News of the Week.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 47, 19 March 1886, Page 11

News of the Week.

Fbiday. Dbbpitb the short notice given, Bir George Grey* meeting at Inyercargill last night was very largely attend >d. the theatre being crowded. The speaker's subject was thn nationalisation of the land, which he dealc wiih on tho liaa« of his Auckland address, previously telegraphed. Bir George received an attentive hearing, and at the close of the meeting a cordial vote of thanks for the address, proposed by Mr. Joyce, M.H.8.. was heartily accorded. The Paris Temps urges the French Government to annex the Kew Hebrides, giving assurance that no recidivistes will be reported there. In the House of Commons on Tuesday Mr. Dillwyn, member for Bwamea, brought forward a motion fer the disestablishment of the State Church of Wales. A division was taken, with the result that the > motion was rejected by 241 to 22». Speaking on the subject, Sir William Vernon Haroours stated that he concurred in the motion in the abstract, bnt the whole question was so interwoven with the standing of the English Church that it would be impossible to deal with them separately. Satvbday. The Minister of Defence has, after full consideration, decided to confer the New Zealand cross on Lieutenant-colonel Thomas M'Donnell.of the New Zealand Militia. Colonel M'DonnelTs gallant conduct daring the Maori war on the West Coast lives in the recollection of all the old settlers in the Colony, and some of the earlier instances in which he distinguished himself were borne testimony to by Generals Ohnte and Cameron, under whom the Colonial forces oommaoded by Colonel M'Donnell were serving. The Maoetown reefs (says the correspondent of the Daily Times) ■* the present time suffer more from the sanguineness and the faintheartedness of the speculators who have an interest in the mines than from any other cause. Many of the mines now lying idle have been proved to contain payable stone, which may be raised and crushed at a reasonable outlay of labour ; and the fact that private companies are now being formed to work some of these chums shows that the wealth the Maoetown Beefs are known to contain is attracting attention from parties who expect to be paid from the legitimate proceeds or their investments instead of through the sharemarket. It is to be jJpP«d tbatwith the next season the example set will be followed, and if so thereQcan be no doubt that many payable mines will be reclaimed from their present neglected and abandoned condition. Monday. The Masterton coach from Woodville to Masterton capsized on Saturday morning through the axle breaking. The driver sustained an injury to his back, but it is not thought to be serious. A Sister of Mercy, from Napier, and a Mrs. Gordon, of Masterton, received injuries, bat not of a serious character. The following letter has been received by the Native Minister from one of tiie Maori Mormon converts at Kaetnmututu, on the Waikato Biver : " Friend, greeting to you and Mrs. Ballance, under the Grace of Lord. May he Continue to watch over you and give you health and strength for good works. Friend, Mr. Ballance, this is to inform you that the chiefs here have formed a solution for the purpose of killing Europeans who are ministers of the Mormon Church, together with us Natives who have embraced the above doctrine. Friend, I write to let you know of this so that in the event of anyone meeting death at their hands your Government will understand as to the cause of murder." Then follow the names of the conspirators and a request to the to look into the matter and take steps to prevent them from killing men " on account of their faith in God." Mr. Ballance baa minuted the letter as follows : " Beply that there is no danger — that the case is one for pity rather than anger, and that the Minister thinks the time has come when the law should not allow man to commit bigamy under the plea of religion." The libel action Bryce v. Busden, which has been in the couwe of hearing during the past eight days, was concluded on Friday, when a verdict for the plaintiff was returned, the damages being assessed at £6000. An application by the defendant's counsel to stay execution was refused. The Sultan and King Milan of Servia have mutually ratified an agreement providing for the settlement of the Balkan difficulty. The Emperor of Germany, Prince Bismarck, and Mr. Gladstone, who have been indisposed, are now better. It is reported that 12,000 Burmese are advancing on Mandalay, •nd British reinforcements have been ordered to that city. TUKBDAY. The Native Land Court has been sitting at Wanganui about three months, and has put through 750,000 acres. The Waimarino block of 490,000 acres was finished yesterday. This block has 40 miles of frontage to the North Island Trunk line, and contains good land. Large purchases of land in this district have been completed lately by the Crown Lands Commissioner. It is expected that the Court will adjourn for a short time, As the Natives want to attend to their crops. Earl Boseberry, Secretary of Btate for Foreign Affairs, has instructed Sir|Henry Drammond Woolfe, Special Commissioner to Egypt, that the British army of occupation will shortly be reduced by six regiments, and baa informed him that her Majesty's Government approves of the withdrawal of the British force to Assouan as * further southerly outpost, while the Egyptian troops will protect the frontier as far as Wady Haifa. Moukhtar Pasha, Turkish Commissioner, hesitates to assent to these proposals, as the withdrawal of the ißritish forces will entail large reinforcements to the Egyptian army. Hostile Arabs in the vicinity of Snakin are renewing their activity. A body of friendly natives who were out foraging were attacked near Hasbeen. They made a determined stand, however, and routed the rebels, killing 30 of their number,

Priaee Alexander of Bulgaria has added hii ratification to the treaty concluded with the Porte for the Mttlement of the difficulty between Bulgaria and Servia. An Arrowtown telegram to the Daily Times reports that on Saturday night, while the Arrow Biver wu in flood, Mary Tobin, the fourteen-year-old daughter of a widow residing near the township, was drowned through falling oil a plank when crossing the stream. WamnsDAY. A lengthy meeting of the Cabinet was held at the residence of Sir Julias Vogel yesterday afternoon, but the questions decided are of a confidential nature. Parliament will, it is understood, be called together either before or in the second week in May. Consideration of the central prison site is deferred until Mr. Tole'a arriral in Wellington. The Cabinet meet again to-day, and a sitting will be held each day this week. The bridge over the Waimea Creek, on the Christchnrch road, seven miles from Kumara, was carried away on Monday. The Ohristchnrch mail coaoh, which left at 12 o'clock, returned again at 4 o'clock, baring found it impossible to cross. Prince Alexander of Bulgaria now demands! to be appointed Oorernor of Bonmelia for his lifetime instead for a term of yean only, at provided by the agreement with tne Porte. Mr. Gladstone has submitted to the Cabinet his proposals for the settlement of the Irish difficulty, but these hare not yet been made public. It is reported, however, that they conaist of a scheme for the expropriation of the Irish landlords at a cost of £200,000,000 ; also for the establishment of an Irish Parliament at Dublin. It is understood Mr. Chamberlain dissents from the Irish policy formulated by Mr. Gladstone, and he is expected to resign in consequence. A London cablegram in the Melbourne Age says :— " It is rumoured that the leading features of the new scheme for the pacification of Ireland which is shortly to be submitted to Parliament by Mr. Gladstone will be a proposal for the establishment of separate councils, having legislative powers under certain restrictions for each province of Ireland. The Marquis of Hartington, in reply to a circular which he recently issued to the Liberal Clubs in Great Britain inviting expressions of Liberal leaders in respect to the Irish question, has received 80 communications which express the view that the personal opinions of Mr. Gladstone upon the Irish question are not binding upon the Liberal party." TKUBSDAY. The Wellington Hibernian Society held their annual demonstration yesterday. A new banner imported by the Society was blessed by Bishop Redwood at the Cathedral in the morning. At St. Patrick's College yesterday morning, a statue of St. Patrick, presented to the College by the Primate of Ireland, was unveiled by Bishop Bed wood, and advantage of the occasion was taken to present Bishop Bedwood with an address and a purse of 1100 sovereigns on behalf of the parishioners of his diocese. At a meeting of Native members of the fioman Catholic Church held at Hokianga, it was determined to petition the Pope to appoint Dr. M'Donald as bishop for the Native race. His Holiness is to be asked to improve the standing of the Native deacons. St. Patrick's Day was observed as a holiday at Auckland. The Hibernian Catbolo schools fete was attended by 2000 children. The Hibernian Bociety held sports in the Domain. The Bight Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, President of the Local Government Board, and the Bight Hon. G. O. Trevelyan, Secretary for Scotland, have tendered their resignations. It is understood they acted so in consequence of their objection to the entrusting to an Irish Parliament the control of the Land Purchase Fund. Mr. Gladstone is endeavouring to induce both gentlemen to reconsider their decisions. The Times states that Mr. Gladstone proposes to raise a loan of *120,000,000 for the purpose of buying up the interests of Irish landlords. It is stated that France will send fully 1000 convicts to New Caledonia this year. The Times states that New Zealand will only borrow one million and a-half this year.