CABLE NEWS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 993, 12 July 1883, Page 2

CABLE NEWS.

LATEST FROM EUROPE

[bbuter’s telegrams—copyright.] The Channel Tunnel. . London, July 10.; The Joint Committee of the Lards and Commons appointed to repost, upon the desirability of the projected Channel Tunnel have arrived at. a decision to-day. After hearing voluminous evidence, and upon subsequent' deliberation, the majority of the Committee decided against the project, as. being inexpedient and calculated to,j prejudice important national Interests. Naval Colomal Defences. ; • In the House of Lords last night. Lord Derby, Secretary of State for-the : Colonies, declared that it would; be , impossible for the Imperial Government to maintain a navy sufficiently powerful to afford complete protection to the whole Australian coast. , In the House of Commons, Si* Stafford Northcote, leader ot the Oppb-, - sition, in the course of his speech upon : the defence of the Colonies, declared that no scheme for strengthening /the naval defence of the Colonies would be acceptable which might tend Jp localise any portion ot the Imperial, navy. .

The New Hebrides. „ In the House of Lords, in replying to a question, Earl Granville .stated that England and France would respect their agreement with regard to the;New Hebrides group, and would not annex the islands. J A Loan. Tenders for the Western Australian loan of L 254,000 were opened td-day, and amounted to Lg6,soo, ranging from to 99. A Novel Notion. Paris, July 10. In the Chamber of Deputies yesterday, a Bill was introduced authorising the construction of a bridge (wr) across the English Channel. The Plague Abating. Alexandria, J uly 10. The stringent measures which have been enforced in the cholera infected districts have already resulted in diminishing the ravages of the epidemic. At Damietta a considerable decrease in the number of deaths has been secured, and hopes are entertained that any farther outbreak will be prevented. [Received July 12, 1.10 p.m.] An Extraordinary Proceeding. London, July 11.

In the House of Commons last night Mr Gladstone announced that intelligence had reached the Government of a grave occurrence at Tamatave, Madagascar, a town which has been in the occupation of the French forces for the past few weeks. While the British Consul at Tamatave was lying ill, his secretary was arrested by order of the French commander, and the Consul was peremptorily ordered to quit tH? town within twenty hours. Before that time elapsed, however, :the Consul died. The French invited the officers of her Majesty’s ship Dryad, lying in port, to attend the funeral. Several officers came ashore for the purpose, and wheh the ceremony was ended they were forbidden to re-embark, and were compelled to remain ashore. Mr Gladstone concluded by stating that the occurrence was of such a serious nature Chat the Government had demanded immediateexplanations from the French Government. The Second Suez Canal.

It is announced that Mr Childers, acting on behalf of the British Government, has signed an t agreement with Count de Lesseps for the construction of a second canal through the Isthmus of Suez, parallel to the present one. The work is to be completed by 1888. England will provide the required capital of L 8,185,000. The agreement provides for the reduction of the tolls levied by the present Canal Company.

Fighting in Zululand. Capetown, July 10. Intelligence is to hand from Zulu land that a severe engagement has been fought between the followers of Cetewayo and those of Oham. The latter were completely defeated, and Oham himself was taken prisoner. AUSTRALIAN. [reoxer’s TELEGRAMS—COPYRIGHT.] The MarketsMelbourne, Yesterday. The Melbourne Manager of the National Mortgage and Agency Company of New Zealand, Limited, reports of the local gram market as follows; Shipping wheat, 4s nd to ss; market

steady. Malting barley dull at 5s 4d to 5s rod. New Zealand oats ip fair demand at 2s xod to 3s 2d for feeding qualities, and 3s 2d to 3s 3d for milling ditto. New Zealand oats,"under bond,' as id to 2s 4d. The market is gtead^ but nqt active. Shipping. Arrived, this morning—Union steam* ship Wairarapa, from the Bluff. The Melbourne Cup. Belmont has been scratched for the Melbourne Cup race. The Annexation Question. The question of annexation of New Guinea and the Pacific Islands is receiving a large amount of public attea*

< , wiißsjjpiSSSSSß lion in this city. An address to the "-Queen to-day was passed unanimously -by both Houses of Parliament, supporting the proposed annexation by the Imperial Government, for the establish- . ment of a Protectorate, and announcing that the colony of Victoria is willing to pay a share of the expenses ' thereby incurred. The Mayor of Melbourne has called a- public meeting, ' with a view of obtaining from the citizens an expression of opinion in support of the project. [Received July 12, 1.10 p.m.] The Queensland ParliamentBrisbane To-day.

, In the Legislative Assembly last night the Appropriation Bill for L 500,000 was passed through all its stages. The session is now virtually closed, and the dissolution is expected to be proclaimed immediately.