ENGLISH NEWS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 843, 14 June 1878, Page 3

ENGLISH NEWS.

o—[By San Francisco Mail.] Roumania and Bessarabia are practically taken possession of by the Russians. The peasants pay their taxes to Russia instead of Roumania. Burton, the celebrated African traveller, has returned to Cairo from the land of Midian. lie brings ?S tons of specimens, comprising gold, silver, copper tin, and lead. Ho found three sulphur centres, three turquoise mines, extensive deposits of gypsum, saltpetre and rock salt. He goes to England to arrange for working the mines for the Khedive. The Chinese famine continues.

Groat activity prevails among British and Russian ships in Japanese waters. All are preparing for sea service with much haste.

The British squadron is watching the harbour of Vladivostok.

Russian cruisers are reported to be in the Pacific on the lines of English steamships. Pycficld and Co., merchants, of London, have failed ; liabilities, L 200,000. Typhus fever rages to such an extent in Constantinople that all departing vessels are given foul bills of health. England is negotiating with Sweden for a naval station at Faroe Island, in the Baltic. The Austrian Government has concluded a loan of 55,000,000 florms in gold in Paris. Mr John Blight spoke at a largo peace meeting in Manchester, on April 30th, and declared there could be no faith in a Cabinet which had no truth. Lord Rcaconsfiold was a great disturber of nations. Ilis

policy was hostile to the highest interests of Great Britain.

Famine is increasing in North Eastern Russia.

The parish authorities of Burnley refuse assistance to those in want on account of the strike.

Mr Cooper, British political agent at Beltamo, in the Kingdom of Burmah, was murdered with two Sepoys by a Sepoy guard. General Ignatieff will be appointed Minister without portfolio, if ill health makes Count Gortschakoff resign. It is thought Valonief will succed him.

There is great distress at Blackburn, England, among the striking operatives. Soup houses have been established and large quantities of provisions have been given, but the supply is still limited. The Ist Grenadiers, the Ist Coldstream, and Ist Scots regiments of Guards are recruiting to their full strength. Their baggage and arm chests are already packed for removal. The ranks of the other battalions are being filled to 1000 strong. 17,000 persons, including the Dukes of Westminster and Bedford, the Marquis of Bath, and the Bishops of Exeter and Oxford, several noblemen, Messrs Carlyle, Spurgeon, Newman Hall, Robert Browning, and Sir Charles Reed, presented a peace memorial to the Queen. There was a tremendous fire at Manchester on May Cth. Owing to the want of water a large timber yard and ten houses were destroyed. There are 150 eases of small-pox in London, where the disease is declared epidemic. The Kurds plundered 90 villages in Turkish Armenia. The Ottoman authorities not only do not afford any relief, but demand double taxes from the impoverished villagers. Russia decided to refuse the liberation of 00,000 Turkish war prisoners because she is uncertain of the Porte’s neutrality in the event of war with England.

The Beecher scandal has been revived in New York in a stronger form. Mrs Elizabeth Tilton publishes a formal letter over her own signature, declaring the criminalty of Beecher. The latter replies, confronting the “confession” with an absolute denial. “ I declare her,” he says, “to be innocent of the groat transgression.”

Herr Muldeler, suspected of sotting fire to the house of a German in California, was taken from the custody of a constable by an armed mob, and literally riddled with bullets.

The Orangemen of Montreal, by a vote of 3C7 against 0, resolved to parade. Bloody work is expected. James Henderson Duff, of Toronto, started from that place in May to walk the distance of the circumference of the earth. He proposes to walk 40 miles each working day for two years, which will give him a day over what he requires to accomplish 25,000 miles. Henderson stands six feet in his stockings, and is 28 years old. St John’s, Canada, is invaded by an army of tramps. They flourished pistols, and behaved in a riotous ipanner afterwards. Some were led to the belief that they had some deeper design than mere disturbance.

Now York brewers arc receiving large orders for beer to be sent to Gennauy. The Cuban sugar crop fell short nearly 140,000 tons of last year. The Mahonimodan insurrection is spreading westward. Earl Desart has been divorced irom the Countess on account of her adultery with an actor. Five thousand men arc looked out at Preston. European shippers, fearing Russian cruisers, decline English vessels for long voyages. Should the Government take further steps ending in war, a National Convocation will be called in London to protest. A London dispatch says attempts to create a scare about Russian privateers were made to affect underwriters, who continue willing to take any quantity of risks on British hulls at L 7 10s. Advices from Cracow state that the Russian railroads ore encumbered by the transportation of troops North to check the threatened disturbances in the various centres of agitation. The garrisons of Moscow and Kicff will bo ro-inforced.

The police have discovered important evidence regarding the murder of the Earl of Leitrim, implicating the prisoners in custody. The Thcssalonian insurrectionists refused to surrender their arms.

An Englishman at Berlin was indicted for obtaining plans of fortresses. The British Government declined to interfere.

A dispatch from Bombay dated April 26th says troops arc arriving daily and embarking. Fifteen ships anil ten steamers were engaged for the conveyance of the expedition. Great enthusiasm is manifested throughout India, and Native troops are volunteering. The Duke of Cambridge, in the Queen’s name, thanked the array for the soldierlike spirit displayed by the reserves, and the very satisfactory manner in which they responded to the call for mobilisation. There were only twenty-five absentees from the army reserves belonging to the metropolis, and some of these wore invalids. Irish regiments have been transfered to English garrisons, and English troops sent to Ireland.

The Admiralty ordered the prompt fortification of Heligoland. Many people in and along the coast of San Francisco are starving through the incessant failure of the crops, and have boon compelled to eat dogs. Hundreds are dying from scurvy. Remington and Sons, rifle manufacturers, of New Fork, have suspended payment on account of inability of foreign Governments to pay claims for arms furnished. The. British Minister at Washington has a list of every Russian Agent and every representative of the Irish element working in the Russian and Fenian interest.

A Fenian attak or feint, on Canada is said to bo intended if Russia and England go to war.

The Fenian commander made his debut at New Yerk to a large audience, and met with favorable criticism. The Russian Minister has removed his residence from Washington to New York, in order to be in a more convenient position for the rapid despatch of business in the event of war. New Turk dealers have received numerous letters from California, asking the price of ornuu The impression is that hostilities are probable between the working men and Chinese factions.

Quarrels between the Orangemen and Catholics at Montreal lasted several days. The New York Sun says ;—“ From secret agents of Russia now in this city it was ascertained yesterday that the steamship Hammonia sailed from Hamburgh last week on a similar mission to that of the Cimbra. Her departure was not telegraphed in the Press reports. She is chartered to run to some port in the Baltic where several hundred Russian officers and sailors will embark as passengers. She then sails for some point in United States to wait orders. In the event of war being declared she will be immediately changed into a Russian privateer, and will be prepared to prey on British commerce in the North Atlantic. A representative of the owners will be on board to transfer her. Russian colors will then be hoisted. Lawyers have decided that if the transfer is made outside of three marine leagues of the United States it will be within the laws of nations. The agent says that the Hamburgh steamships Westphalia, Thurgiua, Francuuia, and Rheinana, have been chartered by Russia, and were to be employed in transporting Russian naval forces to American waters

Official intelligence has been received in London that Mr Ogle, the correspondent of the Times, who was reported to have been murdered near Yolo, fell fighting in the in r surgent ranks, and was not murdered.

A memorial to the Queen is being extensively signed in Sheffield, expressing confidence in Ministers and willingness to make every necessary sacrifice for the conduct of the war until the cause of peace and order in Europe is secured from lawless and reckless oppression. Throughout England political demonstrations for and against the Government are the order of the day.