ADDITIONAL MAIL NEWS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 67, 9 March 1877, Page 3

ADDITIONAL MAIL NEWS.

An Atlantic despatch, dated London, January 13th, says the Indian Office publishes a despatch dated January 12 from Lord Carnarvon, Acting Indian Secretary, in the absence of Lord Salisbury to Lord Lytton, Governor-General of India. It requests that a weekly summary be henceforward sent by telegraph giving the main facts as regards the famine. Lord Carnarvon in summing up the information received, says he considers it alarming that 840,000 persons are. already employed on relief works at Madras and 250,000 in Bombay. The Government estimates that famine in Bombay will gradually increase, attaining its maximum in April, when 1,000,000 persons will require relief; after which it will gradually increase in Madras, as the prospect is proportionately worse. The district affected in Madras is over 80,000 square miles, and contains a population of 19,000,000. In Bombay the famine-stricken territory covers 45,000 square miles, and has a population of 8,000,000, 5,000,000 of which are in the districts more immediately affected. The 'Times'' special from Calcutta gives a later summary of the situation. In one of the Bombay districts, Shollepore, the crops have totally failed. Things are nearly as bad in other districts, the crops having partially failed in six districts. There are already 287,000 persons on the relief works in Madras. The famine prevails in twelve districts, and now 100,000 persons are on the relief works. The cost to the state is estimated at over £2,000,000 in Bombay, and £400,000 in Madras. The grand jury at the Middlesex Session have returned a true bill against W. Lawrence for falsely pretending that he had power to communicate with the spirits of deceased and other persons, and to summon and to procure such spirits in materialised form, and that divers musical instruments —to wit tambourines, banjos, and divers bells—were present by means of such spirits summoned, produced, and caused to be present, while in truth the said W. Lawrence had not the power of communication with the spirit of deceased and other persons and to do the other things mentioned in the charge. The second count charged him with unlawfully conspiring by subtle means to obtain divers sums of money, etc., contrary to the statutes. A Jewish deputation waited on Lord Derby on December 27, the spokesman of which made it sufficiently clear that it is as necessary to obtain equal treatment for the Jews at the hands of Christians, as for Christians atthehands of Turks. A memorial presented to the Foreign Secretary recited a variety of outrages recently perpetrated upon the Jews in the Danube principalities. Their synagogue in Bucharest was destroyed in 18G7, and ten Jews were thrust into the water by Kouniani m soldiers, with their bayonets and the butt end of their guns, in 1872. There have occurred repeated instances of murder, violation of chastity, plunder and other outrages, including the expulsion of Jewish families from the country districts in the coldest weather. Even in the present year Jewish families have been barbarously expelled from some districts. Mr. Sergeant Simon went so far as to say : " Every crime committed by Bazouks in Bulgaria has been practised by Christians upon Israelites in Roumania —the barbarity has only been on a smaller scale." Lord Derby admitted the existence of the oppression alleged, and promised that the influence of the Government should be exerted to remove it. It is estimated by those in a position to judge that Commodore Vanderbret, who has just died in Washington, was the owner of securities having the present market value of about £17,000,000, and that of this total fully £11,000,000 consisted of stock of the New York Central and Hudson Railway.