AUSTRALASIAN FEDERATION AT THE COLONIAL INSTITUTE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3932, 26 February 1884, Page 3

AUSTRALASIAN FEDERATION AT THE COLONIAL INSTITUTE.

. THE CRISIS IN EGYPT,

MUTINOUS CONDUCT OF EGYPTIAN

SOLDIERS

MERV ANNEXED BY RUSSIA

ARRIVAL OF FRENCH REINFORCE MENTS IN TONQUIN.

LONDON,

February 18

The Agent-General for Victoria, Mr Murray Smith, has delivered a lecture at the Royal Colonial Institute on the subject of '' Australasian Federation.'' There was a lar«-e attendance of old colonists and official representatives of the different colonies. Mr Smith throughout his lecture strongly advocated the establishment of a federal union amongst the Australasian colonies, and predicted a great future for Australasia under such a bond of union. Mr Blyth, the Agent-General for South Australia, and Mr Cowderoy, the Secretary of the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce, also made short speeches in favor of the federation movement. Both took a hopeful viow of some practical result being obtained at no very remote period. Sir Saul Samuel, the Agent-General for New South Wales, also spoke, but regarded the attempt made to secure federation at this early stage of the existence of Jthe colonies as premature. He added that in his opinion a successful conclusion to the labors of the Sydney Convention was very improbable. Mr John M'lntyre, a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, also spoke, and condemned the omission of the subject of Australasian Federation from the Queen's speech on the opening of Parliament. The Marquis of Hartington, Secretary for War, has announced his inteution of muking a statement upon the colonial defences of the Empire when moving the army and navy estimates for the year. Sir Evelyn Wood, Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in Egypt, has threatened to resign unless the Government alters its determiuatiori and permits Egyptain troops to be employed in the Soudan. Altogether a thousand British and Egyptain troops have been ordered to the Soudan.

It is probable' that the Duke of Edinburgh will bo employed in active service in Egypt. The objection of Egyptian soldiers to serve in the Soudan against the rebels is increasing daily, and yesterday a deputation of officers from tho various Egyptian regiments waited upon the Khedive, and protested against any Egyptian regiments being despatched to serve in the Soudan. They also demanded that tho whole of the British officers at present engaged in the Egyptian army should be dismissed from the service. Sir Evelyn Wood, Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian forces, has ordered the mutineers to be arrested. The excitement in Cairo is intense, and the action which will be taken by the British Government in the matter is awaited with great anxiety. It is considered, in view of the disorganisation of the native troops, that the whole of the Egyptian army will be disbanded.

Telegrams have been received stating that a detachment of Russian troops has seized

and occupied Mcrv, a territory in Western Turkestan, 300 miles south-east of Khiva. The territory has been formally declared annexed to Russia.

General Mellot, wlu left France on the 23rd of December with 3000 men to reinforce the French troops in Toncjuin, has arrived at Hanoi.

(By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.)

(Reuters Telegrams.)