BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Evening Star, Issue 3757, 9 March 1875, Page 2

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

ARRIVAL OF THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL. Auckland, March 8. The Cyphrenes has arrived with the English and American malls. She left San Francisco on February 7at eleven o’clock. The voyage was uneventful. New Zealand passengers : Mr Andrews, mail agent, and fourteen in the steerage. EUROPEAN SUMMARY. Archbishop Manning has written a pamphlet replying to Mr Gladstone’s Expostulation. He contradicts the statement that the Vatican decrees have estranged the civil allegiance of Catholics. The (Ecumenical Council has not touched the relations of Church and State; its decrees were merely on matters of faith. As to the supposition that the Pope might attempt to depose Queen Victoria, he says the Queen has wholly withdrawn from the Catholic Church, and every condition is absent to render deposition justifiable. The Archbishop declares that the European Powers have entered into a conspiracy against the Church to their own perdition, and condemns the pamphlet as en eouraging heresy. Six thousand shipwrights are on strike at Newcastle-on-Tyne. The coal miners’ lock-out in South Wales has began, and one hundred aud twenty thousand men are idle. The British steamer Bride, from Alexandria for Hull, was lost, and twenty of her crew and passengers drowned. Dr Newman has issued ten chapters of his answer to Gladstone’s pamphlet. He declares the premises uncharitable, and that the conclu sion is untrustworthy. He sees uo inconsistency in being a good Catholic and a good Englishman, but draws a distinction between spiritual and secular allegiance. Infallibility is declared a matter of faith in thought and not in actions. There is only one oracle, GodV Holy Church, with the Pope the head. A. tremendous gas explosion has occurred a+ Birmingham. It is believed that the sinkin. of the earth, caused by the leakage of the water mains, led to the (tearing away of tht service-pipes from the Birmingham and Staf fordshire gas mains. The gas collected in the cavity and in a sewer, and was ignited by a match or fusee thrown in. It exploded ami left a chasm 25ft long by Bft deep in the street Other explosions followed, che principal on* doing great damage. Many houses and shops near were severely shaken, and four or five persons were injured. The Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath has been offered to Carlyle, and Tennyson is to be made a baronet. The Committee of Relief at Constantinople for the famine-stricken people at Asia Minor request the English and American Press to let it be known that the funds are exhausted and the distress increasing. They state it will be necessary to aid several thousand persons until next June. News from Madrid states that King Alphonse assumes the command of the army in the north. Efforts are being made for the relief of Capurma. The King declares in favor of religious liberty. The merchants of Madrid presented a beautiful crown to Alphonse. The Carlists deny that the Gustave was fired upon It is believed that steps will be taken by Germany to lead a vigorous action on the part of the Spanish navy against the Carlist position on the Guipaycoan Coast. Negotiations with the Madrid Government are not progressing favorably. The Admiralty ordered three corvettes and three gur-boats to the Carlist part of the Spanish Coast. This makes eight of the German fleet in the Bay of Biscay. The Spanish Government paid the money indemnity. A collision between Turkey and Montenegro is feared. Russia and Austria both warned the Hospodar of Montenegro, that if he declares war he does so on his own responsibility. The ‘ Journal de St. Petersburg’ has an article favoring Montenegro against Turkey. Russia has recognised Alphonso as King of Spain. _ The imprisonment of Dr Pigott, an Englishman, at Aspinwall, has caused a disturbance. A man of-war was ordered thither to support the British Consul, who has been assaulted.

The ‘ New York World’ gives some results of calculations based upon the observations of the transit of Venus. It seems that the distance of the earth from the sun is now estimated at 88,44-3,726 mßes, or three or four millions closer than at the last computations. In the same ratio, in fourteen hundred ’and forty years, the earth will fall into the sun, or, as the motion probably accelerates, in less time. At Frankfort on the Maine, the police closed all the social democratic workmen’s societies and trades unions. Nine new Cardinals will be appointed at Rome. It is expected that Archbishop Manning will be one, and two or three Americans also. Despatches at Madrid, received at the beginning of February, state that eight battalions of Carlists met and charged Alphonso’s troops at Orleans, and were repulsed with great loss. Massacres of National troops are rumored. The Carlists deny holding any negotiations with Don Alphonso. On Prince Chun being proclaimed Emperor of, China, the wife of the late Emperor committed suicide. . lo Paris an Act has been drafted authorising a Government concession for the construction of a submarine tunnel between France and England. Copies of the Act were distributed among members of the Assembly. San Feancisco, February 7. A tremendous fall in Californian mining stock, unduly inflated by the Bonanza find, has occurred. Thousands are ruffled, including many women who had mortgaged their homesteads in order to invest in the mines, and heart rending scenes occurred in the upcountry cities as telegrams announcing the fall were received. Great floods Maryville. The water reached the roofs of the houses. There was serious destruction of property, but few lives were lost; and heavy snow-storms in various parts of the United States, doing damage. In Canada an avalanche fell on the houses, burying six persons. At Quebec a large rock fell on some houses, and eight persons were taken out of the ruins. An armed mob attacked the Protestant Church iu the city af Mexico. The minister escaped on board an American man-of-war, The Commandant of the castle charged the mob, and four Mexicans and one American were killed. De Lesseps writes favoring an inter-ocean canal by the Nicaragua route. The magnificent steamship Payta, 2,000 tons register, has been wrecked by striking a sunken rook in Manata Harbor. All the passengers were saved. The Insane Asylum at Beaufort, Canada, has been burned. The bodies of eight lunatics were found among the ruins. The American ship St. Nicholas, coal laden, reached Calun after a fire had been burning seven days in her hold. She was scuttled to extinguish it. THE BEECHER-TILTON SCANDAL. The Beecher case still occupies a large amount of attention. In the suit brought by Tilton against Beecher, Tilton deposed “ On the 30th December, 1870, I had an interview with Beecher. Moulton brought Beecher and retired, I did not salute Beecher, or he me I crossed the room, locked the door, walked back, and sat opposite Beecher, beginning this way ; ‘ I presume you read from town a letter demanding your retirement from your pulpit fr 9“ Brooklyn.’ He answered, ‘T did. V He said Elizabeth desired his thanks, not me, and he said he understood the object of this interonly in general terms, and asked me to tell him what Bowen said. I told him it would be better to go down himself. I told him Bowen had said he was intimate with members of his congregation for twenty-five years, that he was not a safe man, and that he had rained families ; that he was a wolf in the fold, and should be extirpated, and that Bowen had said he had it in his power to drive Beecher out of Brooklyn in twelve hours. I told him that after I had this interview with Bowen I told my wife who was distressed, and. reminded me of what I said in the previous summer—that I would not break my promise and hurt Beecher for

that. If he was driven from Brooklyn, it would be her shame and that of her children. Beecher asked me what I meant by her shame, and I replied to him, “Elizabeth’s letter of con* fession.” This confession was destroyed by Elizabeth two years afterwards, and the copy was also destroyed. Witness then told Beecher of his wife’s voluntary confession to him that she had had sexual intercourse with Beecher; that she was persuaded by his assurance that it was innocent. She told witness that for a long time Beecher’s home had not been a happy one ; that his wife not being a satisfactory one he had asked her (Elizabeth) to be a wife to him; that Beecher’s solicitations to her were at times violent. She came down from the country on purpose to make a confession. He also told Beecher of the efforts of hire Tilton to bring them (witness and Beecher) together and have a reconciliation. Tilton said that at the close of his statement to Beecher he (witness) waited a moment, and Beecher’s face and neck were blood red. Witness went to the door, unlocked it, and said, ‘You are free to go.’ Beecher appeared not to hear him, and acted as if in a dream. Witness repeated what he had said, and Beecher arose and walked to the door, but came back and asked. ‘ May I go for the last time to see Elizabeth?’ Tilton said ‘No,’and then ‘Yes,’ and aaid to Beecher, ‘Don’t chide her. If you smite her with a word, I will smite you in a tenfold degree. I did not smite you when I had the power, for my wife’s sake; but if you chide her by a word, I will smite your name oefore the world.’ Beecher put both hands to his head, aud said, ‘lc is all out.’ Beecher went downstairs with his hands to his head. Moulton was at the foot of the stairs. Witness asked Moulton if he had seen Elizabeth’s confession. Moulton answered ‘Yes.’ Beecher said, ‘Sins will kill me.’ Moulton and he rhereupon went into the parlor.”- ‘Daily Times.’ {From our own Correspondent.) The Lord Chamberlain has closed the St, James’s Theatre for indecent dances, andis proceeding vigorously against others. Bishop Selwyn has been speaking against cremation.

The Grand Duke Alexis of Russia has started on an Australian tour in the frigate S wetland, He is expected to visit New Zealand. Don Alphonso, the new Spanish King, studied the military profession in England. The weather during the last ten days in December and the first week in January was very severe in North Britain. In several places railway communication was entirely stopped, and the streets of London were covered several inches deep with snow. All the ornamental waters were frozen over. The Rev. W. C. Harris, M.A., some time Principal of Christ’s College, Christchurch, New has been selected out of fifty-four-candidates as head master of the Wimborne Minster Grammar School. Wellington, March 8. Mr Edward Butts, Chi?f Postmaster here, will, it is stated, be the mail agent in charge of the next outward San Francisco mail. The Maoris who were ejected from the Bayley property have made a proposal to the Government to refer the matter in dispute to arbitration, but the Government declined to enter into such an arrangement. The Natives have therefore decided to let the matter stand over till the Pakeha meeting, which takes place on the 29th, when they .say they will be guided by what Te Whiti advised, and it is understood that he will tell them they have acted very foolishly. L4O worth of promissory notes and stamps went astray somehow out of a Government ?arcel while on the way between Taranaki and Wellington. An inquiry is being held into the matter. It is understood that Mr Fox supports, Mr Watt’s candidature for the Rangitikei district, and that Mr Watt is pledged to support the abolition of Provinces and support the.f emissive Bill. . March 9. A writ for the election of si member of the House of Representatives for Auckland City West, in the room of Mr T. B. Gillies, resigned, was issued yesterday by Mr G. S. Cooper, clerk of writs. The New Zealand University have resolved that the fixing of academy degrees be left to the respective affiliated colleges. That Mr A. W. Williamson be admitted to the degree of a B. A. That an additional annual sum of LSOO, making a total of L 1,500, be devoted to scholarships. That the examinations be held as soon as possible after April 30, and that twelve scholarships be offered for competition during the current year; last year’s schedule to be the schedule for 1875. * Auckland, March 8, Mr Dargaville has issued an address stating that in consequence of the new and favorable light thrown on Sir George Grey’s views by the publishing of his address, and the fact that his views coincided so closely with his (Dargaville’s) own, he has decided to withdraw from the candidature for the Superintendency. Hokitika, March 8. Connelly and party applied to the Warden for a prospecting claim for new ground discovered by them in the vicinity of Han Hau, about four miles from Hokitika, which the Warden granted. The prospectors state that they have been prospecting for a month. They sank a shaft over forty feet deep, and struck wash-dirt 7ft thick, with gold throughout, which yielded one pennyweight of gold for seven dishfulls. This is considered a very good yield, and the ground has been rushed by a large number of diggers. It will be a week or so before the value of adjoining claims is known. The prospectors are sanguine of the discovery being a new lead. ‘ Grahasistown, March 8. Correspondence from Ohinemuri reports that little work is doing, and that there is great dissatisfaction amongst those on t}ie field. A meeting was held to-day, and turbulent spirits talk of shaving somebody. . The fact appears to be that a great deal more was expected of the prospecters, and as the latter are exti’emely reticent until the difficulty in connection with their claim is settled, very little work is done. The opinion of the experienced seems to be that the country is well deserving of a thorough prospecting, gold having been found at three different points nearly or quite ten miles apart. The general impression is one of dissatisfaction. Only persons who are prepared to spend time and money in prospecting should come here. A good sample of alluvial gold was shown today from Waikaia, near Cape Colville. It appears that a party of miners have been working in that district for over two years. A memorial to the Government, asking that Mr Mackay’s resignation be not accepted, is being numerously signed. Mr Mackay was also asked to contest the Superintendeucy, but replied that he was opposed to Provincialism. What was supposed to bo a fine specimen chipped off the outcrop of a reef was found on Friday last, but when sent down to the Thames, and proved, it was found to be muudic. {From our own Correspondents.) Christchurch, March 9. The Rev. Charles Clark openjd last night to a crowded house, andh's lecture on “Dickens ” was most enthusiastically received. Oamaru, March 9. MrW. J. Steward, M.H.R., was returned unopposed to day for Oamaru Country district in the Provincial Council. Wellington, March 9. Dr Buffer has just bought between 5,000 and 6,000 acres of land in the Pare Ravetu block from the Provincial Government at an upset price averaging about LI per acre. It is sup--1 osed the purchase is on behalf of English investors. The land sales foi the year have already exceeded the estimate IMPORTANT GOLD DISCOVERY. (From our own Correspondent.) Arrow, March 9. ~“,. < l uartz reef haa been discovered at the dividing range, Shotover and Arrow, between M‘Kv GU r y 12 -“ Ue ’ Hall;and M Nulty. Good specimens of quartz notjehowmg gold assay two and, a-half ounces 'to the ton. A prospecting claim has been applied for.