San Francisco Mail Items

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 8, 30 June 1885, Page 3

San Francisco Mail Items

' (Per Zealandia si Auckland.) Dion Boucieault, D. G. Peucicault Junr, and Miss Nina. Boucicault, _and a telect company of players leave at date by steamer for Sydney. They will make a tour of the colonies. give New Zealand a round of well-known Boucicaultian Irish dramas, and also produce a brand aew play called. 'The Jil'.' Hanlan, the rower, who arrived here ky the Zealandia on the 22nd of May, reports, notwithstanding his defeats in the colonies, he made 3000 dollars as his •hare of the gate money, as he naturally would «ay for his own sake. Beach, in his opinion, is a most wonderful oarsman. A London special of the 3rd June says that the desperate condition of the Scotch land market is shown by the surprising number of estates now offered for sale in Scotland. One auctioneer alone advertised to sell en the 2nd ef June estates value*, at £2,500,000. Many Americans are in the market looking fer Scotch property. - A fire broke «ut in Margaret Pit ef Philadelphia Colliery, near Durham, at aeon oa the 3rd Jane* closed by an explosieu, and.by which twenty-twe men and boy t were killed outright. Tke ex. plosion; was followed by a rush of water in immense volumes, and the whole mine OterEowed/notwithstandinf most streni txous effortaito prevent it. A despatch from London, dated May 31, says the most encouraging feature of the agricultural outlook is favorable, the change in the weather which has come at a most opportune time, when warmth and sunshine will prbduce the best results, especially as it -had been preceded by copio** rains* The backward condition •f the crops aad discoloration of the wheat has 1 been a source of complaint, but it is now admitted that no lasting injury was done, and if the present fine weather continues, a rapid improvement in the harvest prospects is expected. Mr John Bright has written a public tetter approving the Parliamentary grant of £30,000 a year to the Princess Beatrice as a dowry. Mr Bright «ays he i* astonished to see Liberals object to so small a grant, whilstjsilent concerning the extravagance of the Government over unjust wars. The Pope had a two hours' conference with the Irish bishops at tho Vatican on the SSth May, during, which he. lectured them strongly in regard to their animosity to England. Archbishop Croke returned to Dublin from Borne on the 3rd Juno. He deprecated any. political manifestation. Lord Garmojiff, now Earl Cairns, assumed his. place in the House of Lords on the 6th June. The London police were informed on the 15th June that two dynamiters had arrived t* England from the United States. „ . . It is said that Cunningham, the dynamiter, has shown signs of insanity since ibis confinement in Chatham prison. A report is published in London te the effect that Alfred Ayl ward, notorious in eoanecVion with the Beer rebellion, was one of the. leading spirits in fornienting the half breed rebellion, of which Kiel was oalf the figuro head. Colonel Patrick Stewart and the engineer officers who accompanied him to Herat reported the ratrit of their inspection on the 26th of May They found the fortifications wholly indefeasible with the present armament. The place, however, could be' made impregnable, owing to its. natural position, by the

erection of a new series of forts, equipped with modern artillery. They strongly recommended the immediate construction. •f these works, but are dwbtfal if the Ameer will agree to th^ outlf y .