FRISCO MAIL NEWS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1195, 23 January 1885, Page 3

FRISCO MAIL NEWS.

The steamer Zealandia was detained till date from the 20th owing to the non-arri-val in time of the English mails, owing to severe storms. The same cause downed the wires and interrupted telegraphic communication. An eleven day ’s south east storm had prevailed in California up to the time of the steamer’s sailing, doing much damage. The charters of the steamers Zc-alandia and Australia, of the Pacific Line to the Colonies, and of the steamers Arabic and Ocean, of the Occidental and Oriental Line, expire next June; and it is not expected they will be -reriowed. -■ The steamship Zs-aiandia was due in SanFrancisco on November 29, but was delayed till the morning of December 2 by the breaking of the piston of the high pressure engine on the 21st ult., just before reaching Honolulu. By working her low pressure engines, and maintaining a mean spec I of 101 miles an hour, the steamer reached this port in seven days and IS hours from the islands. ■ *■ ■

Dispatches of the 14th state that agrarian agitation is coming swiftly to the front in England as a gtavo issue. Agriculturists are making a-etrong demand for a genera! reduction of farm rents. The Cobdeu Club recognise fhe danger of the agitation, and are working hard to meet it. Earl Morley, Under secretary of War, addressed an audience at Plymouth on December 14. Ho said it would be necessary in 1885 to renew the Coercion Act in Ireland ; and in regard to Egypt he thought that England could never allow any other European Power to occupy a prominent position in that country. The Bennett-Mackay commercial cable was opened on December 23 at the offices of the Commercial Cable ,Compauy, New York.

The Plymouth Church is boycotting Beecher for his democracy.. The St Jatnea Gaz tte of the 17th says the Powers now assembled at Berlin have obviously a slake in the proposed Nicaragua Canal, and ate likely to co-operate with England to oppose the project. In that case they would favour a stroug auxiliary force opposing Ameiica, which would make it diffi ulc for that country to carry out the project. After a fire in the parcel office of the Windsor railway station was extinguishel on December 21, brass clock wheels of American manufacture and a bottle containing suspicious mateiial were f umd among the ruins. The room adjoining covered the way over which the Queen passed on Wednesday when she started tor Osborne. The managers of the Great Western assert that the fire was purely accidental, and not due- to any foreign agency. They also say the strong smelling liquid in the bottle was simply horse medicine. The Skyecroftera publicly announced on December 7 th4t' f bhfey will not pay rent till the amount is bSgjteiced, declaring they are unable to pay „tjie amount demanded, through poverty resulting from the excessive rents they have heretofore been forced to pay. On the 9th the officers who attempted to serve, the writs were driven off. , The Cobden Club recently ordered a million copies of leaflets and pamphlets on the subject of Freetrado. 4991 emigrants left the British Isles for the United States during the month of November last.

Several fast steamers were loading at London and Liverpool oh December G, ostensibly for China, but really with a hardly disguised intention of defying the present blackade of Fonnoso by the French fleet The French Government have been apprised. it was reported on December 7 that smallpox was on the increase in London. The hospitals were crowded with patients. In Liecester there was a serious outbreak caused by members of the Anti-vaceinatim Society defying the law which makes vaccination compulsory. Mias Fortescue, the actress who recently recovered LIO.OOO from Lord Garmoyle for breach of promise, has become engaged to Harry Quiler, bank clerk and musical critic, whom she jilted for Earl Cairns’ son. It is said that after a tour of the provinces this actress will go to America. According to a dispatch from London of December 22, Lady Archibald Campbell proposes to embrace tho stage as a profes sion. Fred Archer, the English jockey, arrived at New York ou December 4 Ho felt so low spirited and home sick on landing that he was with difficulty prevente 1 from returning to England on the next trip of the steamer. An effort is to bo made in America to raise 10,030d0l a year to pay the Irish Nationalist members of the English Parliaaent. A body of American officers and men have been sent to Nicaragua to survey the proposed canal. Truth, a New York journal noted for tho money letter fraud on tho Garfield campaign, was suspended on December 4. Blain’s defeat for tho Presidency has cost Jay Gould a cool million of dollars in lost bets. Michael William Balfe, son of the Irish composer, was arrested in New York on November 27 fob, assaulting a woman. Balte earns his living by gaslitting. It is now proposed that the Rev Henry Ward Beecher shall succeed James Russell Lowell as American Minister at tho Court of St James. The offioergof incoming steamers at New York on December 17 report the trip as the roughest known for ye rrs. Heavy storms and hurricanes were encountered off the Banks of Newfoundland. Bradstreetof December 29 says theroaro now 316,000 manufacturing"' operatives out of ■ work in "the United States from the Shutting down of establishments. This ia

13 per cent, of the whole number employed four years ago. Captain Pym, R N., and ex-M.P. for Gravesend, arrived at Chicago on the 14th December, from looking over the cattle' ranches of the West. He has on foot a plan for building a railway from Cheyenne to Hudson’s Bay for the transportation of Cattle to England. Vanderbilt, the millionaire, filed a judgment against ox-president Grant on December 8 for 155,000J01. Grant is nearly reduced to penury, and President Arthur recommends that be be pensioned by the Government.

Another aggressive religious organisation similar to the Salvation Army, and called the Pacific Coast Holiness Association, has been started at San Francisco. The Adelphi Theatre has been leased for a meeeing place. They claim perfect purity of life and conduct. President Cleveland insists that the ion auguration ceremonies must be as simple, brief, and as plain at possibly. The Democratic leaders, on the contrary, think that under the circumstances the roost ostentatious parade possible would be justified. The proposal of rec prooity of trade between Canada and the United States is being freely discussed. The fishing interest in New England resist the free admission of British caught fish into American.markets. President Cleveland received and declined an invitation to attend the ice festival at Montreal.

On December 3 the Corporation of Dublin, by a vote of 31 to 12, resolver! to chans e the name of Sack villa street to O’Oouaell street. A deputation of trades appeared to protest against their action. Mr .Sullivan, M.P., said they were opposing the wish of the Irish people. The tradesmen are raising funds to test the legality of the Corporation’s action.

The United Ireland thinks the Redistributton BUI will lead to the final triumph ot the National cause.

There will be a ere at meeting of Orangemen at Belfast on January 5. on the occasion of the Wycliffe quincentenary, which will be celebrated throughout the North of Ireland. The third trial of James Ellis French director of the Detective department of the Royal Irish Constabulary, for scandalous offences in connection wi;h the Cornwallis case, resulted on December 29, in his conviction. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment.

The Hill-Sharon divorce case in San Francisco, which has been pending for the best part of a year, and which was originally fomented by William M‘Cann Neilson, has been decided in the plaintiff H ill’s favour. Sarah Althon Hill was declared by Judge Sullivan the lawful wife of William S. Sharon, and as such entitled to a decree and to one half his property. Three days ago Judge Heard in decided against Sharon in a suit for 200,000d0l brought by the Odd Fellows’ Bank, growing out of Ralston's Transactions. Sharon was held responsible for the money. Ho was also ordered to make an account of his management of the estate of the deceased Ralston. In Hill’s case betting was lively amongst members of the bar that the plaintiff would lose the case.

At trial of Captain Dudley and the mate of the Mignonette the courtroom was crowded. The scene during the pronouncing of sentence was most impressive. The Lord Chief Justice read’the judgment of the Court, citing authorities .at length. The Court declared that taking human life could only be justified on a plea of self defence. The commission of murder for the sake of preserving one’s owu life was unjustifiable. Of course it was a duty to preserve one’s owu life,but duty often required one not to save but to sacrifice bis own life. The Court must apply the law, and declare that the prisoners were guilty of murder for which their was no justification, if judgment was too severe, the Court mus . leave the prisoners to the clemency of the Crown. The prisoners were asked what they had to say before sentence was pronounced. Both Dudley aud Stevens pleaded for mercy in view of their terrible situation when the deed was done. Lord Coleridge said it was the jury’s priviledge to recommend the prisoners to mercy, and then he sentenced them to be hanged, but without tbe black cap.. The, Secretary of State for Homo DepartmentJins advised tbe Queen to respite Dudley and his mate, and the sentence of the prisoners was commuted to six months, without hard labour.