LONDON.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3203, 4 October 1881, Page 3

LONDON.

September 23. General Arthur, after taking the formal oath of office, delivered an address, in the course of which he pledged himself to follow the policy which President GarfieJd had announced in his message to Congress in March last. President Arthur has invited all the members of the Cabinet selected by the late President to continue in office.

September 24. At the opening of the Transvaal Volksraad, President Kruger denounced the convention entered into of the conclusion of peace between the British Government and the Boers. The Triumverate expressed a hope that Great Britian would agree to a modification of the terms of the convention.

It ie stated that an agreement is about to be arrived at for the renewal of the commercial treaty between Great Britain and France.

The newly-elected Volksraad, has refused to ratify the convention recently concluded between the British Commissioners and the Triumverate by which complete self-government was restored to the Boers, subject, in default of such ratification within three months from August 8, that the convention becomes null and void, and the sovereignty of the Queen is revived. Some Boer leaders are counselling a, policy of moderation and the Volksraad, notwithstanding its refusal to ratify the convention, continues to discuss its provisions.

The French Government, recognising the gravity of the situation in Tunis, where the native revolt is rapidly spreading, have given orders for the despatch of large reinforcements of their forces, and 26,000 troops, including a large proportion of cavalry, have embarked at Toulon for service in North Africa.

September 27,

Several newspapers published at St. Louis, one of the principal cities in the United States, give currency to a report that the American Fenian organisation has recruited a filibustering force of three hundred men, with the avowed intention of making a raid upon Freemantle, the chief port of Western Australia, and plundering the settlement. Another object of the expedition, which is said to have already sailed from San Francisco, is to release the prisoners confined in the penal convict establishments at Freemantle. The St. Louis papers are dubious as to the correctness of the rumors.

The instructions which were recently given for the withdrawal of several regiments of Imperial troops from the Transvaal has been countermanded, in consequence of the non-ratification of the convention, and the hostility which the newly-elected Volksraad continues to exhibit towards the British.

(Heutee's Special to Teleqiiaph.J