LONDON.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3165, 20 August 1881, Page 3

LONDON.

August 17. Large withdrawals of gold are being made for North America. The sum of £205,000 was taken from the Bank of England to-day. August 18. In the House of Commons to-day, after two day's debate, a motion introduced by Mr Parnell, censuring the Government for the manner in which the Irish Coercion Act has been administered, was rejected by a considerable majority. In the course of the debate Mr W. E. Forster, the Irish Secretary, and Mr Gladstone definitely stated their refusals to agree to the demands of Mr Parnell that the suspected persons who were now in custody in Ireland should be immediately released. The barque Barunga, 1030 tons, which left Port Pirie, South Australia, for London on April 3rd, went ashore on the coast near Calais yesterday. Part of her cargo of wheat was thrown overboard, and she then floated off. The damage is stated not to be serious. August 19.

In the House of Commons last night a question was put to the Under-Secre-tary of State for Foreign Affairs with the object of ascertaining the present position of the relations between England and France in regard to their commercial treaty. In reply, Sir Charles Dilke announced that .France had now declined to agree to the prolongation of the existing treaties for a further period of three months, and, in consequence of this refusal, a communication had been sent to the French Government stating that England must decline to consent to the resumption of the negotiations for a new treaty which were temporarily suspended in June last. It has transpired that the French Government has sent an official note to the British Government in reply to the latter's communication announcing that England declined to resume negotiations for a new commercial treaty in consequence of the refusal of France to agree to a temporary prolongation of tbe present treaties. The French Government explains that its refusal is due to the fact that it is thought that the proposal to prolong the existing treaties is contrary to law. At the same time a hope is expressed that it may yet be I found possible to overcome the obstacles which have arisen.