LATEST FROM EUROPE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1398, 6 December 1884, Page 3

LATEST FROM EUROPE.

[rKCTBK's TBIKOKAM8 —COPYRIGHT.} Monetary and Commercial. London, December 4. > Consols have advanced to New Zealand securities remain as follows Five percent. 10-40 Loan, Four and a half per cent 1879-1904 Loan, Four per cent Inscribed Stock, ioo?|. The total reserve in the Bank of England in notes and bullion is Li 1,200,000, being an increase of L2D0,000 compared with last week. The proportion of reserve to liabilities has fallen to 38 per per cent. The Bank rate of discount remains at 5 per cent., and the market rate has fallen to 4 There are no changes to report in the market for colonial produce. Ilie Franchise Bill. London, December 5. The Franchise Bill was under consideration in the House of Lords yesterday, and passed through Committee. The Redistribution Bill. In the House of Commons last night the Redistribution of Seats Bill was read a second time. Parliament. Parliament will re-assemble after Christmas recess on February 19th. The Cape Difficulty. In the House of Commons last evening, in reply to a question, the Hon Evelyn Ashley stated that the Cape colony would not be called upon to bear any portion of the cost of the expedition to Bechuanaland. The Colonial Under-Secretary also stated that the Imperial Government would not assent to the settlement of Bechuanaland as effected by the Cape Government. The Congo Conference. Berlin, December 4. The deliberations of the International Conference on the Congo and Niger question have not yet terminated. It is believed in well-informed circles that the Powers will accede to the British claim of a protectorate over the country adjacent to the river Niger. TheMahdl. Cairo, December 4. No intelligence has been received here to confirm the report that the Mahdi is dead, as stated by the Mudir of Doogola. The Bechuanaland Expedition. Capetown, December 4. Colonel Warren, who has been appointed to command the British expe- ' dition to Bechuanaland, arrived to-day.