MAIL ITEMS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1027, 21 August 1883, Page 2

MAIL ITEMS.

The Panama Canal • Company has already spent 150,000,000 dols. The funds are exhausted. An effort is now being made to build up another Company on the ruins of the first, buying the old stock at 10c a dol. and subscribing money to carry on the work. Six thous md million dollars more are required to finish the canal. A majority of the stockholders are willing to sell shares at 10 per cent, of what they paid. Confidence in De Lesseps is shaken. Mrs Langtry, in an interview on July 25th, before returning to Europe, said in an American season she cleared 125,000 dols. She commences a second American season of thirty-ax weeks on October 29th. She then goes to Australia.

Thei condition of trade in Canada is unsatisfactory. A financial crisis is feared owing to extravagant railroad building. Speaking of the French in Oceania,- the Paris Temps of July the 7th says Prance and England made -a covenant in 1878 not to annex the New Hebrides. Since then a company of colonists of New Caledonia have bought several of these islands, and obtained concessions in others, in order to counteract the covetous designs of Australia, it being necessary to supplement the vague covenant by according to that company rights similar to those granted to the British North Borneo Company.

A despatch of July Bth sajs .it is stated that the French Cabinet has resolved to despatch a note to Earl Granville, pointing out that the contemplatedfannexation of the New Hebrides is contrary to an engagement previously entered into by Great Britain.

The Pope has summoned the French Bishops to Rome to consult with him on the con it ion of the Church in Prance.

A duel arising out of the debate in the Chamber on the Tonquin question, was fought near Paris on July 12. Emanuel Areve Gambetta, a delegate from Corsica, and Boude, a journalist', were the combatants. The journalist was wounded twice. Paul de Oassagnac challenged M. Ferry on account of a difference during the same debate, but M. Ferry took no notice of the hostile message. Pere Hyacinthe will sail from Paris on August 26th. accompanied by his family, for America. He proposes to lecture through the United States. The Panama Canal Company met in Paris on July 17. De Lesseps, repeated his former statement that the Canal would be.finishea at the end of 1883.

The Prince of Monaco is negotiating

with France for the sale of that principality for 10,000,000 francs, subject to the recognition of the gambling concession for 27 years,

The French Government have subsidised the line of steamships carrying the mails between Havre and New York to the extent of 548,000 francs.

On July 19, Harry Montague, Mace’s secretary, drew up an agreement in New York, which was signed by James Wakely for Sullivan and H. J. Grace for Slade, stipulating that Sullivan and Slade shall spar with soft gloves, the Marquis of Queensberry rules, on August 6, at some place to be hereafter agreed upon—6s per cent of the gate money to go to’ Sullivan, and 35 per cent to Slade. The expense is to be shared by the men equally. Slade went into training on July 24th at Port Hamilton, Long Island, New York. A man named Hudson was placed under arrest on July 15 for literally blowing up his wives. He resides at Ashley Fork, Urah, whence he went to Park City, where he purchased some giant powder, taking it home with him, some say for fishing, others for the purpose of getting rid of at least one of his wives. However that may be, he succeeded in blowing up his first wife, who was in bed, and the third wife, who was just coming into the room. He placed powder under the bed, and it is supposed exploded it by a fuse. The women were badly injured. Gold in considerable quantities has been found in highlands of Boon County, Kentucky, and in those of South-Eastern Indiana.

Vf. H. Vanderbilt, the Now York millionaire, purchases Sir P. Miles’ celebrated Leigh Court collection of paintings, which includes the best known and most valuable pictures extant, tie paid LUO,OOO. News from Stanley via Lisbon, July 15th, represents him in good health, but five Belgian members of his Congo party were dead.

Two majors and ten lieutenants in the Egyptian army were sentenced on July 20th to seven years’ penal servitude in Soudan for complicity in the massacres of last year. The Pope has written an autograph letter in Latin to the Catholic Society of Vienna, in which he says—“ Justice have I worshipped, long struggles, labors, chicanery, plots and hard blows have I borne, but of the faith of which I am the champion'l will not flinch for Christ’s flock. How sweet to suffer! yea, even in prison how sweet to die. ”

There have been up to July 26th several suspicious cases of death in Naples. It was. denied that cholera existed, but the effects of the deceased were burned.

Despatches from Beekenford, Switzerland, July 10th, say that nearly all the cultivated land in that district was ruined by storms and landslips.

One or two isolated cases of cholera are reported in Russia during three days ending July 25th. Great efforts are being made to purify St Petersburg The clergy held a special service of intercession on the date named for the preservation of Russia frcm disease.

In San Francisco, New York and other large cities of the United States, the anniversary of the fall of the Bastile (J uly 14th) was celebrated by French residents with much enthusiasm. A despatch from Toronto, Canada, July 23rd, says Ross, Courtenay and Lee are entered for the four mile straight away race on the St Lawrence, between Oglensburgh and Prescott, on the Bth or 9th of August proximo. A desperate prize fight for SOOdols was fought near Nauticoke, P.A., on July 26th. The principals were a saloon-keeper and a coal miner. The men had fought eleven rounds, when a crowd of women broke into the ring, and, brandishing knives and pistols, but a stop to the fight. The survey of Captain Eade’s ship railway across Nicaragua is progressing. Oscar Wilde is writing his impressions of New York, Texas, San Francisco, and ■'alt Lake City.:; He describes the typical; American girl as a “pretty, oasis of unreasonableness in a desert of common sense.” '

An investigation hat been c mraenced into the conduct of Father V alienee, of Montreal. About six years ago he started

a monster lottery for religious objects, -and, although an enormous number of tickets were sold in Canada and the United States, a drawing has never taken place. r The Princess Lsuise has promised to send a number of her paintings, in oil and .water colors, to the Boston Foreign Exhibition next October. Chicago Oragemen to the number of 1,000 paraded on the anniversary of the battle of the Boyne, July 12th, and in the afternoon held a picnic. There was no actual disturbance, although the proses-"* sion was subjected to mild jeers occasionally. There was also a general and quiet celebration. Six young Indian girls from Dacotah : Territory were confirmed by Archbishop Feehan in Chicago. The ceremony was one of unusual interest. The steamer Aurania, from Liverpool,. June 23rd, for New York, broke her connection rod and burst her cylinder on Sunday, July Ist, off Monteaux Point. No one was injured. ' I,J John H. Wood, for years Financial Agent to the late Roman Catholic Bishop Wood, of Philadelphia, has been arrested for embezzling 40,000d015. . i;< ■>