CABLEGRAMS.

Western Star, Issue 1912, 12 May 1894, Page 3

CABLEGRAMS.

HOME AND FOREIGN [PRESS ASSOCIATION THIiEGRAMJ.] LONDON. Sir Charles Topper read a paper before the Colonial Institute in which he strongly advocated a colonial view of the questions to bo submitted to the Tariff Conference at Ottawa next month. He said that it the Australasian colonies gave a subsidy of £50,000 and Great Britain a subsidy of £75,000 a fortnightly mail service to Australasia via Canada would be available in 1896. The naval strength provided by fast steamers on the Pacific and Atlantic together with a

Pacific cable formed the strongest claims for Imperial support towards such a mail service. Sir contended that the protests of existing companies against the proposed Pacific cable were to a large extent fallacious. A committee of the House of Cornmo ns has passed the English, Scottish and Australian Chartered Bank Bill, which enables that institution to pay interest during the time of suspension.

The proposal for the disestablishment of the Church of Scotland have been abandoned owing to pressure of other business

Sir E Grev, Parliamentary Secretary to the Foreign Office, says the British troops were not ordered to occupv Wadelai. The Government whips are betraying considerable anxiety regarding the division on the bill to give effect to Budget proposals so far as they relate to the increase in the beer and spirit duties. The Parnellites will vote against the bill, but the other section of the Irish party will support the measure, despite strong pressure brought to near on them by Irish publicans to vote for the rejection of the proposals. During the discussion on the Budget proposals in the House of Commons, Mr Geschon attacked Sir W. Hareourt for going to the colonies for a precedent in support of the graduated taxation. He declared that the landed interest in Great Britain had been almost ruined by Australian mutton and they were now to be wiped out by Australian finance. The British East Africa Company has withdrawn the offer to transfer their rights to the Imperial Government as the establishment of a British protectorate over Uganda enchances the value of the territory under the.company’s control. In reply to a question, Mr S. Buxton, Parliamentary Secretary to the Colonial Office, said the Government were still considering a request for the extension of the provisions of the Australian Customs Act so as to make it apply to Canada and Cape CBony., The report of an outbreak of insurrection in the Argentine Republic is not confirmed, but a commercial panic has occurred iu the capital, and this fact has probably given rise to other rumour. During the last few days failures in business firms in Buenos Ayres representing in the aggregate four million pounds havebeen announced, and latest advices state that several more bankruptcies are imminent.

Coxey, Brown and Jones, leaders of the great unemployed agitation in /Vmerica, have been committed for trial for violation of the statutes relating to the Capitol, but have appealed to a higher court. The police shot several of Coxey’s army for boarding a train in Washington State.

The Boers are preparing to wage war against a number of native chiefs for refusing to pav faxes and defying the Transvaal Government.

A fire in the navy yard in Bermuda Islands destroyed the armoury, but the blue jackets from the warships in the harbour managed to save the magazine. The damage is estimated at £IOO,OOO. Under a democratic compromise on the United States Tariff Bill it has been agreed that wool shall be admitted free into the United States after 2nd August. Efforts are still being made to place a duty on raw wool.

The New Zealand Midland Kailway Company has offered to find the capital to finish the Spriugfield-Keefton section of the railway on condition of exemp •on from payment of local rates and toe creation of trustees for slock issued by the Mow Zealand Government. A. frozen meat importers association has been formed with a membership which includes all the local meat importers and salesmen. The association will meet every month, the date of the initial meeting being the 22nd inst.

Speaking at the Colonial Institute, Mr Duncan Gillies, Agent General for Victoria, expressed regret that fhe Admiralty bad not made an exhaustive survey of the Pacific. Until this was clone ho contended that it was impossible to accurately estimate or apportion the cost of the proposed cable. Mr Alfred Dobson, of Tasmania, said the representatives of the Imperial Government at the Canadian Conference ought to candidly declare whether Great Britain would join in thesubsnly to the proposed Pacific cable. If Great Britain decided to stand aloof then Australia and Canada would act together in the matter. Mr O’Connor, of New South Wales, emphasized the strategic advantages of a cable across the Pacific.

INTERCOLONIAL. Sydney. A rich gold reef has been struck in the centre of the township .»r Wyalomr. It is supposed to be a continuation of t -e original reef dis covered there. In the Legislative Assembly the Colonial Treasurer stated that he would introduce a bill rmxt week to compel companies wo-king mines to be registered i- tin* enhniv. During the past two days seventeen decrees nisi under fhe new divorce laws have been granted on the ground of desertion.