General News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 6, 30 May 1884, Page 13

General News.

Mr. Jenkinson, Director' of the Irish Criminal Investigation Department, has appointed fifty detectives in London, who will be under special pay and have special duties. Twelve of them are English, eight Irish, and eight American. The rest are Russian French, German, Austrian, Italian, Spanish and Canadian. Irish constables have been appointed to act as detectives in English Eeaports. 6 The additional returns of the voting in the poor-law contests which have been published since we last wrote leave no room for doubt as to the substantial nature of the victories which hare been won by the national party throughout the country. . In Ulster, as well as in the other three provinces, the popular candidates have succeeded in a large number of instances in defeating the landlord party. In Newry, for instance, they won several important victories. The men of Castlederg, county Tyrone, wrested two seats from the Tories. Again, in Dromore, the popular cause has been very successful, and in Armagh the Nationalists gained one seat. All this is very encouraging as showing the direction in which the political opinion of the Ulster constituencies is progressing.— Nation, April 6. The partisan character of the Irish- magistracy is at last exposed in its true colours. A Parliamentary return, which Mr. Sexton set himself to obtain, was issued this week. It gives the name 3, occupations, and religions of all persons in Ireland who hold the commission of the peace, and that part of it which touches the religion of the magistracy reveals an extraordinary state of affairs. An analysis of the return shows that in Catholic Ireland there are 5,613 justices of the peace, and out of this number there are only 1,014 Catholics while 4,699 Protestants hold commissions as magistrates from the' Lord Chancellor. That is to say, while the Catholics of the country nanvber nearly 4,000,000 souls out of the entire population, less than a third of the magistrates sitting on the bench profess the popular faith. In the counties there are 4,228 Protestants to 869 Catholic J.P.s, and in the boroughs the numbers are 371 Protestants to 145 . Catholics. These figures speak eloquently for themselves.— Nation Millers and grain-brokers will remember that the highest priced wheat is now commanded by India, and statistic* published by the Secretary of State fully verify the statement. It appears that the area under wheat in British India comprises 20,000,000 acres yielding about 6,000,000 tone. The area in the native territory is about 6,000,000 acres, aud the yield about 1,500,000 tons. The soft white wheat which heads our market grows to greatest perfection in Northern India. Rajpootana, aud Gujerat. The soft red wheat ranks next, and comes chiefly from the Nerbudda Valley. It is estimated that when the railway system is more developed a greater portion of the total outturn will in good years be available for export. The cost of production varies, but it is calculated at about 12s per quarter — Dublin IVeeman.