and assert that- the rear guard has been sacrificed. BBRLfN, Dec. 23. Speaking at Grandinz, Prussia, the Emperor expressed his gratification at &eeing the forts of .the Empire strengthened. His neighbor, to the eastward, he said, was a dear,- loyal friend, holding tb.6 same political viewa.

Cairo" Dec :J*3. Njine hundred Egyptian troops have entered Kassala in Eastern Soudan,

(Received Dec 25, at 9.35 a.ra.) London 1 , Dec- 23.* Captain Arthur W. E. jprojther'oe has been appointed to command the Flora, a twin screw cruiser of the second, class. Barnes, the engineers' Beoretary, says he is confident none of the engineers will accept the terms offered by the emr ; ployers. ■ , Berlin, Dec- 24 % . .Negotiations which for some time have been prqceeding between the United States arid Germany, with the view of the" adoption, of a .reciprocal tariff between the two countries, have failed. C^Lcua% pep, 98^ A column under the command of Brig-adier-General Hammond has' been .detained to rebuild the forts at Ali Mnsgih,

Maude, aM LunSr Khx>tal in the ityb er Pass, which were destroyed by the tribes-

men. The Bengal Chamber of Cqniinerce is advocating the adoption of a gold stand aid in India. The Bonerwal tribesmen od the ludian frontier have been allowed a week to suV — mit to the British authorities, and ordered if pay a fine of 11,000 rupees. , Athens, JDec 24. A body of Moslems at Herakiion, Crete, massacred 160 Christians belohgiug to a coastal caravan. f Capetown, Bee 23. Cecil Rhodes is about to visit England with the object of arranging the issue of a loan of a million on behalf of the - South African Coy. Ottawa, Dec 23. The Farmers Loan & Savings' Society, Toronto, has suspended payment. Depositors are not likely to .receive more than 60 per cent of their deposits. It is reported two thousand people have left Dawson City for Port Yukon owing to the shortness of provisions and the danger of starvation. (Received, Dec 25, at lis a.m.) The departures from Dawson City _have removed the danger of starvation. Canada has been officially infornled that the indemnity payable by the United States in the action re the Behring Sea fisheries js 464,000 dollars. "Vienna, Deo 23. The Hungarian and Austrian delagations approved of the report of the committee on the Imperial budget. Cairo, Dec 24. The fgarrison at Berber has been strengthened, and detachments of troops have been sent up the river at Bara to prevent a the Dervishes moving ward.--(Received, Dec 25, at 5.10 p.m.) Ottawa, Dec 25. The Canadian Government, at ttie request of Mr Chamberlain, has abandoned the proposed reduction in postal rates. Mr Chamberlain suggests [that an intercolonial postal conference should be held -to discuss the matter. Rome, Dec 25. The Pope advises the Catholics of Manitoba to accept the partial educational concessions offered them if unable to obtain full justice. Paris, Deo 25. M. Hanotaux, Minister for Foreign Affairs, is endeavouring to promote an international conference for the neutralisation of the Newfoundland fishing banks. Giiiio, Dec 25. The Dervishes at Sljendy and Metemneh are advancing on Berber. . The native- levies at Kassala have captured the Dervish post at Bara. The latter suffered heavy losses. Pretoria, Dec 25. J. G. Kotze, Chief Justice of the Transvaal) has enquired of President ; Kruger why the promised mejisure revising the constitution of the republic is is not forthcoming.