LATE CABLE NEWS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 2, Issue 257, 1 February 1881, Page 2

LATE CABLE NEWS.

[by telegraph. ] London, Jan. 18. There is a possibility that the obstruction in the House of Commons will soon he brought to an end. Professor Thorgold Rogers, one of the Liberal members for Southwark, has discovered among the old orders of the House one which 1 dates back to the year 1600, which empowers the Speaker to-“ stay irrelevant speeches.” It is 7 likely that this will be used for the purpose of putting a stop to the present protracted discussion.

Jan. 20. The Dutch settlers of South Africa have made an appeal to the Governnient and people of Holland, claiming their-sympathy and-protection in- their present relations with Great Britain. It is considered very unlikely that the assistance sought will be-granted.. Mr. Gladstone has expressed sympathy with the loyal Boers, but regrets that it is impossible to grant them independence.

It is stated that Earl Beaconsfield is pressing upon the Conservative party the necessity of supporting some measure of land reform in Ireland, with a view to checkmating the designs of the Land League. . In the engagement which took place between the Chillian and Peruvian forces at Charillas, the fighting was very severe. The ‘ number of killed’'" was 7,000. Lima, the capital city of Peru, afterwards yielded to the Chillian force. The War Minister of Peru was taken prisoner, but President Pierola managed to escape. After this signal advantage obtained by the Chillians, the diplomatists representing foreign countries are urging the expediency of an armistice between the contending parties. Jan, 22.

The small British garrison stationed at Lydenburg, in the Transvaal, has capitulated to the Boers. The weather favors the operations of the Boers against the British troops, and they are taking every advantage of their opportunity. Several mass meetings of Irish have been held in England in order to express sympathy with their countrymen in Ireland.

Justice Fitzgerald’s summing up has been regarded as impartial and felicitous, both by the prosecution and the defence. His lordship referred to the influence exercised amongst the Land League agitators by returned American loiterers, and refuted the analogy which was sought to be drawn between the present land agitatation in Ireland and trades unionism. The Bill introduced by Mr. Forster in regard to Ireland is generaly praised by the press as being a measure in the right direction, and calculated to effect the object in view.