LONDON.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3011, 18 February 1881, Page 3

LONDON.

February 15. The market rate of discount is reduced to 3 per cent. The bank rate remains at 3£ ncr cent. Best Australian leather is quoted at ll£d. The opening catalogue at the wool sales today comprised 2100 b?les. There was a good attendance of home and foreign buyers, and the demand was fair, but prices were, as compared with the closing rates of last sales, fully onehalfpenny per lb. lower for greasy, and

one penny lower for scoured wools. The total RT-ivala f° r * ne auction amounted to 31,000 bale?, and the probable quantity to be offered is 300,000 bale?. February 16. Mr Stephens, the former Fenian Head Centre, is now at Paris.

Iα the House of Commons last night, the Home Secretary, Sir William Vernon Harcourt, in reply to a question, made a statement, in the course of which he virtually admitted that letters suspected to contain treasonable correspondence had been opened in transit through tbe past. The statement gave rise to a lengthy discussion ia the House, and the press generally refer to tbe matter at length in their leading articles. Varioue opinions have been expressed as to the action of the Government.

News has beea received from Beyrout in Syria that troubles have arisen between the Christians and Turks, and several conflicts have taken place, resulting in loss of life to both sides. Mr Parnell has addressed a letter to the Land League at Dublin, in which be urges members to maintain a passive action of resistance to the coercive measures proposed to be adopted by the Government in Irehnd, and moreover to use every means to foster the agrarian agitation of the masses, not only in Ireland, but throughout Great Britain. The Daily News to-day publishes a paragraph stating that the Government has received proposals for peace by the Boers. Tbe Daily News adds that the proposals are now being discussed in Cabinet.

Tbe belief which existed that Mr Parnell had gone to Paris is now confirmed. He has been in that city for the past week, and haa visited M. Rochefort and Victor Hugo, and had lengthy interviews with them.