MAIL NEWS VIA SAN FRANCISCO.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3875, 18 December 1883, Page 4

MAIL NEWS VIA SAN FRANCISCO.

GENERAL SUMMARY

San Francisco, November 20. The steamship City of Sydney was detained till date from the 2.'ircl instant, owing to the non-arrival of ihc English mails, It is proposed shortly to confine the service to three .steamers, which can bo done by shortening the time of lying in port, but corre.spondent.-i in. many upcountry places will be deprived of the opportunity of answering their letters by the same steamer that brings them. The Southern Pacific railroad people are trying to control the wheat carrying trade from this port, and the way they propose to do it is this: They have found that the ships which come to San Francisco for wheat carry their cargoes of coal from England, Australia, and elsewhere. The railway people have therefore bought extensive coal deposits on Puget Sound, and are building ships to freight this coal to San Francisco. In'this way they can supply a largo amount of the demand for coal, and render it unprofitable for the wheat ships to bring coal here. William M'Cann Neilson, formerly of Victoria, Australia, but now of San Francisco, was attacked and badly beaten on October 24th, while leaving his dwelling, by two disguised men. It is thought the assault had some connection with a recent suit against ox-Senator Sharon for adultery in which Neilson was engaged for the prosecution. The affair is considered somewhat mysterious. Before he was attacked Neilson had brought a personal suit against Sharon for slander, laying the damages at 120,000d015. The latter had stigmatised Neilson as a black mailer. ..,, Sir Henry Herbert, M.P., the owner of Muekross Abbey, was about to marry Miss Eebecca Williams, a Baltimore heiress, on November 11th, when her father discovered that the baronet's estate was heavily mortgaged that he was next door to a pauper. The wedding proceedings were summarily stopped. Mrs Langtry started on her second professional tour in America, on October 25th. She opens in Montreal, and then goes to Chicago and San Francisco, and will probably continue her journey to Australia. She gave great offence to the people of Ottawa by rehearsing lior plays on a Sunday. Matthew Arnold, who arrived in New York on the 21st of October, is reported as saying that lie hoped he would like the country, but after all he thought there was no placo to live in like smoky old London. Tho iron mills of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, are generally closing doAvn, owing to the depression of trade. John Bright denies that ho intends to visit America this winter.

A cablegram from London states that tho health of tho Princess of Wales is not good. She has increased the cold caught in Denmark, and her deafness has so increased that her companions talking to her in tho theatre arc heard all over the

house. Gerald Massoy, at present in Now York and en route for Australia, is nearly broken down by bronchitis contracted in America, and from which he hopes his trip to the colonies will free him. The C'orean Ambassadors now in New York have been purchasing so recklessly that they found themselves short of funds, and had to borrow money to pay their expenses home. A largo and enthusiastic meeting of Freetraders was held in New York on the 22nd of November. Henry Ward Bcechcr presided. Captain F. W. Dawson, an Englishman, and editor of tho Charleston News and Mercury, has been created a Knight of the Order of St. George by tho Pope, for tho opposition ho (Dawson) has made to duelling, aud which has gradually led to the suppression of the practice in South Carolina. O'Donovan I-fossa, son of tho New York dynamite advocate, was arrested in New York on tho 21th of November, at the instance of an insurance company, for the larceny of a premium on a policy. William J- Ramsay, proprietor of the London Freethinker, eonviotod on the Gth of March last of publishing blasphemous libels, and sentenced to nine months' imprisonment, was released on November 24th. ±Ie was escorted from gaol by Mr Bradlangh and a largo crowd of sympathisers, who cheered him, aud was given a public breakfast at the Hull of Science. Geo. Tootv, editor of tho same paper, convicted of tho same offence, has yet to serve three months. Wolff, a member of the Advanced Socialist Club of London, was arrested on the 2-Jrd of November. In his house were found two 'infernal machines, placed thereby a Frenchman named Bolkerain. It turned out on investigation to be a put-up job_to obtain the reward expected to be paid_ h> the informer, the Frenchman undertaking that role, and that no real conspiracy existed, as was stated, to destroy the German embassy, the ambassador, and the attaches. Mrs Cornwallis West, the famous English beauty, has arrived in Washington, and will assume tho management of tho household of her brother-in-law, Mr Sackvil'a West, the British Minister. On account of the number of British sul.jcets \u i, uu Rocky Mountains, Earl Grai> ville has u».^ n petitioned to appoint a consil at Dunbur anu , vice-consul at Salt Lake. Banian, the Toi-. uto lwC r, who leave; for tho colonies by a, 0 H |,eaiuur City o: Sydney at date, carries \r\\} t him a new shell boat and it pair of Donaghue sculls for tho Australian races.

Canada has demanded that (lie Imperial Government shall pay part of tho expense of maintaining pauper immigrants exported from Ireland and landed in the colony, but thoreis no likelihood that the demand will bo complied with. It id now suggested by tho Ottawa Press that destitute immigrates bo shipped to the place from whence tAcy came, as was dono by the authorities at American ports.

Rowell, the E/iglish pedestrian, is in New York fee contest Avitli FitzGerald (who defeated him last October) for 500 dollars ttiid the championship of the world.

A son of Jay Gould, the American millionaire, is about to wed Miss Carrie Astor, of the famous Astor family, a union of wealth that is stirring Now York society circles profoundly.

Monsignoro Capcl delivered a lecture in Chicago on October 31st on Republicanism and the Catholic Church.

Tho Marquis of Lome, in his "Impressions of Colonial Life," writes that Canada is the least costly country and the least troublesome, and yet the greatest of the British colonial possessions.

The steamship City of Sydney reached San Francisco a day in advance of the schedule time. Her speed was duo, it is said, to the now and improved screw with which she has been recently fitted.

Aylwurd, who gained fame as a leader on the Boer side in tho recent Transvaal war, AViis arrested in Chicago recently for being drunk and disorderly. Stove Raymond, an English forger, was Bontenccd in Now York on November Ist to life imprisonment for passing forged coupons of the Union Pacific Railroad Company. Port Antonio, Jamaica, was almost entirely destroyed by fire on October 18th. Tho lire began in the dry goods store of Sutherland aud Co. The total loss was over £200,000.

Tho Canadian Pacific Railroad having liocii constructed on the eastern side to within 30 miles of the summit of Selkirk, a ting of rocky mountains has been discovered ihafc may render it impossible to cross via Kicking , Horse Pass. Thu engineers on the work got into a dispute on the subject, which became so serious that the matter was laid befnro tho manager and officials, and the conclusion was to stop all work for two years. Consequently between ■! 000 and DOOO men wero discharged. Efficient engineers will bo put to work at once to discover the best route.

Extraordinary preeaulionshavcbeon taken to guard the British men-ot ■wur now lying in tho ports of tho Canadian seaboard provinces against a Fenian attack. A despatch from London dated the 20th of November states that the Queen's health is improved, but that she .still .suffers from tho ell'eets of ]ier late accident, and is unablo to walk or stand for more than a few minutes at a, time. It is still impossible for lier to walk up or downstairs. Her Majesty left Balmoral for Windsor on the 2Utii of November, closely guarded by special police ull along tho ruuk 1 . At Windsor and Slough {here were largo detachments to guard the approaches. After Her Majesty'B arrival at tho Caafclo on tho 22nd of November a lire occurred in a bootmaker's shop at Windsor, near the castlo walls, towards which tho wind blew tho ilaming sparks. They fell all ever tho palace, and a slight ignition took phico on tho roof of St. George's jfjhupef, but this was soon extinguished.

The affair gave rise to tho wildest rumors, I one of which was that the Queen's apartments had been blown up. Shortly after she retired to rest Her Majesty was in a state of nervoxis excitement, and manifested great anxiety as to the condition of the royal fire engines and the men attached to the royal fire brigade. Lord Ripon has offered his resignation as Viceroy of India. Mr Goschen is spoken of as his lordship's successor and will be made a peer. MrThos. Sexton, M.P. for Sligo, was attacked by seven men according to his own statement, in Seven Dials, Long Acre, on the ICth November. The men gagged him, pinioned his arms, and rifled his pockets of his money and gold watch and chain. All the footpads but one escaped. On the trial of the man who was caught, one of the jurors asked Mr Sexton if he (Sexton) was in liquor at the time ho was robbed. Mr Sexton with considerable temper answered in the negative. The robbery took place near a publichouse, where Mr Sexton had called to get brandy and soda at 2 o'clock in the morning. Earl Granviile has sent a communication to tho French Government insisting upon a proper apology for tho behaviour of Admiral Pierre towards Commodore Johnstone at Tamatave. The question of the conduct of tho French towards Mr Shaw is treated by Earl Granviile as a thing apart. "Sir Moses Montefioro reached his onehundredth year on October 24th. Many congratulations were sent to him from all parts of the world. Among the letters was one from the Prince of AVales.