THE SAN F-RANGIS'GO MAIL.

Clutha Leader, Volume III, Issue 143, 6 April 1877, Page 3

THE SAN F-RANGIS'GO MAI L.

The steamer City of Sydney arrived at Auckland on Monday with the San Francisco mail. She brino-s dates ttp to 30th March. The following is a -sumraarv of the news :—

Mount San Volcano, in Hawai, is in eruption. Ford's American Theatre, Philadelphia, bns been burnt.

The Pacific mail subsidy has been 'opposed in the Senate.

The roof of the Old Bailey Sessions f Court was burned on February 27. A special from St. Petersburg- says tha'C 'the general opinion there is that Kussia will not declare war against Turkey.

On Monday, 26th, Lord Strathnairn 'moved for an address to the Queen, ■praying Her Majesty would adopt measures to prevent hostilities.

A despatch from Paris says the intended mar -a c of King- Alfonso and the "Duke of Montpensier's daughter is announced for the end of April. All the Powers have replied to the note that they would not interfere until the Porte had shown itself incapable of carrying 1 out the promised reforms.

Prince Peter, Grand Duke of Oldenburg-, has, by special commission of the Czar, intimated to the Emperors of Ger!many and Austria the Czar's desire to meet them again.

Edheim Pasha, Turkish Grand Vizier, 'has resigned at the request of the Sultan in favour of Mahmoud Damoud, brother-in-law of the Sultan, whose policy aims at the abrogation of the •■Constitution.

A water-logged wreck, the barque Mflrie/having on board two survivors of the crew of 14, has been found. The •man have been without food or water 32 days, subsisting- on the dead bodies of their comrades.

Prince Milan has addressed a letter to the Sultan that he has accepted the "Turkish conditions, except those claim.;ing equality for Jews in Servia, and the 'right of the Porte to be diplomatically "'represented at Belgrade.

The statement that an extraordinary -Council of Ministers was called on -"Monday to decide to demobilise the Russian army when peace was signed 'between the Porte and Servia and Montnegro, is absolutely untrue.

The Roumanian Government have informed the Powers that it will dis;band its reserves euly in March, as Russia, even -in "the event of war, has J no intention of occupying Rouumnia, 'but only desires the right of transit.

Earl Russell has given notice to the 'House of Lords that he will move that •England shall cease nil diplomatic inter!course with Turkey, on "the ground that "the nation is still barbarous and un•worthy to rank among the enlightened : people of Europe.

A cable despatch states that thirty •vessels, many with their entire cie.ws, were lost in a gale on the English coast •on the night of February 19th. The -area of the storm was exceptionally expensive, and embraces the .greater part <of the British Islands anil the whole of Northern and Central France, its -violence was most extraordinary.

The Times correspondent at Pera •write?, under date of February sth, that the only 'business of the Turkish Government seems to be to send soldiers and yet more soldiers to the Danubian 'frontier. 'Every nerve is strained and 'every farthing lavished to prepare as if ■for an inevitable contest. Muskets arrive from America by hundreds of ■thousands and cartridges by millions. At a crowded meeting of the Statistical Society Mr Hamilton read a paper 'on New Zealand. Mr Hamilton, alluding to the rapidity with which New -Zealand brought loans upon the market, J is of opinion that the Government of the 'Colony " must moderate their exl)s6niditure, even on works of the greatest "ultimate advantage to that country, and not suffer their zeal for developing its resources to outrun their powers of on fair terms in the -London

money market'" The Pall Mall Gazette

favourably notices the paper. Sir Julius ■Yog-el spoke at the request of the chairman, acknowledging- 'the services rendered to the Colony by Mr Hamilton. '• Sir .J. Yogel paid many high compliments to the zeal, patience, and personal influence of the late Sir D. M-Lean, and

said that the Public Works policy had r materially aided in reconciling the Natives to European rule. Referring "to some remarks made by Mr' Hamilton respecting the Provinces, hesaid he re-

cognised the good old maxim — De

viorluis nil nisi bonum. He denied thnt they were responsible for railways being carried out from so many different points. If only one railway had been made "from the Bluff to Chvistchurch settlement would have come there first, and ;thus.

population would ha^e been drawn away from the North Island. Sir J. Yogel went on to 'argue that the loans had been wisely expended, and thatthe land and revenue of the Colony were ample security. With respect to immigration, he said that the total number of immigrants sent to New Zealand. for •the four years ending 1875 was 7700, of whom 6500 were assisted, and he instanced the calculation of the German philosopher who 'had reckoned that the value of each emigrant was L2OO. Be thought that tlis was an under-estimate. Sir J. Yogel then went on to describe the climate, resources, and prospects of the Colony.

The British steamer Ethel has been wrecked, and nineteen were drowned.

The whaling- steamer Spirzberg-en was lost near Bergen, with all hands, numbering twenty-one persons. A Vienna special says the St. Petersburg- Vidonnste has been threatened with suspension if it continues to ag-i---tate "war.

The removal of the British squadron from Besika Bay 'to Malta is regarded ■as in furtherance ■ of an understanding with other Powers.

It has been discovered that the seal attached to the Commission of the Queen's Counsel appointed by 'tho local Government of Halifax is not the great seal of the Province, causing- much complication.

The Standard's despatch from Vienna reports that Kon mania's representatives have officially informed Count Andrassy that Roumania desires to remain neutral in case oi war, and the Roumanian militia will be disbanded.

The Russian army is miking- enormous preparations to cross the Pruth. Orders from St. Petersburg- are that the march could be accomplished without needlessly encumbering railways which will transport artillery and ambulance. The Sultan will grant Prince Milan a new firman, determining- the future relations of Servia and Turkey. The Prince's decree dissolving- the Servian Parliament has produced a decided sensation among- the deputies, but the command was obeyed. i

Regarding small-pox at San Francisco, hopes are entertained that it is about to die out. The total cases since the outbreak are 1500, and the average mortality 25 per cent. Sixteen cases for the last week are reported, and 10 for the previous weeic.

There are in England 251 churches of the establishment in which vestments are worn, 715 in which candles are placed on the altar, 370 in which candles are lighted during the celebration, and 1600 in which there is a weekly administration of the sacrament.

The Dahomey blockade is imperfect, as the British Government rely on the assurance of certain chiefs that they will not assist the King of Dahomey. It is feared that a spirited policy would result in the butchery of the European oaptives. Gelele, the Dahoman ruffian, is protected by Amazons.

The Porte's note to Servia will treat of four points : erection of new fortifications in Servia; hoisting of the Ottoman flag* side by side with the Servian on existing forts ; recognition of equal rights of the Jews and Christians; and the prevention of armed bands from crossing the frontier.

The Rome correspondent of the Times states that it has been resolved that any Cardinal may be elected Pope on the death of Pius IX., irrespective of nationality. This decision was not reached without considerable discussion between the Pope and some members ot the Sacred College.

The Vienna correspondent of the Standard understands that the Porte intends to invite England to consent to the-irnmediate return of her ambassador to Constantinople, and thus set an example to the other Powers in this respect. Russia is endeavouring to obtain concessions in Constantinople in return for pecuniary assistance.

The "Russian army south of the Caucasus, on the Asiatic frontier of Turkey, is in readiness for action. It numbei'S 115,000 men, with 35 field batteries, and 250 heavy siege guns. A letter in the Cologne Gazette, from South Russia,, i says that a forced loan will probably -soon be decreed. A'further extension of mobilisation is being determined upon, but will scarcely be carried out until I milder weather. The commanders of "the South Army have been ordered to^

victual their corps "up "to the -middle -of March at least.

As the Vienna correspondent of the Times says, the general declarations ; made by Turkey have now come up in more precise form — namely, period of. year to be given the Porte to carry through by means of the Constitution the reforms demanded by the Powers. : If the Porte does not -succeed, it will pledge -itself to accept *the guarantees, susra'ested by the Conference. Tt rrfav' be meant only as a feeler, and as a counter project to the suggestion which is attributed to Russia, 'that the Powers < grant a certain interval, but pledge themselves to use coercion if reforms are not effected at the expiration.

"Capt. Kane of the schooner M'Don- ! aid, writing from Goree, West Coast of Africa, on January 24, says that on the' outward passage fro.-n Boston, he fell in with the wreck of the British barque Marie, having on board two survivors of the crew of 14 men, the others bavins: perished. The barque was bound irom Doboy 7 Georgia, to England. She sprung "a leak in a gale, rendering it impossible to save provisions and fresh water. The crew began to die of starvation. As soon as one died the rest subsisted on his dead body, and so on until only two were left. One of. the survivors, James M'Laughlan, belongs to Belfast, Ireland, and says only small portions of the bodies could be eaten. No one was killed, but the moment one died the survivors cut the throat of the deceased and drank the blood, and then divided f the heart and brains. It was thirty-two days from the time of the disaster until the wreck was sighted, and during all that time the crew had not a drop of water, or other food than the bodies of their dead i shipmates.

The Russian mobilised army numbers 80),000.

[t is rumoured that the Marquis of Salisbury is to be made a duke. Small-pox and measles are prevalent at Hong- Kong, and pleuro-pneumonia among-st the cattle. . There is great activity in the Turkish War Department, and troops are despatched to the, Danube constantly. Eight thousand Russian engineers, have been engagvii changing- the Roumanian railway 'guage to that of th« Russian lines. ; .

Marquis Caux and wife have appeared before the President of Civil Tribune, in. order that the usual attempt at reconciliation might be made. The attempt failed, "and judicial proceedings tor separation will beg-in.

The Danish Deputies from Sohleswig Holstein refused in the Re'iohstag . to take the oath to observe the Prussian constitution, and were constantly debarred from further participation in the proceedings of the House.

The Moniteur says it has authentic information that. Emperor William, recently expressed to the French ambassador at Berlin his sincere '• satisfaction at the complete accord the French and Cferman representatives at Constantinople.

Twenty Bulgarians have been sentenced to long* imprisonment for participating in an ■insurrection, while Cheakel Washa. who was notorious for the part he took in the atrocities, has been appointed commander of the army corps on the Danube.

Disturbances are apprehended in Louisiana between the blacks and the whites. The capture of the State House by white leagures was threatened. A collision between the whites and blacks occurred at Jounettes. Both parties were under arms.

The understanding come to between Turkey and Servia was that the Turks were to evacuate Servia within twelve days after signing' the protocol. Austria will concentrate an army of corps on the Servian ■ frontier, which will effectually guarantee neutrality of Servia and Constantinople.

The Times Berlin correspondent says the leading personages of the Russian Government contiuue opposed to immediate hostilities. War, therefore, in all probability, will be deferred until Turkey's financial and military decline is complete. Turkey may request Russia to demobilise her forces.

The British Admiral has ordered the immediate concentration of the Mediterranean squadron at Malta. The opinion that Russia will content herself with the united demonstration of the European fleets in the Bosphorous is by no means in harmony 'with the programme of the Russian Government

The Queen opened Parliament in person. Alluding to the Eastern question, she said: — "The proposals recommended by myself and my allies have not, I regret to say, been accepted by the Porte ; but the result of the Conference has been to show the existence of general agreement among European Powers, which cannot fail to have material effect upon the condition and government of Turkey In the meantime, the armistice between Turkey and the Principalities has been prolonged, and is still unexpired, and may, I trust, yet lead to the conclusion of honourable peace. In these affiurs I have acted in cordial co-operation 'with/my allies, with whom, as with other Foreign Powers, my relations continue to be of a friendly character."