EUROPEAN ITEMS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1009, 31 July 1883, Page 2

EUROPEAN ITEMS.

London, July 18,

The ship Collingrove, bound from Loudon to Adelaide, took fire yesterday when going down the Thames. The lira was extinguished with some difficulty, and the vessel was brought back to port. Subsequent investigation showed that she had sustained serious damage. None of the passengers were injured, though the utmost excitement prevailed on board., The French troops which recently arrived at Saigon, Lower Cochin China, have been despatched to Tonquin to reinforce the soldiers there. Mr Murray-Smith, Agent-General for Victoria, has a letter in the Times this morning, which defends the attitude assumed by the colonies in relation to the annexation, and answers the objections which have been raised against the policy. It is rumored that in consequence of the action taken by Admiral Pierre in proposing to expel the British Consul at Madagascar and detaining the captain and officers of the British man-of-war Lryad, the French Government have decided to recall him from the command of the French fleet in those waters.

The gunboat Stanley has been ordered to the Mauritius in view of possible difficulties arising between England and France. The long deferred meeting betweaoThe Emperors of Germany and Austria baa now been finally arranged, and- will take place shortly in Gastin,; an > [Austrian village in the province of ( [ Tyrol and Yoralberg. : The Imperial Government have decided to despatch English doctors to Egypt to report on the outbreak of cholera there. The Standard this morning has an article upon the attitude of the London money market towards the colonies, and expresses the opinion that notwithstanding the success which has attended the recent loans of the various colonies, the English capitalists are not prepared invest much more money in. colonial securities, and that the borrowing powers of the colonies hare for the present reached their limit, so far as the London market is concerned. The corvette Frolic has been ordered to Mauritius. : Arrangements are being made for Hie dispatch of an English team of cricketers to Australia. The team will consist'entirely of professional players, and,it is expected to leave London for the Antipodes shortly. The steamer Daphne,, which sank when being launched on the river Clyde on the 3rd July, was successfully floated yesterday. Of the men drowned in. her 124 bodies have been recovered. .'fiy Bradlaugh is applying for an injuddtum to restrain the House of Commons from preventing him taking the oath required by new members. In the House of Commons yesterday the Hon Evelyn Ashley announced that the Queensland Oovernment had forwarded a telegram seating that the terms of agreement entered into between the Imperial authorities and de Lesseps in connection with the construction of the second Suez Canal had caused great dissatisfaction in that colony. Ha stated that he had replied to the Agent-General of Queensland to the effect that he considered the action of the colony precipitate, Parliament not having sanctioned the agreement referred to. Mr Watney, member for Surrey East, said that as soon as the proposed agreement had been laid before Parliament it was the duty of Mr Gladstone to transmit details to the colonies. July 22. Prince ,Bismarck and Count Kalnoky, Austrian Minister for Foreign Affairs, will attend the interview which has been arranged to take place between the Emperor of these countries at Gastin, in

Austria. A number of leading capitalists of France have expressed their willingness to subscribe the sum of L 8,000,000 towards the construction of the proposed second Suez Canal, in the event of De Lesseps failing to obtain satisfactory terms from England. > ' . A commercial treaty has been established betwee i Germany and Spain,,.The Chinese Government have issued an order prohibiting the French from purchasing bullocks in Anam. ’