News of the Week.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 26, 23 October 1885, Page 9

News of the Week.

Friday. The Cromwell Argwt states that during big recent risk to Arrowtown Mr. FergU3, M.H.R, appeared to be particul irly impressed witk the advantage that would accrue to Lake County if it were poßeibli to take advantage of the £1 to £1 vote granted by Government to bring the Arrow River water into a laige high-level race, so as to command about 10 miles of alluvial terraces that extend along tbe coun-e of the river, from the Twelve-mile Creek at Macetown, to a point opposite Bncken's Gully. It appear* the major portion of these terraces have been tuunelled, payable gold having been found in nearly all instances, but no fruffkiem supply of water being available, byreason of their height above any formed race. It is fairly expected ih.it if some 18 or 20 heads coald be brought in, prufi abte employment would be given to at least 120 mineii, which with their families would mean in-* support of a pop u l a ion of some 4l>o people. The difficulty existing is theraiMng of half trie amount r<q asite.abo* £3500. The Government fin i tbe other half. On tbe invitation of Tawhao, the Queen of Rarotonga. King Atui, and suite will visit tkre King Country. The embassy hopu to see some Govirnment representatives before leaving the Colony, as they hare important matters tj discuss witb them, amcnast others being the making of a reciprocnty treaty and the appointment of New Zealand residents for the Islands. The latter proposal tbiy view with favour. The Qaean has authority over four islands. Tbe Euvoys of tbe various Powers have informed tbe Porte that their respective Governments condemn 'he recent violation of the Treaty of Berlin, and that they approve of the pacific atti ude taken by Turkey. A Seivian attack up n Bulgaria is imminent. It w reported that 60,001) Austrian troops will reiufurce Bosnia and Hers*govma. Intelligence Is to hand of serious complications in Burmah. King Theebaw sent an insulting and arrogant eplr lv the piopubal of Mr. Bernard, Chief Ccmnii9->toner of Bntish Burmah, to aibitrate in a dispute which tad ansen between the King and the Bomhay-Bjrmah Trading Company. Mr. Bemarl has asked the Indian Government fora foice of 8000 men prepuatory to despatching an ultimatum to King Theebaw. Saturday. The Marquis of >alisbury iv a (dressing a public meeting at Brighton ou Thursday night staled that it was lrnpo-s ble thu Great Britain should permit the exercise of foreign iuflueuce in Burmah. The Porte has issued a diploma ie note to the Great Power*, in which it declares that the armaments now being carried out by Greece threaten the exis ence of peace. Latest advices from Bui gaua state thit Prince Al xan ler has placed nimself at the head of his army, and is now marching upon Adrianople. Monday. The H.A.C.B. conference at Wellington has now concluded. It was resolved that the name of the dis net boarl should be " The New Zealand District Board of the H.A.C.8.5." ; that the CD. branches be reqaested t) afhliat • with the Oti^o-Canteibury district ; and that the fir-t annual meeting of the newly-. 'o, stituttd district b held in Auckland on the 17th March, 1886; that the O;ago-Canterburv district board be requeued to carry into effect the conference's resolution for the formation of the prop >sed district boaid ; and that the new district b ...rd be temporally located m Auckland ; that the executive d rect >rv in Melbourne bhould be rtquieitd to take steps to cause a deputation, from the society to wait upon the Council of the Church which is to meet in Sidney ia December next under tbe presidency of Cardinal Moran, to Jay before them the objects, principles, and rules of the bjciety. with the Tiew of obtaining their appr >val and sanction ; tha. tbe conference consider it advisable on the part of tbe respective branches of the society in Auckland, Wellington, and Du'iediu to approach the bishops of tbeir respective dioceses to a^k their favourable consideiation and approval of the society. The tecrptary was authorised to get the proceedings of the conference printed aud circulated throughou' the varioas brauchea in the Colony. 'lhe visit here of Mr. Dion Boucicault (says the DMy Time*) will bring to the memory of niiny the incidents connec ci with his letter to L,ord Beacousfield (then Mr. Dsiaeh), which resulted in an agitation ending in the release of trie Fenian prisoners some years ago. Mr. Bouctcault's letter excited gteat interest, but its ac ual contentß bad not transpired, n jtwitnstandiDg the eff rts made to secure a copy. To prevent one newspiper obtaining precedence over another, a list of all thr papers in the United Kingdom was propared, and with the aid of the Post-office Department printed oopiei were forwarded to each, and their delivery so timed thar almott every paper in the three kingdoms received a copy about the same hour". Jhe letter thus appeared in almost every newspaper in the United Kingdom and Ireland on the same day, and, as already stated, the agitation which followed w<*s successful. Tuia is not itfc only service which the author-actor has done for Ireland, for in the course of bis writings and speeches, and his delineations of character on the stage, he has done more to make the true nature of his countrymen understood than any man living. Tbe semi-official Journal de St. Petertbourg states that if the warning of the Great fowers remains unheeded in regard to Bulgaria, a formal International Conference must be held in order to devise • settlement of the difficulty. From further information to hand in regard to the reports* advance of Prance Alexander «pou Adriauople. it appears that his presence at the bead of the army is merely for the purpose of inspt*Prince Alexander of Bulgaria has accepted the demand pat farward in tbe collective note from tbe Great Powers to withhold for lhe present any attempt to alter the frontier line laid down b* the Treat j of Beilia.

On the 16th September the Nationalists held 62 meetings tbroughoot Ireland. The amount of enthusiasm exceeded that in •H Cojnell ' 8 time - The cry at all these assemblages was " Down with directors and rackrenters." The most notable gathering was at Glengarry, County Cork, where Mr. Healy, M.P., spoke. In the course O f his remarks he said: "Although the Irish race on this «i «2i!f '* r away> be y° nd tbe Atlantic Ocean, th-re are now ■41.U00 descendants of our race planning for the good of Ireland." Mr. Bernard, Commissioner at B itish Burmah, has despatched £18 ultimatum to King Theenaw. The demands contained in it are an Honourable recepiion of British envoys at Theebaw's Court, the suspension of all action against the Bombay and Barman Trading t*>mpany, and the appointment of a permanent British Resident at Handalay. The Right Hon. Mr. Chamberlain in a speech at Warrington on Beptember 6 gaye the fnll Radical platform. He said the Radicals now formed the great majority of the Liberal party, and they would oppose Parnell tooth and nail. This declaration was greeted with prolonged cheering. Continuing, he said : Granting Home Rule to Ireland would mean the destruction of the British Empire He bad prepared a moderate scheme for domestic Government in Ireland which had met vrith the approval of the national leaguers. If the Liberals did not like the Radical platform they must sever their connection with it. The Radical platform, besides local government and land planß, advocated free schools, revision of taxation and game laws, and mineral royalties, and declares that if the appropriation of certain lands is necessary for the public good the rights of property mustgo to the wall. The Standard said the nation owed much to Mr. Chamberlain for his opposition and frankness in dealing with the Irish question, Thomas A. Hendricks, the United States Vice-president, delivered at Indianopohs, Indiana, on September 7, a speech endorsing the course ol Mr. Parnell on the Irish question, and Ireland's right to self-government has excited nauoh comment by the English Press principally in the provinces. Tbe London newspapers were tardy in noticing its criticism— which is bitterly averse. The Sheffield Daily Telegraph considers tbe speech a distinct breach of neutrality wnich should not distinguish the words and acts r,f the American presidency towards a friendly Government. The Eastern Morning News of Hull complains that Hendrick wishes Pam -11 God-speed in a disloyal adventure. The Western Daily Mrrcury, of Plymouth, believes official notice will be taken of the occurrence, which it regards as of more importance than some other incidents that have engaged attention, not only of diplomatists but of armies of greater Powers ere now The Western Daily Press, of Bristol, expresses belief that Americans now living in Eugland will generally condemn the utterances of the Vice- President, and especially the sending of a cable message of sympathy from a meeting at wbich he spoke to encourage Parnell in his disloyal and revolutionary aims. TUBBDAY. A meeting of the East aud West Coast and Nelson railway guarantors was held at Christ church yesterday, when the delegates (.Messrs. Dobson and Fell) presented a lengthy report. After detailing the events which preceded and led up to the offer of Me«srs. Meiggs and Son, the report concluded : " From the information we couhl get respecting our scheme, after it had been carefully conside re 1 by those best capable of judging, we feit satisfied that it would be impossible to get it taken up on aland grant basis only, and that the offer of Messrs. Meiggs and Son was a reasonable one, which deserved consideration by the Government and the House. We therefore telegraphed the offer to the Government and returned to New Zealand, leaving Mr. Scott to take the necessary step? in concluding the contract should the offer have been accepted by the House. We cannot but regret that in some quarters this offer, made by a firm which occupy so good a position in the financial world, should have been treated with such contumely and spoken of in such intemperate language. Such behaviour cannot fail to have a damaging effect upon the reputation in England of our fellow-colonists as reasonable and intelligent men, and will doubtless materially add to the difficulties in placing any similar scheme upon the London market." A large meeting was also held in the theatre at Nelson when Mr. Fell, who proceeded to London as delegate re the railway scheme! gave a very complete report of the mission. He said that two months before Messrs. Meiggs' proposal was made the delegates received a proposal fr>m another syndicate almost identical to that of Mesarb. Meiggs. He explained all that had taken place. He thought the off.-r was fearfully misunderstood, and tboueht the Hou^e should bave cons.dered the proposals. He spoke highly of Mr. J. Meipgs, and quoted the opinions of leading authorities as to the esteem in which he was held. He said Messrs. Meiggs (suggested to construe; tbe Nelson West Coagt oortion first, as the most promising portion, but urged the necessity of unity. He would use every means to have these lines constructed nest. He was accorded a ' hearty vote of thanks. The Indian Government has made arrangements for the despatch of reinforcements to Bntisn Burmah, in order to uphold the Chief Commissioner, Mr. Bernard, in the ultimatum which he has despatched to King Theebaw. The Marquis of Salisbury, in bis Newport speech, referred (according to the Melbourne Agr) to the Bulgirian question, saying that the conditions now were not the same as wh-n the T.eaty of Berlin was signed, at which time Russia was dominant in Bulgaria. With regard to Ireland, he was doubtful whether any scheme of Imperial federation that could be adopted would assist towards a satisfactory solution of the present difficulty, his utteranc s respecting th-» proposal that Ireland should be granted autonomy s milar to that enjoyed by the Colonies w<re of an eva>ive character. On tbe sublet of bo.i cutting he said that he considered there was no nici'Psit.T for sperinl legislation, as, thote ]oir>iug in the practice were amenable to the ordinary law. It is announced that Albania has agreed to a truce for the preseDt. and has expressed her willingness to assist the Porte in maintaining tranquillity. It is alte announced that a body of Servian

troops has occupied the Koheak Pass on the Macedonian frontier, a position which is partly situated on Turkish territory. Mr. Gladstone deprecates the intrignes of Serria and Greece. Wbdhfsdat. The Bishop of Wellington, on his return from Rome yesterday, was presented with addresses of welcome from theclersy and people. On his visit to Rome he secured sufficient professors for St. Patrick's College, and has also appointed additional priests for the diocese. He expected to have Brothers for Christchurch and Nelson, and was almost certain to have the assistance of the auns of the Good Shepherd for the Magdalene Asylum in Christchurch , as well as a Sister for the Maori mission. Regarding the division of the diocese, His Lordship was under the impression that it was the intention to create a diocese of Christchurch at once, but the Holy Hee had thought fit to refer the question to the council in Sydney, 10 that nothing could be done until the report from there had gone to Rome for consideration. For once (remarks the New Zealand Time*) the steady decrease in our yield of gold in New Zealand has been checked, and an increase recorded. In the September quarter of 1885 the value of our gold export (the produce of New Zealand goldfields) was £236,860, as against £208,495 for the corresponding quarter of 1884. We sincerely trust that this change for the better will continue. The total gold exported from New Zealand from the first auriferous discoveries up to the 30th nit. amounted to a value of no less than £42,068,192 sterling. The latest information regarding the strength of parties in France gives the Republicans 391 and the Tories 205 members. In the fioal ballot for the Senate, the Dnc de Broplie and the Dae de Cases were defeated. A Freycinet-Floqnet Cabinet is considered probable. The re-election of M. Grevy as President of the Republic is considered certain. Sir Richard Cross, Home Secretary, addressing a meeting of his constituents of South-West Lancashire at Manchester, stated that the Conservative party would take measures for the protection of the colonies, considering them as of equal importance with the remainder of tbe Empire. The reply of the Sublime Porte to the collective Note of the Great Powers has been published. In reply the Snltan asks the co-operation of the Powers in inducing a settlement of the present difficulty, more especially in view of the attitude assumed by Greece and Serria. A diplomatic Note has also been issued by Prince Alexander, in which he declares his entire readiness to submit to the decision of the Powers. KiDg Milan, of Servia, bas refused to receive a messenger who wag the bearer of an autograph letter from Prince Alexander, proposing an entente cordiale between the two States. Thursday. Three French sailors attempted to desert from the Magnon on Tuesday night at Auckland by swimming ashore with their clothes on their beads, and each having 61b. of tobacco. In the darkness they eluded the sentry by lowering themselves with ropes, bat, mistaking the direction, swam down the harbour. The cold paralysed them, and they cried for help. They were rescued by a policeman and handed over to the captain of the Magnon. Latest advices regarding the Burmese difficulty state that King Theebaw has reinforced the frontier, and has despatched a body of dacoits into British Burm-ih.

The British Government have warned Greece and Servia of the consequences of adhering to their present aggressive policy. The Government bave received a reply to the Note despatched to Greece. In reply the Greek Government state that although anxious to maintain peace they feel it necessary to protect their own interests. With reference to tbe proposed conference England, France, and Italy hesitate joining in it unless any possibility of a resolution of the status quo being demanded is barred.