SUEZ MAIL NEWS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3205, 6 October 1881, Page 3

SUEZ MAIL NEWS.

[by cable.] Albany, October 3,

The Venetia arrived this eveninar. Passengers for New Zealand — Mrs Wooton, Mrs Clifton, and Mr Tomsitt.

GENERAL SUMMARY.

London, August 26. The continuous rainfall in England has seriously damaged tbe crops, which at one time were expected to equal the average of the years preceding 1874. These hopes, however, have been dispelled. Little corn has been carted at present, and unless settled weather speedily sets in a repetition of the disaster of 1879 is inevitable. Barley is the only cereal which is up to the average. Wheat is under the average, oats much below, beans very bad, and roots also below the average.

The volunteer review in Edinburgh Park yesterday wai much marred by the heavy rain, Forty thousand Scotch

volunteers marched past the Queen, some from the remotest islands of Scotland.

Mr Gladstone, replying to a question put by Mr James Haward, a Bedfordshire agriculturist, said the Government had not decided to introduce a measure for the reform of the English land laws next session, but at the same time he fully recognised the imperative necessity of dealing with the subject sooner or later. He believed the passing of the Irish Land Act will give an impetus to the land reform movement in England, and if the harvest fails the question may come at once to the front.

The Irish Land Bill received the Queen's assent on the 22nd. The difficulties between the Lords and Commons, which seemed likely at first to cause a party deadlock, were finally settled by a judicious compromise. The provisions of the Act as they now stand have been well summarized in a letter by Sir 0. Gr. Duffy to the Irish people published last week, bir Charles says all the arbitrary powers and unjust practices complained of by the Irish tenants are swept away, and this Act is a boon such as no Parliament, native or foreign, ever made to the Irish people. The power to raise the rent by a Land Commission he pronounces is fair. The tenant's improvements are effectually secured to him, and he can sell them along with his rights and possessions for the best price as freely as the landlord can sell his estate. Hβ cannot be ejected for fifteen years, and in the bulk of cases can never be ejected while complying with certain conditions, and paying a fair rent fixed by the commission. The tenants have an easy method of substantial help to transform themselves into proprietors, and landlordism can be disestablished in a manner nearly as effective as the Irish Church. Nevertheless no public expression of gratitude has yet been made in Ireland. Mr Parnell and his Parliamentary satellites, as well as the Land League orations, continue denouncing the Government as bitterly as ever, and numerous outrages are reported in the west and south of Ireland. Even those who are willing like Archbishop Croke, to give the bill a fair trial, regard it merely as an instalment of greater things to come. The French elections resulted, as expected, in the return of a large majority of thoroughly Republican but moderate candidates. The Monarchists, Clericals, Bocapartists, Socialists, Communists, and Irreconcilables, were heavily defeated. The Bonapartists lost more seats than the Monarchists, the latter even supplanting them in some cases. Corsica, which hitherto was devoted to the Bonapartist cause, has become Republican. The strength of parties in the new Chamber is as follows .'—Total number of elections, 647; members definitely returned, 483. The second balloting required 64 deputies. The elected comprise 38 Monarchists, 42 Bonapartists, 403 Republicans, aud of the latter 34 belong to the Left Centre, 156 pure Left, 187 Republican Union, and 26 Extreme Left. The Republicans gained 58 seats from the Monarchists and Bonapartists. M. Gambetta was a candidate in two circumscriptions of Belleville, and was elected by a narrow majority in the first, but failed to secure the legal maiority in the second. He accepted his election in the former. Previous to the election he was grossly insulted at a meeting by a determined band, who prevented him speaking. On this occasion Gambetta lost his temper, and apostrophised the interrupters in disdainful and even threatening terms. The election showed that the Communist party was led by Roehefort, and the extreme Radicals by Clemenceau. There as elsewhere the-Extreme Right coalesced with the Extreme Left and Communists against the Moderate Republicans. The Debate, Temps, aud other moderate Republican papers, rather rejoice at Gambetta's rebuff at Belleville, as tending to attach him to the Moderate party, and show him the impossibility of continuing to represent such extremists as a majority of the Belleville electors. Gambetta must now become the leader of the Moderates or outbid his rivals for the support of the Radicals. His decision is awaited with anxiety. It is believed that Gambetta cannot avoid taking office as Premier shortly after the new Chamber meets. In some of his electoral speeches Gambetta alluded to the future restitution of Alsace and Lorraine, thereby exciting angry comment in the semi-official German press, which declares the annexation by Germany irrevocable. Much suspicion with regard to Gambetta's foreign policy prevails in Germany, where he is still regarded as the leader of the revenge party

The elections in Spain resulted in the return of a majority of 240 Dynastic Liberals, who will support Sagasta's Government. Many of them, reformers and freetraders, will remain staunch in the event of Martinez Oampos and the Court party deserting Sargasta. The Opposition is split up into six small fractions, and includes the leaders of all parties except the Carlists and Federals. Castellar has returned to Ruesla. The Carlists and Ultramontane candidates have been everywhere defeated.