GENERAL CABLES.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 394, 19 April 1902, Page 1

GENERAL CABLES.

By telegraph—Press AssociationCopyright,

LONDON. .April 17.—Letters from Russia reveal a deep-rooted -movement against autocratic Government. The Army is disaffected, and the troops refused to fire upon strikers at St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Tula. The Czar is inclined to moderation.

It is reported that M. Pobiedonostgeff and other members of the Council of Ministers of the Empire prevent the Czar from realising the desperate condition of ~tiie country. The Bishop of Peterborough is conscious, and is progressing satlsfac, torily.

Further lighting between the Russians and eight hundred Chinese rebels occurred between Mukden and Kirin. Only thirty robbers escaped. Mr William Waldorf Astor has given £20,000 to endow a professorship at the University College of London. Nine counties in Ireland and the boroughs of Cork and Waterford, where the Irish League is active, have been proclaimed tinder the Crimes Act,

An Imperial loan of Ihrity-two millions has been issued at >134. Sixteen millions are offered to public subscription. The Rothschilds, Barings, and Pierpont Morgan’s Company take the balance. The loan is expected to he covered twenty-fold. It closes on or before April 21, HAGUE. 'April 17.—Queen Wilhelmina is conlined to her bed. A bullet.n stales she is suffering from general illness, with an increased temperac ‘.:e, The newspapers allege peritonitis. ’• OTTAWA. April 17.—A movement i.s afoot in Canada to instruct the delegates at the forthcoming Imperial Runl'erence in London to secure the cxemp i on of colonial foodstuffs from imperial taxation.

SYDNEY. April 18,—Scott, Fell and Co., of Syuney, have secured an Admiralty contract for the carriage of 44,din)' tons of Westport coal to Hoag Kong. The s.s. Charterhouse, now loading in New Zealand, takes the first cargo. A Herald correspondent suggests the federation of British posses rums in the Southern Pacific with cube Commonwealth as a solution of the colored labor question, and as a mei.iod of satisfying the sugar-plan tars, who could transfer their operations to Islands’ produce, .which would Lave .to he admitted tree. MELBOURNE. April 18.—The Parliamentary Reform Committee subsequently altered its resolution in favor of a reduction in salaries to read that the salaries of Ministers and members he substantially reduced, members being paid in accordance with their attendance, witli travelling expenses added. Another resolution asked the Prem-er to call Parliament together to give effect to the resolutions. •s In the Federal House Mr Barton gave .an assurance that mere was nothing in the report giden currency to in the French Parliament that Great Britain had agreed to allow the French annexation of the New Hebrides in exchange for the cessation of convict transportation io New Caledonia.

The Tariff Committee reduced the duty on methylated spirits to one shilling a gallon, and placed ten per cent, duty on bags and sacks not, elsewhere included, 5 per cent on tents tarpaulins, sails, and flags, and 15 per ccutf on gas, oil, high-speed, and turbine engines. A proposal to reduce the duty on bananas was negatived.

Mr Drake lias received a cable from the New Zealand Government declining to accept a lower scale ol rates for the New Zealand-Aus'r.ra'.an section of the Paciiic cable' than are at present charged by the Eastern Extension Company. Mr Barton will probably interview Mr Seddon at Sydney on the matter. Mr Drake intends to appoint a Commonwealth delegate to tlic Pacific Cable Board vice Sir Andrew Clarke to waten Australian interests.