News of the Week.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 6, 29 May 1885, Page 11

News of the Week.

Friday. At a well-attended meeting at the Bluff on Wednesday night it was agree*' to ask the Government to make a'sntvey-of the' proposed canal between the port and the Toi Tois district, and in the meantime to withold from sale all waste lands in the vicinity of the probable route of the canal: It is estimated that the work would cost about £17,000 7 , and the advocates of the scheme contend that it would be of great benefit to the settlers by providing them with a metns of speedy communication with Bluff Harbour. "(The withdrawal' of "troops from Souakim. is being rapidly proceeded with.' Three regiments of infantry leave at once for foairb, and the Guards are to embark without delay for Alexandria, there to' await orders. It is believed that the retention of the Guards 1 at Alexandria is in some way connected with the negotiations now in progressbetween England and Russia on the Afghan frontier question. It is understood that the New South Wales < Contingent will not proceed direct to Australia, but that the transports will call at Aden to receive any further orders that may be necessary. ; This Standard states that Russia claims 6eruk, a town about 110 miles from Perij«deh in a north-easterly direction. She also objects to England fortifying Herat, and requires that the Afghan frontier shall remain unfortified.' The Ameer has sentm heavy battery of artillery to Herat. - l i ■•" The JBospkore Egyptian has again commenced publication. Cholera has broken out at Marseilles. ' The Committee appointed for the purpose of impeaching M. Jules Ferry, the French ex-Premier, have decided to do so. The Indians in Canada* are torturing the prisoners taken captive by them. , : r A series of experiments were made on Wednesday afternoon at Fiteroy, Melbourne/ with a gas-moter for tramcars. A car containing 20 persons travelled at the rale of nine and a-half miles an hour. The trial proved a complete success. The fact that Carter and Co., of George street, are the only Drapers in Dunedin doing a Btrictly Cash Trade who import their own Goods direct from ' Home Markets, is the one cause of their being able to sell cheaper than any other firm. Carter and Co have just opened, ex S.S. Coptic and Kaikonra, 16 cases Men's and Boys' Clothing, and in consequence l bf the desperate scarcity of Beady, Money, they have decided to offer the whole lot, for a few weeks, at Landed Cost. Therefore call, inspect, and judge for yourself; 1 Carter and Co., 60 and 62 George street, Dunedin. ' Saturday. Payable gold is reported to have been discovered at the Bay of Islands/ The Waste Xands Board are in receipt of a letter Which Bernard Ryan had forwarded to Mr. Clendon, R.M., intimating to him' the discovery of gold r bearing quartz, and stating that if it proved payable he should claim the reward offered by Government. Specimens from the reef assayed at the Bank of New Zealand were found to contain gold equal tb'2oz. to the ton. The locality of the discovery is not^ stated, but Ryan has pegged out a prospecting Telegrams have passed between the Hon. Alexander Stuart. Premier of New South Wales, and the Hon. Robert Stout, Premier of New Zealand. The latter expresses hinieelf as being anxious to show his appreciation of the work done by the New South Wales Contingent in the Soudan, and of their conduct while undergoing hardship's in the r campaign. Mr. Stuart's reply conveyed to Mr. Stout his gratification at receiving so touching an expression of sympathy, and requested the honour of a visit from the Premier of New Zealand on the occasion of the return of the Colonial forces. At a meeting held at Invercargill yesterday, it was decided to supply funds for a prospecting party on the west side of the Waiau River, from which district a prospector named Kenealy has lately returned with fair prospects. The Union Company's s.s. Arab, which has been chartered to convey the New South Wales Contingent to Australia,arrived at Aden on Thursday, and subsequently left for Sydney. The troops who were ordered' from Aden to Souakim have returned, The BaAly News states that a difference of opinion has arisen in the Cabinet with regard to the necessity for renewing the Prevention of Crimes Act in Ireland. Mr. Gladstone informed the House of Commons that negotiations had been'carried on with the Sublime Porte for a' Turkish occupation of Souakim, but no other Power had been invited to occupy that place. His Majesty the Emperor has granted to the German New Guinea Company, by charter, the recently-acquired territory, Wilhelm's Land, in the northern part of New Guinea. The adjacent islands have also been ceded to the Company, who are empowered to establish a State judicial system, subject to the supremacy of Germany, > • The representatives of France, Germany, Russia, and Austria have lodged a formal, protest on behalf of their Respective Governments against the proposed reduction in ttie rate of interest on a portion of the Egyptian debt. It is understood that the decree authorising the reduction of the coupons will be withdrawn in -consequence. The protest was based on the ground that the alteration should not have been 'made so long as tbV Fiuancial Convention remained unratified. ' ;> j 1 The Earl of Kimberly, Secretary of State for India, denies the statement that Russia had demanded to 1 have an envoy at Cabul. The Standard states that several new" claims have been advanced by Russia to points in the disputed territory. In the House of Commons on Thursday the Marquis of Hartington, Secretary for War announced, in reply to a question, that her Majesty's Government did not deem dfc desirable 'at the present juncture to explain the

Masons why the Guards have been detained at Alexandria to await orders. His Lordship added that the massing of the troops recently employed in the Soudan with a view to their being available for service' elsewheie is being continued. '- ; - ••->-•,' t.-l-Mr 1 Monday. .'*""' Flans of a new Catholic Church, to be erected at Bangiora, are now in course of preparation (says the Lyftelton Times') from designs supplied by the Bey. Father Binsfield, and it iB expected that the building will be commenced early in August. It was at first the intention to put up a school, but on further consideration, it was decided to erect a new church on the section &t the north of the Parsonage, and use the present church building for school purposes. Sufficient funds are in hand to build a place to seat 300 persons, and this is all the accommodation at present required. The building will, however, be so designed as to allow, of enlargement without spoiling the appearance. " ' The temporary dissension which existed in the Cabinet in regard to Irish legislation has been smoothed over, Sir Charles Dilke' and the Hon. Joseph Chamberlain 'insisting on the "renewal of the Prevention of Crimes Act in Ireland for one year 'only. • Sir Charles Dilke has left London on a visit to Dublin.: - ' Admiral Hornby has been appointed commander of a fleet of 15 ironclads which is intended to assemble at Portland shortly? Victor Hugo, the well-known author, died on Friday aged ,83, He will receive a State funeral. ' ) ' General Lord Wblseley arrived at Cairo on Friday on his return from Souakim. It is reported at Souakim that' the friendly . Arabs are joining the ranks of the rebel Osman Digma. - '"f General Sir Donald Stewart has arrived at Herat, and met with a warm welcome from the natives. The' member's of ' the Boundary Commission are now quartered on the hills north of Herat, ' occupied in surveying the surrounding districts. The recent successes of the troops under General Middloton have had the effect of Completely cowing the rebels. The insurgent Indian tribes are suing' for peace. ' ' - '\ ' ' It is believed that Germany is willing to sell her interests in the Western Pacific. ■ ' • ' • ' • ' r ■ A Bussian corvette has proceeded to Honolulu. According to the Melbourne Age, the Times states that the agreement ' entered into between Great Britain and Bussia is only a truce to allow * of both nations completing their preparations. The sum of £5,000,000 is now being expended by the Imperial authorities for the completion, of the railway to Oneetah and constructing defence *wprks on the Indian frontier: About £8;O0O,Q0O has already been expended in the British preparations for war. — ' f. Tuesday. The recent hazaar in aid of the Christchurch Convent building fund realised £1094 net. ' ■ > A cable message had been received by Sir Julius Vogel from the loan agents in London, stating that they are prepared to put the New Zealand loan of one million and a half upon the market immediately, and this morning the Treasurer has' signified his approval ofrtfteir doing so. ' • Vv* A conflict occurred on Saturday at the funeral of Victor Hugo, in the cemetery of Pere La Chaise, between Communists and the police. In the melee one Communist was killed and many Wounded. Thirty arrests have been made. Wednesday. The settlers on the West Coast have requested Major Atkinson to vail a meeting to discuss the aspect of affairs in the district. Inspector Pardy, who has returned from the West Coast, says that the settlers had grounds for alarm, but he has quieted their apprenen* sions, and made airangements for arresting the first man who commits any depredation or attempts to annoy the settlers. It is stated that the religious sect known as Christadelpbians are about to petition Parliament to be excused from Militia service as being contrary to their religious principles. Waterhouse Nicholson, aged 20, a son of the late Dr. Nicholson was accidentally shot on Monday night at Mount Eden railway station, while holding his comrade's gun. They had been out shooting together, and his comrade was getting their -luggage- out of- the train at the time of the accident. At the inquest the jury returned a verdict of accidental death. The fleet of ironclads which have been assembled at .Portland under the command of Admiral Hornby will start immediately for a cruise off the Irish Coast. The cruise is said to be taken for' the object of elaborating a number of naval manoeuvres for future use, A second conflict has occurred in Paris between' the Communists and the police over the funeral of Victor Hugo. ' The treaty between France and China has been agreed to. Thubsday. Yesterday afternoon the detectives made a raid on a tobacconist's shop in Willis etreet, Wellington, and seized a number'of articles which they allege were being used on the principle of a totalisator, and that the investments were on the Grand National Steeplechase and Hurdle Bace at Christchurch. Among the articles seized were two* large sheets of cardboard, on which were the names of the race and* the horses engaged in it, while under the name of the racehorse was the number of investors on that particular horse, the total number of investors on each race being at the top of the sheet. • Indiarubber stamps, a number of tickets bearing hoi sea' names, and about £50 in cheques and notes were also taken possession of. The names of all persons in the shop were taken, and it is understood that the police will lay an information under the Gaming and Lotteries Act against Mr. Mandell, who occupies the premises. ' ' The Guards were landed at Alexandria on Tuesday morning, and the order which had been issued for a second army corps to proceed to India has been annulled. Lord Bosebery, who has been on a visit to Berlin since Friday last, will shortly return to England. - During' his stay he has had repeated interviews with Prince Bismarck, the nature of which have not transpired. ' ' ■ - '

In consequence of the hostile attitude of the inhabitants of Zanzibar towards Germany the German corvette Stoich and two other war vessels have been ordered there. Merawi, a town 30 miles below the fourth cataract on the Nile, has been evacuated by the British.