News World.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXII, Issue XVIII, 6 May 1899, Page 611

News World.

The Government of Crete now consists of four Christians and one Mahomedan.

Sir P. O. Fysh, Agent-General for Tasmania, and the Duke of Devonshire, have been speaking on federation. The Duke declares it will enormously strengthen Australian land defence.

The death is announced of the Duke of Beaufort, who as a racing man, a four-in-hand enthusiast, a patron of the drama, and a sometime master of the horse to Her Majesty, was a very, prominent figure in London Society.

The Duke of Buceleugh's daughter, Lady Catherine Mary Montague Douglas Scott to the Hon. Thomas Walter Brand, eldest son of Lord Hampden, sometime Governor of New South Wales, was celebrated with much pomp in Westminster Abbey. The Prince of Wales, Lord Salisbury, and several royalties were present.

It is useless to try and give any coherent resume of the week’s Dreyfus news. Every little politician, every man in the street in Paris appears to have some disclosure to make, and all are equal in general vagueness and shadiness. Esterhazy now declares the Government tried to purchase his secrets and documents. The ‘affair’ is now in such a muddle that everyone is sick and tired of it.

A big copper trust is being formed in New Jersey, the American capital is now 74,000,000 dollars, and this is probably to be increased to 400,000,000.

A fine of £4O has been imposed on the English Farmers’ Association for selling colonial as Welsh rwStton. It ought to have been £ 400; but what a compliment to us!

Raps over the fingers have been freely bestowed on all the chief personages in the Samoan trouble. Count Schoenfelder censures his compatriots ‘for spreading false rumours.’ American Admiral Kautz has been ‘admonished’ for writing strong letters which have been published, and Mr Justice Chambers is likely to be retired for the same reason. It is a glorious thing to serve one’s country. But you mustn’t make mistakes.

A dividend of 5 per cent, has been declared by the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company. They have sold several ships during the year, namely, the Crusader, Euterpe, Hudson and Glenlora.

A trial for murder on a somewhat wholesale scale is proceeding in Berlin. A man named Hermann is accused of killing his wife and no less than 12 children, and also, the cable says, vaguely, he is charged with other murders.

The Samoan Commissioners sailed from ’Frisco last week, and are now doubtless settling things.

Tradesmen in England have been giving ‘presents’ of beer to the purchasers of a certain quantity of goods. This has now been stopped, the Excise Department having succeeded in imposing fines.

The Imperial Government have decided to subsidise the Pacific cable.

Russia is pushing her railways. The Siberian line is now open to Irkutsk.

The famous preacher, Dr. Gilbert Parker, stated from the pulpit his prayer that God would damn the Sultan.

There has been a great ‘pother’ over the indiscreet utterances of Capt. Coglan, of the U.S. Navy, touching German interference at Manila, but the Germans have now declared themselves satisfied, and that the incident is closed.

‘Cheap Imperial Telegrams,’ is the warcry of a committee of many British M.P.’s and prominent colonials in London. An agitation is to be started forthwith.

The P. and O. have still further increased the stringency of the regulations limiting social intercourse between passengers and officers.

The Greater Britain Exhibition, a sort of second ‘Colinderies,’ is to be opened on Monday next, at Earl’s Court, by the Duke of Connaught.

It has been announced in the House of Commons that Britain is subsidising the Auckland Harbour Board £2,950 per annum, for 30 years.

An Egyptian Irrigation Loan of £ 430,000, at 4 per cent., was subscribed 26 times over on the London market. This equals our colonial credit.

Terrible lynching occurrences are reported from Georgia. A negro has been burned to death for outraging a woman. A coloured preacher and another negro were also lynched for causes unknown.

Two more cruisers have been ordered for the navy. Good old Peace Conference!

Sir John Lubbock considers New Zealand’s action with regard to the Midland Railway injurious to the interest of the colony. He thinks Mr Seddon should reconsider matters.

Oliver Cromwell’s tricentenary was enthusiastically celebrated by Nonconformists in Britain.

A new explosive, made of liquid air, and ten times more powerful than dynamite, is being experimented with in the Austrian army. Another blow for the Peace Conference.

The Orient Steamship Company made a profit of £45,047 during the past year. It has been carried to the reserve fund.

The ‘Daily Chronicle’ fears that the obstinacy of Oom Paul Kruger, and his disregard of warnings, will have disastrous results. The lion will not stand much more nonsense.

Russia will at length adopt the Gregorian or new style calendar, which has been adopted in England and other civilised countries (save Russia and a few minor States) since 1751.

Sir W. T. Marriot, who, as legal adviser to Hooley, claimed £25.000 from the bankrupt estate, has reduced the amount to £ 5,000. If the reduction was made voluntarily, the cable does not say.

Pretty and talented little Cissy Loftus, imitator of famous actors and singers, who married Justin Huntly McCarthy under highly romantic circumstances when she was only about seventeen, a few years back has obtained a divorce. Marry in haste, repent at leisure. It was love at first sight with these two, and now, alas for the frailty of human passion! Cissy Loftus’ mother was always much against the match. She, Marie Loftus, was at one time the most popular of music hall vocalists, and a famous ‘principal boy’ in the great pantomimes.

The ritualistic controversy still continues to excite much interest in the Old Country. At an important meeting, presided over by the Bishop of Hereford (Dr. Percival, some time Headmaster of Clifton and Rugby, and President of Trinity College, Oxford), resolutions were adopted, that the ‘Presence’ at the Lord’s Supper was purely spiritual; and the confessional was condemned. It was also decided that the jurisdiction of the Courts must be upheld.

_ Affairs between England and Russia are on a more friendly footing than for some time past, rhe AngloRussian agreement has, it is asserted, been signed. Russia undertakes not to obtain, or assist others to obtain, railway or other concessions in the Yang-tse Valley. Britain gives a similar pledge in regard to Manchuria.

There has been much severe fighting in the Philippines during the past week, the Americans sustaining some severe losses, but winning substantial victories in the end. The Filinipos are now beginning to weary of warfare, and ask for an armistice in order to arrange terms of peace. Complete surrender is at present demanded by General Otis.

Wireless telegraphy has already proved of practical assistance. A steamer ran into the Goodwin Sands lightship in a fog on Saturday, and damaged her dangerously. Assistance was obtained by Marconi’s wireless system.

A cyclone, on truly American lines, is reported from Missouri. Sixty persons were killed, four hundred houses destroyed, and a thousand people injured.

A thousand of the Daukhorbor sect, whose religion, like the Quakers, forbids them to bear arms, and who have been successfully banished from Azov, and the Caucasus, are on their way from Cyprus to settle in Canada. There are already about 5,000 settled there.

The clouds are onee more gatheringheavily on the political horizon in the Transvaal.

Sir John Gorst, vice-President of the Council of Education, has scandalised the House of Commons by attacking the policy of his own department. He betrayed animus against the Duke of Devonshire. The leader of the Opposition, Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman, said Sir John’s conduct was almost an affront to the House.

Australasian Governments are invited to send delegates to the Berlin Congress, to be held on May 24th, to discuss the prevention of epidemic tuberculosis.

Anastasia Butler has been arrested charged with the murder of her father at Mansfield. She is a domestic servant at Mansfield, and swears she saw nothing of him after giving him a £5note to go for a holiday. The body was found in a shocking condition under some slabs and a bran-bag in the victim's yard. An attempt had evidently been made to burn the house where the murder was committed, and the body not removed for some days after.