ARRIVAL OF THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1430, 15 January 1885, Page 2

ARRIVAL OF THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

Auckland, Yesterday. The Zealand ia, from San Francisco, arrived at 9 30 p. m. She left San Francisco at 4.30 p.m. on December the 24th. The passage was uneventful. Passengers for New Zealand —Miss Poulhurst, Miss Batman, Mrs and Miss Gunnell and six children, Mr and Mrs Mantell, Mr and Mrs Baglej, Rev. W. Swain, Hon. Trefuses, Messrs Oapp, Adams, Greenwood, Middleton (two), R. S, Wilson, Beron, Guthrie, Deans, Carr, Williams, Dr Youth. For Sydney, fiftythree passengers. The Zealandia leaves for Sydney at midnight. San Francisco, December 24. The steamer Zealandia was detained till date from the 20th, on aosount of the non-arrival in time of the English mails, owing to severe storms. An eleven days’ south-east storm had prevailed in California up to the time of the steamer sailing, doing much damage. The charters of the steamers Zealandia and Australia, of the Pacific lino, to the colonies, and of the steamers Arabic and Ocean, of the Occidental and Or’ental line, expire next June, so it is not expected they will be resumed. The steamship Zealandia, due in ’Frisco on November the 29th, was delayed till the morning of December 2nd by the breaking of the piston of the h’gh pressure engine on the 21st ult., just befote reaching Honolulu. By working low pressure and maintaining a mean speed of ten and a quarter miles an hour, the steamer reached this port in seven days eighteen hours from the islands. Despatches of 14th November state that a gre it agitation is coming swiftly to the front in England. The agriculturalists are making a strong demand for a general reduction of farm rents. The Oobden Club recognises the danger of the agitation and is working hard to meet it. Earl Morley, Undersecretary of War, addressed an audience at Plymouth on December 14th. Ho said it would be -necessary in 1885 to renew the Coercion Act in Ireland, and, in regard ta Egypt, that England could never allow any other European Power to occupy a prominent position in the country. The Plymouth Church is boycotting Beecher for his democracy. The St James’s Gazette of the 17th says the Powers now assembled at Berlin have obviously a stake in the proposed Nicaraguan Canal, and are likely to co-operate with England to oppose the project. In that case they would favor a strong auxiliary force opposing America, which would make it difficult for that country to carry out its project. After a fire in the parcels office of the Windsor railway station was extinguished on December 21sc, brass clock wheels of American manufacture, and a bottle containing suspicious material, were found among the ruins. The room adjoined a covered way, over which the Queen passed on the Wednesday preceding, when she started for Osborne. i

The Manager of the Great Western asserts that the fire was purely accidental and not due to any foreign agency. They also say that the ill smelling liquid in \he bcttle was simply horse medicine. The Skye crofters publicly announced on December 7th that they will not pay rent till the amount is reduced, declaring that they were unable to pay the sum demanded through poverty, resulting from excessive rents. They have heretofore been forced to pay on the 9th. Officers who attempted to serve the writs were d iven off

The Oobden Club recently ordered to bo printed a million copies of leaflets and pamphlets on the subject of free trade. Four hundred and ninety nine emigrants left the British Isles for the United States during the month of November last. Several fast steamers [were loading at L mdon and Liverpool on December 6th, ostensibly for China, but really with hardly a disguised intention of defying the present blockade cf Formosa by the French fleet. It was reported on December 7th that smallpox was on the increase in London. The hospitals were crowded with patients. Mias Fortescue, the actress, who re csntly recovered LIO,OOO from Lord Gannoylo for breach of promise, has again become engaged to Harry Qmler, the bank clerk and musical critic, whom she jilted for Lord Cairns' son. It is also stated that after a tour of the provinces this actress will go to America,

According to a despatch from London, December 22nd, Lady Archibald Campbell proposes to embrace the stage as a I profession. The American Government has concluded a treaty with the Republic of Nicaragua for the construction by the United States of the railway and telegraph across the Isthmus. The canal ronte lies between Greytown on the Atlantic and the port of Sin Juan del Pur on the Pacific It is said that from New York to San Francisco, for sailing vessels, the time is lessened by four dsya. The Hawaiian Reciprocity Treaty was s gned at Washington in December, Secretary Freolinghuysen acting foe the United States Government, and Mr Carter represent'ng the Sandwich Islands. A petition of 4 000 words was telegraphed by business men from San Francisco to Washington, asking that the treaty be signed. Fred Archer, the English pekey, arrived at New York on December 4 th. He felt so low spirited and homesick on landing that he was with difficulty prevented from returning to England by the next trip of the steamer. Captain Pym, R.N., and lately M.P. for Gravesend, arrived at Chicago on the 14th December, fresh from looking over , the cattle ranches of the West. He has » on foot a plan for building a railway from ' Cheyenne to Hudson’s Bay for the transportation of cattle to England. Officers of the incoming steamers at New York on December 18th report the ; trips as- the roughest known for years. > Heavy storms and hurricanes were encountered off the Banks of Newfoundland. v It is now proposed that the Rev Henry a Ward Beecher succeeds James Russel L ' Lowell as American Minister at the Cour of St James’.

Michael William Balfe, son of the Irish composer, was arresced in New York on November 27th, for assaulting a woman. Balfe earns his living by gas fitting. Blaine’s defeat for the Presidency has coat Jay Gould a cool million of dollars in lost bets. Truth, a Hew "Fork journal, noted for the money letter fraud in the Garfield campaign, suspended publication on the 4th December. Vanderbilt, the millionaire, filed a judgment against ex-President Grant on December Bth for 153,000 dollars. Grant is nearly reduced to penury, and President Arthur recommends that he be pensioned by the Government. Another aggresive religious organisation similar to the Salvation Army, and called the Pacific Coast Holiness Association, has been started in Pan Francisco. The vdelphi Theatre has been leased for a j meeting place. They claim perfect purity of life and conduct. President Cleveland insists that the inauguration ceremonies must be as simple, brief, and plain as possible. The Democratic party leaders on the contrary think that under the circumstances the most ostentatious parade possible would be justified. The proposal of reciprocity of trade between Canada and the United States is being freely discussed. The fishing interests in New England resist the free admission of British caught fish into the American markets. I President Cleveland received and deI dined an invitation to attend the ice I festival at Montreal. 1 The great Hill-Sharon divorce case, which has been pending for the best part I of the year, and was {originally fomented I by William McCann Neilson, has decided I this morning in plaintiff Hill’s favor. I Sarah Althea Hill was declared by Judge 1 Sullivan the lawful wife of William M. I Sharon, and as such entitled to a decree J and to one-half < f his property. Three I days ago Judge Reardon decided against Sharon in a suit for 200,C00dols brought by the Oddfellows’ Bank growing out of I Ralston’s transactions. Sharon was held I responsible for the money, and also orI dered to make an account of his manageI ment of the estate of deceased Ralston. In Hill’s case the betting was lively among the members ofjhe Bar that plaintiff would lose hot oas?. An effort is to be made in America to raise 10 OOOdols a year to pay the Irish Nationalist members of the English ParI liament. A body of American officers an J men have been sent to Nicaragua to survey the I proposed canal. A broad sheet of December 29th says there are now 316,000 manufacturing operatives out of work in the United States. This is 13 per cent of the whole number employed four years ago. Major Ohorraside reports that out of the garrison at Souakim of 1 200 marines and sailors there are only 1,000 effective men. Fresh troops will be sent to Souakim.

Despatches from Shanghai to the Rationale of December 20th says the French Minister has been ordered to inform China that further negotiations are useless, and that the dispute must be settled by the sw^rd. The French Fleet having been refused coal and provisions at Hong Kong, Prime Minister Ferry has asked an explanation of the British Foreign Office. The y&w York Times of 2Jth December had a London cablegram stating the fact was announced there that M. Oliver Pain, the French Communist, who escaped from New Caledonia with Rochefort, and went to Turkey, was at present in ttl Mahdi’s camp, where he had established a bureau of correspondence with the French colony at Cairo, to learn Wolseley’s movements. He was continually giving out false reports concerning the condition of the Mahdi’s forces, as decoys to the English commander.

ITALY.

Cardinal Oonsoline, Prefect of the Propaganda, died on the 2nd December. A bomb thrower, named Gervase, (was arrested in Milan on the 20th in the act of placing an explosive under ‘the police station. He is a boy eighteen years of age, and refused to name his associates.

FRANCE.

It was reported in Paris on the 23rd December that Government officials on searching the barracks had found evidence of anarchism spreading among the soldiers. A Bonapartist banquet in Paris on 14ih December was attended by 1,200 persons; Maurice Richard presided, and he declared that France was in the same state of anarchy now as it was before the accession of the First Napolean. Now, as then, the only remedy would be for people to elect a responsible chief. “We are therefore,” he said, “forming a National League to elect a worthy chief.” He concluded by proposing a toast to Prince Napoleon. Pascal declared that the object of the meeting was to declare Napoleonic sentiments, and openly demand that Prince Napoleon be made the head of the Government.

SWITZERLAND

Snowstorms in the Alpine regions have been unusually severe this season. Despatches of December 13th say many unwary tourists have been caught on the mountains of Switzerland, and the great hospital of St Bernard is full of wounded people Many travellers are still missing, and it is believed several have been frozen to death. i

AUSTRIA.

John Lucas, manager of the securities department of a Bank, died in Vienna on the 23rd from self-inflicted injuties. He left letters stating that he bad been ruined by Bourse speculations, and had embezzled 90,000 florins,

GERMANY. t

Sentence was pronounced on December c 22nd at Leipsic on Anarchists tried for i attempting to assassinate Emperor Wil- 1 liam at Niederwald. Redotf, Paaer, and ( Kueidler, were sentenced to death, Hallzhaven and Bashmann were condemned to ten years’ servitude, Singhen, Pliembaok, I and Wellue, were acquitted. i .I- 1 i

SPAIN.

A London journalist received on the 1 9th December from Madrid, an official I denial of a report published that a syndi- 1 cate of capitalists headed by Messrs Ben- 1 nett, of the New York Herald, and Mac- 1 kay, the Bonanza millionaire, were bsr- j gaining with Spain for the Island of J Cuba. I

RUSSIA.

Count Tousi, Minister of the Interior, j has ordered the expulsion of all Jews re- j siding in Odessa, K'ef, and other large 1 cities with foreign passports, unless they also present a special Government permit of residence. Jewish firms doing business in these cities are dismayed at the order, and many will probably be obliged to ga into liquidation. At Retchitah, a town of 5,000 people on the Dnieper, a subterranean passage was discovered on l/ecember 10th under i the tao receiver’s office, which contained ■ 80,000 roubles. Reports were received on December t 20th that the Grand Duchess Sergnias has 3 asked the Osar to concede her a divorce . from the Grand Duke on tha ground that - he continues to maintain a mistress.

LONDON GRAIN MARKET. The- Mark Lane Express of December j 22nd, in its weekly review, says the I week’s rainfall has materially improved the. already promising autumn crops. Trade for the past week was stationary. The sales of English wheat for the week were 54,917 quarters at 31a 5d per quar- | tor.iagainst 67,533 quarters at 39s 2d during the corresponding week of last year. Foreign wheat was quieter, with only a small demand. Holders, however, seemed in better spirits, and anticipated material reductions of stock at tha end of the year. In wheat cargoes off coast a small business had been done. The now crop of Californian grain is said to be of better quality than that of 1883- Of cargoes arrived during the week three were sold and six remained. Trade in forward months was lively, thirteen cargoes of Californian wheat bringing 33a 6d to 355.

THE CANNIBAL CASE. At the trial of Captain Dudley and the mate of the Mignonette the Court room was crowded. The scene during the pronouncing of the sentence was most impressive. Lord Chief Jnstice Read gave judgment. After citing authorities at length the Court declared that the taking, of human life could only be justified on the plea of self-defence. The commission of murder for the sake of preserving one’s life was unjustifiable. Of coarse it was a duty to preserve one’s own life, but duty often required one not to save but to sacrifice his own life. The Oomt must apply the law and declare that the prisoners were guilty of murder, for which there was no justification. If the judgment was too severe, the Court must leave the prisoners to the clemency of the Crown When prisoners wore asked what they had to say before sentence was pronounced, both Dudley and Stephen pleaded for mercy in view of their terrible situation when the deed was done. Lord Coleridge said it was the jury’s privilege to recommend the prisoner’s to mercy, and then he sentenced them to bo hanged, but without the black cap. The Secretary of State for the Home Department had advised the Q ieen to respite Dudley and his mate. On the 12th the sentenced men were committed to six months’ imprisonment, without hard labor.

THE SOUDAN - . There was a report at Dongola on 9th December that the Mahdi accepted General Gordon’s challenge to cross the Nile and prove himself a true prophet. He tried to make his followers walk across, the experiment resulting in the loss of 3,000 en. It is reported that the Mahdi’s tent is constantly surrounded by a triple line of guards. He is harassed by the fear of being poisoned, and his favorite wife or daughter prepares his food A late despatch says the natives have little confidence that the British expedition will prove successful, and they positively refuse to accompany it beyond Merowe on any condition. Advices from Khorti to 20th December say the navigation of the Nile is growing more difficult, owing to shifting sands. Boats have been delayed and one whaleboat was capsized at the rapids and its baggage was lost. A dospa'ch from Cairo, dated December 22nd, says General Wolseley will complete the concentration of his army at Khorti in the first week of January, and will begin , his march on Shendy on the 7th of that month. The distance from Khorti to

Shendy is 200 miles, and General Wolseley calculates the march will occupy 16 days, unless he meets with opposition from the enemy en mite. Simultaneously a movement will be made from Souakim against Osman Digneh, in order to be secure from an attack on the flank.

IRISH AND SCOTCH AFFAIRS. A special of December I3th from London says that politicians have found . a new topic for wrangling in a speech delivered on December 13th at Stirling, in Scotland, by Sir Campbell Baonerman, who succeeded Mr Trevelyan as Chief Secretary for Ireland on October 21st. The speech is the first he has delivered since he took office. He openly advocated a more liberal form of Government for Ireland, and said a great mistake was made by the I English in their treatment of Ireland to-day—that their policy, in fact, was too obviously one of benevolent condescension. The Irish, he contended, being a proud sensitive people, resent this attitude of patronage, whereas if they had the laws and institutions which their needs require, and to which they are peculiarly adopted, they would become as I loyal as the Scotchmen of Edinburgh. This speech has created much commoiion. The Scotch claim that the Irish are in I many respects more favored by Govern- I meat than they are themselvea, and they I attribute this to the fact that the loyalty of the people of Scotland has been mistaken by the Government foi satisfaction, while the Irish, by manifestations of dis- I satisfaction, have received many valuable I concessions, although tueir agitations I have been looked upon by English poli- I ticians in most instances as outbreaks of I disloyalty. Sir Campbell Bannerman’s speech is accepted as a trustworthy indi- I cation that the Government has decided to make a now departure in its Irish policy in the direction of greater liberal- I ism. The Conservatives denounce the policy foreshadowed iu the speech as a shameful subserviency to the Irish agi- . tators. ,

DYNAMITE EXPLOSION,

An attempt to blow up London Bridge by dynamite was made on the afternoon of Saturday, December 12 th. The police have absolutely no clue to the affaia, and two theories offered concerning it are that a boat containing explosives, with a burning fuse attached, was allowed to drift beneath the bridge, and that the fuse had been nicely timed to cause the explosion when the boat was midway. A bystander says that flames shot up simultaneously from each side of the bridge. The second theory is that the dynamite was dropped over the bridge, an i alighted on one of the buttresses, which was only slightly damaged. The misohiet dona

consists chiefly in the b e kage of windows in the vicinity. Persons crossing ihe bridge at the time were thrown down by the concussion, and many gas jets in the vicinity were extinguished.

THE NICARAGUA TREATY. The London Times of Ist December says the Nicaragua Treaty will excite amaze* ment in England and America. If the published version is correct it wiil undoubtedly elicit a distinct protest in both countries. It is a direot violation of the Glayton-Bulwer treaty, and is,a more dis* tinct violation than Blaine ever contemplated. Americans will not suppose that | Englishmen deprecate the treaty, owing to a large extension of American dominion, or that they mistrust that the treaty wilt be abused to the injury of British trade ; I but they cannot approve of the example I of one State purchasing the control of such water-races for its personal advantage, and not as trustee for the world. I There is no provision on behalf of the world’s trade, and a navigable highway I between two oceans is not a petty matter 1 for sale and barter between a conple of I States. The Spectator says, if the statesI men of the United States would legislate against dynamiters, a compromise on the canal question would be easy. Vanity Fair a a, it sees nothing that England ought to object to in the Nicaragua treaty. The English treaty with Nicaragua, which was concluded by Lord John Russell in I 1860, secures to England the highest I privileges. If the people of England knew the disgaaceful history of the Bol-wer-Olayton treaty they would desire it to I be consigned to eternal oblivion.

THE CONGO CONFERENCE. On the 10th of December the Conference discussed the free navigation of the Niger. Rasson, the American delegate, presented his neutrality project, which has a much wider scope than any other of the proposals that have yet been made. It provides that the neutrality of both the Congo and Niger countries shall be respected by all nations, peaceful or belli* gerent, for the purpose of commerce in i time of war. A cable special on the 14th states that the necessity for maintaining outlets for British manufactures is shown by the cautious proceedings and multitudinous intrigues going on at the Conference. Time and trouble have been consumed in parcelling out malarial and savage lands, which at beat can only furnish meagre results at much cost, and a deferred cable says it is difficult to guess thus far who has obtained any advantage over the other, but the present outlook indicates that France, who has been badly snubbed by Che prohibit ion of importdaties, and England, who has played a tardy ana unprofitable part, will be frozen out by the German-Belgian combination. The I merchants of Manchester fear this so much that the Chamber of Commerce has passed a resolution urging England to cast in her lot with the Association, and a deputation came to London on Monday, the 15th, for the purpose of pressing the matter on Lord Granville. IRISH AFFAIRS. The Corporation of Dublin, by a vote of thirty-one to twelve, has resolved to change the name of Sackville to O’Connell I street. A deputation of trades appeared to protest against their action; Mr Sullivan named the street. It is thought that the Redistribution Bill will lead to the final triumph of the national cause. There will be a great meeting of Orangemen at Belfast on January the 6th on the occasion of the Wyolyffa quincentenary, which will be celebrated throughout the North of Ire'and. The third trial of James Ellis- French, Director of the. Detective Department of the Royal Irish Constabulary, Co? scandalous offences in connection'with the Cornwell case, resulted on December 29th in his conviction. He was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.

SOUTH AND OB STEAL AMERICA. MEXICO, AND WEST INDIES. The largest pearl known, weighing 90 carats and valued at 17,000 dollars, was. sent by express to London from Quays* mas, in Mexico, on Deoemper 13th. An Indian diver fished it np from the depths of the Mullege, Lower California, and sold it for ninety dollars. There are indications that revolution la impending in Mexico. The centre of it I is at Saltilles. The French Consular flag was hoisted in Guayamas, Mexico, on December 7th for the first time since Maximilian's death. According to a despatch from Mexico dated December 10th, the first acts of President Diaz’s administration ate giving general satisfaction. Congress has authorised him to reform Jhe present unjust stamp laws ; to cut down the supernumerary force of Government employees ; and ! to reduce the public expenses in all pos* sible ways. The gaming houses have been closed by the new Government; - President Croera and Secretary of State Dubarry, of the United States of Colombia, resigned their positions on December 13th. This step is said to have been taken in view of French menace to Republican institutions on the Isthmus or any interference with local government. | Late reports from Rio Janeiro say numerous rumors are afloat of war between Brazil and the Argentine Republic. The Brazilian authorities are conscripting for the army, and the Republic had 12,000 men ready to throw across the frontier as soon as war should be declared. The Brazilian navy was being put in readiness for active service.

A PARISIAN TRAGBD*.

An extraordinary tragedy occurred in Paris on November 27th. The wife of M Clovis Hugues, the Radical Deputy for Marseilles, has shot her traducer in the very Palace of J notice. To explain this unprecedented act, it should be stated that an elderly woman, now dead, mar* ried to a young man named ■ Lenormaot, conceived suspicions two years ago that M idame Hugues was her husband’s (Lenormant’s) mistress, and she employed as a spy a man named Morin, of that nondescript class styled “ Agents d’affaires.” Morin had "a reputation for anscrupulousness; and in order to continue I drawing money from Madame Lenormant he pretended to have ■/discovered facte criminating Madame Hugues. The latter took proceedings against him for defamation, aod purposely did so in a waj which gave him every opportunity for substantiating his assertions. Morrin, however, did not appear to take his trial, and was sentenced last December, by default, to two years’ imprisoument. He has since been taking advantage of all the loopholes afforded by French procedure for lodging appeals and obtaining postponements. The appeal was to have been heard, and the parties were in attendance for the purpose. Motrin’s advocate, however, having, owing to his own indisposition, asked for a postponement, the case was set down for hearing next week. ■* M. Hogues appeared to be vexed at this, and bis wite was seen to console him. He and his wife left the Oonrt, bat remained in the Salle, des Pas Perdus in conversation with different advocates. Suddenly, as Morrin passed them to descend the steps, Madame Hugues moved aside, drew a revolver from under her mantle,' and fired its conteiita at him in rapid succession. Three balls struck nim. One lodged in his head, another in his neck, and tbe third in his lungs. The man fell dying, and was removed to the Hotel Dieu, where all hopes of saving hia life were abandoned. Madame Hugues was at once disarmed, and arrested with ber husband. Mr Hogues protested, on the ground of hit immunity from orrta^

as deputy ; but this does not apply where the person is arrested in flagrante delicle, and M. Hogues did not resist aft. r a word from his legal adviser. As ho pa?B3d through the assemblage of onlookes he remarked, “My wfe has killed that villain; she has done well and at the police commissionary’s office he i inhraced and congratulated her. M. Hugues has written poems, and is a man of very excitable temperament, while his wife is said to have been complaining that for two years Morin had been morally killing her. She is a fine looking and accomplished woman, and has twp little girls, one of whom was named Mireille, by desire of her godfather the Provencal poet Mistral. M. and Madame Hugues were taken to separate roomt, and were separately interrogated, the result being that the former was liberated. Morin, on arriving at the hospital, made signs that he wished to write, and with the left hand he traced on a sheet of paper the words “I am innocent. Mown.” Extreme unction was administered to him this afternoon. [Morin died next morning ] The affair has, of course, made a great sensation. In the lobbies of the Chamber there was some talk of questioning the Government as to the necessity of putting down private detective offices of the class to wlich Morin belonged.

Additional Mail News-

(by TEX.EQBAPH.] AocKLiND, To-day. Sala will visit America before going to Australia. He sails from Liverpool for Now York the day after Christmas, aad will lecture at all the principal cities from New York to San Francisco. Ihe local government of British Colutnba has received an intimation that the coal harbor has been definitely selected as the terminus of the Canadian’ Pacific Railway. Louise Michel, the noted Communist, it is reported is afflicted with a softening of the brain. Cholera has reappeared in Aubervillier On 29th December six cares (four fatal) •were reported* Consul-General Cruiser has submitted statistics to the State Department of Washington, showing that Russian wheat is. driving the American wheat from the markets of Switz rland, Southern Germany, and England, owing to the crop in Russia being so plenteous, and also to reduced cost of transportation. A delegation cf the Women’s Sofferage Party called upon Mr Macdonald, Premier of Canada, and thanked him for incorporating woman sufferage in the pending Canadian Franchise Bill. Mitchell, the E nglish pugilist, has been arrested in New York on a charge of murder. Be indicted such severe injuries on a slogger named Muldoon a year ago in a fight near Yardley well, P.A., that the latter died of the injuries. Herbert Slade, the Maori pugilist, is in San Francisco taking part in boxing matches and allowing himself to be /,* knocked out ’’ for coin. ' The Philadelphia press of December Ist publishes a' story to the effect- that a saloon keepe' in that city who claims to have been made a millioi a’re by ths death of an uncle in Cuba has written to O’Donov&n Rossa, saying that when ha received the money he Would give 100,000 dollars for “ scientific warfare ” against England. New York experienced the severest cold on 20th December known in the city for years. The thermometer was 20 deg below zero. There was intense suffering among the poor. The Japanese Prince Alexis Sairgo died at Washington of typhoid fever on December 10th. Wilson, the inventor of the Wheeler and Wilson sewing machine, was sent to the Hartford madhouse on the 10th December. Hopes are entertained of his recovery,