NEWS BY THE MAIL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 53, 2 May 1874, Page 7

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

By the arrival of the Omeo we have later English and Austra*lian news, but with one or two exceptions the items are unimportant. From Germany we read that the work of persecution and spoliation still goes on. The hand of the oppressor is s>till raised, and when it falls, the weak and unoffending are his victims. The heroic and venerable Ludochowski, Archbishop of Posen, who had been heavily fined and imprisoned for refusing to obey the tyrannical commands of his persecutors, according to a telegram from Berlin, has in addition been deprived oi his See. This will be glad news to the sympathiser with Prince Bismarck in his struggle of might against right, and his crusade against personal liberty and religious freedom. In England the contest between the labourers and their masters still continues. Hodge has at length discovered the value of his labour, and is determined to have it. In .Somersetshire a dispute occurred, and a suggestion for arbitration being distinctly refused on the part of the farmers, a lock-out was the consequence. Formerly, these lock-outs generally ended in ruin and loss to the labourer- ; but with so many fields open for enterprise, and the means for emigrating always at hand, the tables are now turned, and labour is in a position to dictate its own terms. Under these circumstances it is scarcely to be wondered at that instead of eating up their small resources during the struggle, being a burden on their fellows, aud finally yielding to necessity, the agricultural labourers are emigrating iv numbers. In the House of Commons, the Under-Secretary for the Colonies, Mr. Lowther, in reply to a question from Mr. McAkthuk — an old Australian Colonist — as to whether th« Government had received official confirmation of the cession of Fiji, denied that such had been received. He promised that all papers relative to Fijian matters should be laid before the House, and that the Commissioners' Report on the question should receive the attention of the Government. In Victoiia, the elections seem to be the all-absorbing topic of interest. The nominations for the third and last batch were made on the 16th ult. Of the thirty-seven seats to be filled, thirty-five are to be contested, amongst them ! those sought by two former Premiers — Sir James McUulloch, and Sir John O'jjhanassy. Both candidates are opposed by journalists, and though the telegram states that the return of Sir John is doubtful, he, has fought the battles of Kilmore too often, and is too well tried to b« set. aside for a new man. As the polling-day was fixed for the 22nd ult, we may look for the result by the next mail, when it will be seen if the Francis Ministry, which ousted Sir Charles Duffy from office, still possesses the confidence of the country. Amongst the other items of intelligence, we observe tLu the ex- Premier of Victoria sailed for Europe by the last mail stuarner.