NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 10, 11 June 1874, Page 3

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

GENERAL SUMMARY.

[From the “Argus.”] London, April 17

Papers relating to kidnapping in the South Seas have been promised on the motion of the Earl of Belmore. The Earl of Carnarvon declined to produce the despatch containing the instructions given to the special commissioners at Fiji ; the Government has received abundant proof of the continuous nature of the detestable traffic, though the recent act had produced some good results. The consideration of the question of annexation must stand over till the presentation of the commissioner’s report. If the Government adopted the annexation policy, the Earl of Carnarvon thought they should first establish a Crown colony. A telegram has since been received announcing the cession of the islands to Great Britain. With a few exceptions, all sections of the press express satisfaction at this prospective settlement of the Polynesian question. The s.s. Iberia, 4800 tons register, built at the Clyde, has been purchased for the new line from Liverpool to Melbourne via the Cape. The sister ship Liguria is approaching completion, and is intended for the same service.

The recent serious disasters to steamships, especially those eastward bound, have compelled marine insurance offices to advance their rates.

The Queen and the Royal family spent Easter at Osborne, where Prince Leopold passed his 21st birthday. The text of the treaty between Her Majesty the Queen and the Czar on the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh has been made public. The Duchess is to enjoy perfect liberty of worship, according to Greek or English Church. The children of the marriage are to be brought up as Protestants. The Czar richly endowers his daughter. The Duke and Duchess are separately answerable for their respective debts.

Parliament adjourned on March 31st for the Easter recess, and reassembled last Monday. Pending the exposition of the budget, votes were taken on account of the army, navy, and civil service. The estimates presented are necessarily those of the late Government, The array estimates amount to £14,'185,300, an increase of £69,200 ; the navy estimates to £10,179,485, an increase of £279,760; and the civil service to £18,800,661, a decrease of £234,456. The revenue returns for the year arc £77,335,657, the budget estimate for the year being £73,762,000. The East Indian Loan Dill, giving authority to raise £10,000,000, has passed both Houses.

Sir Chas. W. Dilke’s motion to extend the hours of polling at elections from 4 to 8 o’clock, was rejected by 201 votes to 126. The income-tax question has been discussed. Many speakers preferred some modification of the tax to its total abolition.

The first batch of papers on the Bengal famine have been published. Severe strictures arc passed upon the editing. Earl Delawarr has moved the appointment of a Eoyal Commission to inquire into the working of the railways, and the best means of preventing accidents,

Three new extradition treaties, with Sweden, Austria, and Brazil, have been recently concluded.

A betting bill for Scotland has been read a second time.

The Army estimates were all voted, after a discussion on army organisation. The Chancellor of the Exchequer last night made his financial statement to a crowded house, and he confirmed Mr Gladstone’s estimate of the surplus, which amounts to six millions, by including the interest on loans advanced by the Exchequer. Of this half million of interest will be applied to the purchase of seven millions of terminable annuities ; the relief of local taxation, for the maintenance of police and lunatics, will absord over £1,000,000 ; the remission of Id of the income tax, £1,540,000 ; the abolition of sugar duties, £2,000,000 ; and of the duty on horses, £480,000, leaving £402,000 in hand.

General Ignatielt is expected to appointed Russian Ambassador in London.

Archbishop Manning will be created a cardinal at the next Papal consistory. Captain Hosier, the “ Times” military correspondent in the Prusso-Austrian war, has has been appointed secretary to Lloyds. In the action against Mr Plimsoll for alleged libel, published at Christmas in “ Ship Ahoy,” the verdict was given for defendant. Mr Plimsoll received a hearty welcome at Liverpool, and an address was presented on his arrival, from various trades connected with the shipping interest. A largely-attended soiree has been held at the Cannon 'street Hotel to welcome Mr Henry Richard, M.P., on his return from a continental tour undertaken to gauge the popular feeling on the question of international arbitration. Mr Mundella presided. Our volunteers have received an invitation from France to cross the Channel aud compete for prizes at a rifle contest during Whitsun week.

The South Kensington Exhibition was opened to the public on Easter Monday. The special exhibits for the present year will be fine arts, manufactures, recent scientific inventions, and new discoveries. Many departments are still quite naked. The wine vaults will be opened on May Ist. Mr Disraeli declined to receive a deputation seeking the release of the Fenian prisoners.

Pullman’s palace cars are now running on the Midland Railway, and are the talk of London.

The labor crisis increases daily in intensity. The decreased consumption of coal and iron prompting everywhere a reduction of wages in all great collieries, and mining districts, employers are lowering them from 10 to 25 per cent. In some cases the men reluctantly submit to the inevitable; in others they have struck, and in several instances temporary compromises have been effected. In Scotland, threefourths of the furnaces are damped down, and manufacturing will only be resumed at 20 per ceut further reduction. In the Cleveland district, a similar reduction is insisted upon by the masters. In South Staffordshire, 15,000 men arc on strike. In the Northern division, the difference had been met by a mutual concession, but a strike of 1000 engineers will probably throw out 10,000 miners. The South Wales miners have submitted to 10 per cent reduction. In Somersetshire a strike has been averted by concessions. The Trades’ Union leaders generally counsel moderation. The lock-out of agricultural laborers in the Eastern counties is assuming alarming proportions. The Farmers’ Defence League has resolved to crush the Laborers’ Union. The men are asking 14s per week, and a curtailment of the working day to nine hours. About 5000 men are out. The struggle attracts the attention of the whole country, and the Government is anxiously watching its progress. Much sympathy is felt for the men, while the policy is generally pronounced cruel and suicidal. Numerous peaceful demonstrations have been held, at which the emigration agents were busy and successful. The Bishop of Manchester has published two letters pointing out the social perils of the peasant lock-out. The letters have produced an unmistakable sensation. (A telegram, dated May 22, states that a settlement was expected.)

The annual conference of the Amalgamated Traders’ Association was held last week at Manchester, Mr Hallidan presiding. In his address he reported an increase of members and a partial exhaustion of the funds.

Oa the presentation of a testimonial of £IOOO to Mr Plimsoll, he charged the London coal merchants with over-reaching during late high prices, and defended the conduct of Messrs M'Donald and Burt in accepting seats on the Royal commission of inquiry into the operation of the labor acts. Mr Roebuck was entertained at a workmen’s banquet at Sheffield, and met with an enthusiastic reception. Hia selfglorifying speech provoked the castigation of the press. A contest took place yesterday for the championship of the Thames between Sadler and Bagnall, the representatives of the Thames and the Tyne. Sadler won by sis lengths. A terrible colliery explosion has occurred in the Astley deep pit, Dunkenfleld, near Manchester. A fall of earth caused an escape of gas, which ignited. About fifty men and boys were killed. The Indian news from the famine districts continues gloomy. The Government is thoroughly arousing itself to the magnitude of the calamity. The organisation of relief is being rapidly perfected, and all European officials are laboring with untiring energy at their herculanean task. Wherever possible, native overseers have been superseded, for robbing the starving people or withholding payment for days together. Several hundred deaths are reported from disease and hunger. The area of the famine is extending. Whole villages arc abandoned by the natives, who fiock from long distances to the relief works in search of food. In some districts the emaciation and weakness of the people increased the difficulty of feeding them. In the Mudhobunee quarter 1,000,000 persons are said to be upon the relief works. In Tirhoot the distress is increasing. The transport bullocks are sick and dying, and 2800 carters have fled. Sir Richard Temple estimates that in the Patna-blagul-rore and Rajeshae division nearly four millions will require assistance for several months. There will be no lack of grain, but its transport to the perishing people strains all the resources of the Government. The mortality of children is very great. Incendiary fires have caused whole villages to be burned down and plundered. Small-pox has broken out at some of the relief works, and foot-and-mouth

disease prevails among the cattle, while, most terrible of all, water is failing in many quarters. The Mansion-house subscription has reached £IOO,OOO. Sir John Strachey succeeds Sir Wm. Mair as Governor of the North-West Provinces, and Sir Richard, Temple assumes the Lieut.* Generalship of Bengal vice Sir G. Campbell, retired from ill-health.

A treaty concluded between Yarkund and the Indian Government provides for the unrestricted trade and transit of goods at a moderate tariff, and the representation of the contracting parties at Yarkund and Calcutta.

Obituary.—Lord Rossmore, Professor MacMichael, Sir Wm Bodkin, General Sir W. H. Elliott, Horace Lloyd, Q.C. ; Sir E. H. Page Turner, Sir Wra Keith Ball, Canon Macaulay, brother of the historian; the German painter Kaulbach ; M. Beuld, Minister of the French Government ; Lady Coleridge, mother of the Lord Chief Justice ; Lady Dunfermline, the Dowager Duchess of Leeds, Lord Sussex Lennox, Lord Kilsale, Mr Higley, general manager of the London and Westminster Bank; Yon Muhler, Prussian ex-Minister of Public Instruction ; Robert Romer, actor. FRANCE. The Assembly, after having imposed numerous new taxes and endorsed a costly scheme for the fortification of Paris on a gigantic scale, has adjourned to the 6th May, Before separating they also passed a bill removing the sequestration qpon the late Emperor’s landed property, and after a warm debate, confirmed the Orleans princes in their naval and military ranks. M. Chanzy, Governor of Algeria, has declared that the province is in a state of siege in consequence of the seditious language used by the Radical papers. The Prefect of Marseilles has dissolved the Municipal Council, on the grounds of general incapacity and financial mismanagement, replacing it by a commission of 36 members. The question of the construction of a tunnel between France and England has been revived, GERMANY. The Military Bill has been the cause of discord between Parliament and Government, which atone time threatened a serioua constitutional crisis. The National Liberal party objected to the enormous military force demanded by the Government, and were still more strongly opposed to voting upwards of 400,000 men in perpetuity. They refused to surrender all constitutional control over the army. Happily, a compromise was arranged by the mutual acceptance of Herr von Benningsen’s proposal, that the peace effective be fixed at 401,650 men for seven years. The Government believe that seven years’ experience will so convince Parliament of the necessity of such a force that it will then be willingly voted perennially. The Government is determined to be found in readiness whenever the inevitable war with France occurs. The Ministry was powerfully supported in its firm attitude on the subject by influential meetings at Hamburg, Cologne, and other cities. The law making civil marriages compulsory in Prussia has been making progress through the Reichstag, in spite’ of powerful opposition. The bill for dealing with refractory priests has been approved of by the Federal Council, and has been submitted to Parliament, ITALY. Rome enjoyed a general holiday on March 23rd in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the King’s accession. A deputation, comprising 3000 persons, waited on him during the day to congratulate him; Telegrams were received from numerous European ■sovereigns. A Papal reception on the same day showed the impotence of the clerical opposition. The Pope gave an audience on the 9th to Lady Herbert, of Lea, who presented 3600 gifts from English girls. AUSTRIA. Measures have been introduced into the Lower House of the Reichrath, providing for the expulsion of the Jesuits from the empire, and all religious bodies affiliated to them. Ecclesiastical laws were adopted by the Houses of the Reichrath, which will shortly receive the Emperor s sanction. A by 32 bishops, purporting to recognise the right of the state to interfere in religious matters, has been published. Count Andrassy has prepared a reply to the Pope’s encyclical to the bishops, which will be conveyed to Rome by special messenger. The Government is fully resolved to keep the clergy in subordination to the civil powers. The Emperor contemplates a visit to Italy, and after staying at Naples, will proceed to Turin with King Victor Emanuel. The new Hungarian Ministry has been constructed. Their policy is mainly of a financial character. RUSSIA. The Russian Government will soon begin to work the coalfields at Sagalin by convict labor. INDIA AND THE EAST. Ceylon, May 9. The lion A. N. Birch has been appointed as Acting-Lieutenant Governor of Ceylon during Mr Gregory’s absence. The Hon R. T. Morgan, Queen’s advocate, is to act as Chief Justice, vice Sir Edward Creasy, who is not likely to return, in which case Mr Morgan will probably be confirmed in the appointment and knighted. Major-General Street, an officer who has seen much active service, has been appointed to succeed General Kenney in the copimand, but with a diminished staff. The Ceylon revenue for the first quarter of 1874 shows an increase of £IB,OOO, Riots, amounting to a defiance of constituted authority, have occurred among village fishermen to the eastward of Gajle, All is now quiet. The British-India Stoam Navigation Company have been unfortunate lately; Besideii losing their fine new steamer Chaldea on the Western India coast, news has come of the; stranding of the Arabia at the month of the Rangoon River. The latter is, however, expected to be got off. The Indian Budget, published under the special auspices of the Viceroy, is a moat satisfactory document. No fresh taxes are to be imposed, and yet an expenditure of oue and a half millions on the famine account is expected.