News of the Week.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 9, 20 June 1884, Page 9

News of the Week.

• Friday.

"»e Bomb of Representatives yesterday, Major Atkinson wSKi the f ?i? b 2 c OU *** W*i am «riment. He made a vigorous defence of the Government in the course, of whioh he accused Mr Wakefield in effect of abusing his calling as a journalist by writing articles in certain Southern papers, with a view of advancing his owli claims to become the leader of anew party, in the House,-an accusation wh«ch Mr. Wakefield afterwards denied indignantly. The Premier's arguments were substantially the same as those we had already heard from him Sir George Orey made a rather abusive reply, putting himself forward as usual in the character of the paladin nnder whose leadership all that is most generous, peaceful, and liberal is to obtain— which they may believe who will.— Mr. Connelly denied a charge brought against him by Mr. Holmes that he had called the Canterbury "population a howling set of cowards." The House divided. Ayes, 7 ; noes, 67. TheAddress-in-Beply, as amended, was read a second time and agreed to. C ., coal 12£t# thick has k* 611 teaced in Grey district, near Black Ball Creek, for half a mile. The coal has been testedand Highly spoken of. Mr. Thornton has brought specimens to Christchurch, and a Greymouth firm has obtained a lease. On Wednesday night the police arrested at Auckland a man named Dennon in his own house for brutality to his son of 15 He bound the lad by ropes to the ceiling and flogged him with another rope. The boy was fearfully ill-used, and was taken to the police.stetion for protection. * a *?° me ex^ llent specimens of copper ore have been brought from the Malvera district. Sanguine kopes are entertained of a payable copper-mine being found there. Earthquakes are reported to have been felt at Christchurca on luesday, half an hour before midnight and early on Wednesday morning. There were two sharp shocks at Oxford at half -past 2 yesterday morning. r It. I --!8! 8 anboimced that Turkey will abstain from sending a delegate to the European Conference unless the discussion of Egyptain affairs be entirely unlimited, or unless a previous entente be come to with JSngland as to the basis of settlement to be arrived at by the Powers. In the election of representatives to the Chamber, which is now proceeding in Belgium, the Liberal candidates are being beaten everywhere by the clericals. The success of the Clerical party has been ill received in Brussels and serious anti-Clerical riots have occurred but were suppressed by the police.

Satubday.

A terrible fire occurred about four o'clock this morning at Leeston, destroying a two-roomed cottage on the Southbridge road owned by Mr.. Holley. The cottage was occupied by Mr. Frank Smith and his wife, and, as neither of them was to be found, the debris was examined by Constable Simpson, when the charred remains of both were found. On further search being made a third body was found, but at present it is not known whose it is. An inquest will be held this afternoon. The Duke of Manchester is a passenger for Australia by the steamship City of Sydney. ' The Earl of Derby has appointed aa officer to attend on the Maori Embassy. The petition of the Natives will remain in abeyance until Tawhiao and party have had a consultation with Bishop Hadfield, of Wellington, who arrived at Plymouth on Thursday by the Tongariro. * Pending the approval of Federation by the various Colonial Legislatures; Lord Derby has intimated that he does not feel disposed to proceed with the Australasian Federation Bill. The limes correspondent, telegraphing from Cairo, states that 1,800 of the garrison and most of the residents of Berber were massacred by the followers of the Mahdi. The engagement was a most severe one, and the slaughter of the defenders only commenced after their ammunition was exhausted. The -Governor of Berber was taken prisoner. Thirty thousand of the rebels are now marching on Dongola.

Monday.

A married woman named Brigens was found dead on the Brunswick line yesterday afternoon. No particulars are yet to hand, as to how she met her death. Owing to some culverts on the railway-line being blocked, the heavy fall of raia on Saturday burst them, and destroyed about -a quarter of a mile of the road near Wanganui. The schooner Result picked up an open boat off Caralli Island, containing two men who deserted from the scow Ruakaka at Mongonui. They were bound for Sydney, and are supposed to have thought the voyage too risky in the toow. They were at sea 24 hours withont food or water before being picked up. A large and influential meeting of business men has bcexi held for the purpose of taking into consideration the necessity for the reduction of the high rates of insurance prevailing in Wellington. Mr. J. E. Nathan was voted to the chair. The matter was discussed at great length, and a general opinion expressed that the people of this city were not being properly treated by the various companies. Statistics were quoted to show that the rates charged on property in Wellington are very much higher than in other large centres, and it was asserted by one or two speakers that more than one-half ih* profits of the companies has of late been made out of insurers in, this part of the Colony. The Jesuit of the discussion was the appointment of a committee to wait on the chairman of the Under' writers' Association on Monday, for the purpose of ascertaining whether a reduction in rates is likely to be made. - The Lalla Rookb, Captain Campbell, arrived at Onehunga yesterday afternoon. The captain reports that when nine miles south-west of Manukau Heads, on the' voyage from Waitara, he saw signals of distress from a ship. He ran alongside to render assistance.

Tuesday.

She proved to be the barque Andro Klas, 400 tons, from Hongkong for Auckland, with a cargo of sugar for the Auckland Sugar Company. Her captain reported that they had disease on board, type unknown ; two were dead, six disabled, and himself, officers, and the balance of the crew exhausted with the extra duty; 1 The barque was taken in tow over the Manukau bar. The Lalla Rookh came on to Onehunga, Captain Campbell acquainting the harbourmaster, Captain Wing, who, with Dr. Scott, proceeded to the barque to ascertain the disease, but has not yet returned. The officers of the barque are in good health. The crew (part of whom are Chinese) are the only sufferers. It is feared it may be smallpox and scurvy of a grave description. The captain of the barque thought, when the -Lalla Bookh picked him up, be was going into Auckland harbour, and was surprised to find his mistake. ,The Lalla Rookh carried away part of her rigging and damaged her funnel in taking the barque in tow. The Andro Klas left Amoy on March 26, and during the latter part of' the voyage experienced heavy weather. Mr. Murray Smith and Sir F. D. Bell have asked M. Favre to .^s^y *h e further steps of the Recidiviste Bill pending further communications from the Colonies. The Committee of the Senate has added vagabonds and beggars to the list of offenders which it thinks New Caledonia a specially suitable place for. Consequent on the active parleying going oh,- the report will probably be a good deal modified. In the Bouse of Commons the Representation of the People Bill has been again under consideration in Committee. The amendment, which has been introduced for the purpose of extending the Parliamentary franchise to women, was after debate negatived oh a division by a majority of 130. In the course of the debate Mr; Gladstone stated that the Government would not be answerable for the Bill if the amendment were carried, Several Australian wheat cargoes have been purchased on French account at from 40s to 41s. Hops are rising, and recent Australian importations have all been sold. A report dated London, April," 25? says :— Considerable excitement has been caused in the district of Shipnal, Shropshire, owing to the discovery of a quantity of dynamite in a lodging- house kept by a Mr. Lewis. A man having the appearance of a navvy called at Mr. Lewis' house and took Lodgings for the night. He eat in the kitchen for Borne little time, and when he rose from his seat a fellow-lodger noticed a peculiar package close to where he had been sitting, whfch on examination was found to be labelled " Dynamite." A lodginghouse inspector visited the place shortly afterwards, and on the parcel being handed over to him he at once gave it to the police, anda local chemist pronounced it to be dynamite. Sergeant Meredith, accompanied by, Constable Evans, then made a thorough search of tbe house. On the navvy, who gave the name of Button, they discovered three dynamite cartridges, much about tbe usual size. He was taken -into custody and convened to the station, when a closer search was made, and in a purse in one of the man's pdck'els we're ifound five dynamite cartridges, each about an inch and a^half long. The prisoner, who said he was a native of Stratf ord-on-Avon, assetted that he purchased the cartridges at Cardiff las a remedy for chapped hands. "He was taken before a magistrate and remanded.

A number of the Auckland unemployed have accepted stonebreaking from the City Council at 4s 6d per yard. It is reported that the Natives at Ohinemutu have at last agreed to accept the' offer from the Government of 5s per acre for 20,000 acres. This land is to be handed over to the Thames* Koturua Bailway Company. At the inquiry held on the body of Ann Brigens, found dead on the Brunswick road, the jury returned a verdict that deceased met her death by drowning while under the influence of drink. A serious panic occurred at the Auckland Opera-house on Sunday night. Mr. George Brown was lecluring on the Church of Rome, and the place Was packed. A number of youths in the vestibule cried " Fire ! " and tramped heavily down stairs. The lecturer attempted to quiet the audience, but the bulk of the audience rushed to the doors, although, some remained quiet. Numbers of women fainted, and' some people were slightly injured. The amendment on the Franchise Bill by Mr. Grey, M.P., for Northampton, has been withdrawn, Mr. Gladstone having deferred the operation of the Bill until January twelve-month. The new Belgian Ministry has been formed by the. members of the Clerical party, who were recently returned to Parliament with a large majority. In the Eeichßtag the other day Prince Bismark warmly advocated the proposal for a mail service to the colonies, with Sydney as the terminus.' The matter has been referred to a committee of the House to report upon. The French Government have given the English Government an assurance that France has no design upon Morocco. Intelligence is to hand from Zululand that the combined forces of Boers and Usutus, who recently invaded Usibepu'a territory, have attacked and routed their enemy. TMbepu fled, and has since arrived in Ekowe. . ' The Times publishes a telegram from its correspondent at Kprosko stating that the Mahdi, with it force of 35,000 men, is now marching against Dongola, and that the Governor of that place proposes to evacuate it without offering any resistance to the rebels. The Government have ordered that measures shall at once be taken to facilitate the retreat from the town of the garrison and inhabitants. Major Kitchener telegraphs' that if Dongola should be captured by the Mahdi, he' will be almost certain to invade Egypt after capturing Ramadan.

Wednesday

In the House of Eepresentatives yesterday the Hon. Majo T Atkinson said that Government, after vote carried on Thursday, waited upon the Gbvertio*, and, .under the circumstances of the case, Ministers deemed' it their 'lduty It p advise the Governor to grant a dissolution. ' Hfs Excellency fifcad' been pleased to accept of that

advice, and a dissolution would be granted. Government had fibersfore nothinar more How to do but to ask the House for the necessary supplies. On Thursday evening he would be prepared to bring dowti the necessary proposals and make a short Financial Statement, in the circumstances there was no reason why they should prolong the session beyond Tuesday next. He proposed to ask supplies up to Pbout the end of August, believing that the new election could be got through and the House be called together again about the 28th of that month. He moved the adjourment till Thursday evening at 7. 30 o clock— the motion after some discussion being carried on the voices. ° In opening the session of the Supreme Court at Gisborne yesterday Judge Gillies commented on the fact that the Natives were sumciently civilised when able to write so well as to forge cheques, for which one Native will be tried. , Telegrams have, been received stating that King Johannes, of Abyssinia, has assembled 30,000 Gallas for the purpose of relieving the garrison at Kawala, a town some distance notfh °* the Abyssinian frontier, and now besieged by the Arab rebels. The Hon. Evelyn Ashley, Under-Secretary for the Colonies, has proposed that the Australasian colonies shall contribute a share in the expense to be incurred by the temporary extension of the powers of Sir George Des Vceux, in order that the latter may be in a position to deal with the labour trade in the Western Pacific ; and that the Agents-general for the various colonies shall afterwards discuss with the imperial Government the question of adopting further means for regulating or for repressing the traffic in island labourers. The recent freshets have badly injured the Panama Canal works. In the House of Lords on Monday Earl Kimberley was questioned regarding the .progress which had been made- in connection with the negotiations for holding the projected conference on Egyp*ian Affairs. In reply, Lord Kimberley stated that an agreement had been come to with the French Government' as to the Basis on which the conference should take place, and that the matter had been submitted for the consideration of the other European- Powers.

Thtjbsday.

The constant rain of 36 hours at the Thames has had the effect of overflowing the weeks, particularly Karaka, which has overflowed its banks and floodedall the town in ita vicinity. The damage done so far is not so great as on the last occasion of a similar flood, but if the ram continues much longer it will be a serious matter. The booms of the Shortland Sawmill Company have broken away, and logs are drifting down Kauaeranga to the sea. Logs on their passage have stove in the steamer Putiki, which was lying in the stream. She now lies partly submerged. At a meeting of 30,000 Orangemen held at Belfast, resolutions were passed condemnatory of the administration of Karl Spencer as Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland". ~~ — It is currently reported in diplomatic circles that parleying regarding the neutrality of the Suez Canal, which for some time past has been progressing between the French and English Governments, is virtually concluded, and that a satisfactory agreement has been arrived at. . J . In the House of Commons Mr. Gladstone was questioned regarding the railway material which it is alleged is being prepared at Woolwich for use at Souakim. •In reply, the Premier admitted the truth of the statement, and announced that the Government had under consideration the expediency of constructing a line of railway irom the port of Souakim to the Isile, in view of its employment for transporting troops composing the expedition which may possibly be despatched into the Southern Soudan during the autumn.