GENERAL SUMMARY.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 77, 29 August 1874, Page 3

GENERAL SUMMARY.

London, July 10, The new colonial offices, forming additions to the'foreign office quadrangle, have been completed at a coat of £250,000. As a remarkable illustration of the large trade between this country and, Australia, it is mentioned that seventeen vessels arrived at Gravesend from the Antipodes on June •25th. Eight were from New Zealand, four from Adelaide, two from Melbourne, two from Sydney, and one from Brisbane. The Otago, Cathcart, Oxford, and Tweed, have sailed for New Zealand with about 400 emigrants each. Mr Edward Jenkins, Agent-General for Canada, has called attention in the House of Commons to the. unsatisfactory method of determihin'g the constitutionality of. Acts transmitted tb’/the Colonial Office for the Queen’s approval, and complained especially of an Act passed in Canada in 1873, being disallowed by'telegraph. He finished by saying that such conduct might some day lead to a' serious collision between the colonies, and the Mother Country. Mr Lowther deprecated the idea that Mr Jenkins,represented, Canada on the question. No representation had been made to the Colonial Office on the subject; and as to the conduct of such matters by the Government, they would always aim at securing the confidence of the colonies in the management of their affairs in this country. The Isle of Wight will this summer be honored by the presence of Imperial visitors. The 'Crown Prince and Princess of Germany are staying at Sandown, and the Empress of Austria will reside incognito at Ventnor. The Metropolitan Hospital Sunday Contributions amounted to about £30,000. "Grave dissensions exist regarding the corapletiob of St. Paul’s Cathedral. The executive committee has entrusted the work to Mr Burgess, who proposes a style of ornamentation foreign to* Sir Christopher Wren’s plans. The Fine Arts Committee remonstrate, and utter strong protests against this violation of good faith. A Frenchman named Degoof succeeded in descending safely from a balloon by means of a flying-machine. He went up from Cremorue Gardens, passed over the city, and descended near Brandon, Essex. In a second ascent last night Degoof was killed, owing to the failure of his plans. A duel between two Englishmen, one of whom was a member of Parliament, arising from a love dispute, was arranged to come off at Ostend, but the combatants were arrested on board a steamer at Dover by the authority of the Speaker of the House of Commons. The Rev Mr Maconochic has appeared before the Court of Arches, and put in a document virtually refusing to acknowledge the jurisdiction of the Court in matters spiritual. The summer manoeuvres at Aldershot have elicited warm commendations from military judges. Some of the militia regiments present equalled the regular troops in the precision of their evolutions. A sham fight took place in the presence of the Queen. During the past fortnight there has been a march.of agricultural laborers through the Eastern and Midland counties, beginning at Cambridge. The men wore blue ribbons, and some carried flags. Speeches were made in every town, and collections made. Much public sympathy was evinced and generous hospitality was given the shape of substantial meals, beds, &c. Mr Henry Taylor, secretary of the Union, acts as leader. A monster meeting of the Manchester Trades’ Unionists was held in favour of the labourers. There were 25,000 in processions, with 40 bands of music, and altogether 50,000 were present. Mr Arch was the principal spokesman. A collection was made of £197. Several cases of intimidation and assault have been charged against the Unionists. Seven women were fined 10s each for assaulting non-union laborers near Bury. At Haverhall eleven laborers have been committed for trial for conspiring to intimidate. At a farmers’ meeting at Newmarket it was announced that 5.000 men were anxious to return from Canada, and one farmer undertook to raise sufficient money to bring over sufficient men to supply the needs of the district. On June 14, fourteen horses ran for the Grand Prix do Paris. The weather“j|was superb, and the crowds were enormous. Trent’s victory excited astonishment, and he was not cheered. At the Inter-Uni versify Cricket Match Oxford was victorious, In two innings Cambridge obtained only 178 runs, while Oxford in one innings scored 265, The revenue returns for the quarter excite some uneasiness. The receipts to June 30th were £17,672,521, being £8593 less than last year. The Queen returned to Windsor from Balmoral on the 23rd Juno, and is now staying at Claremont. The latest news from the Indian famine districts is cheering. Plentiful rains have fallen, the laborers on the relief works are decreasing daily, seed corn is abundant, and the Government grain reserves will suffice until December. The Mansion-house Relief Fund exceeds £122,000.

Mr Gross’s Licensing Bill for amending the Act of 1872 passed the second reading in the Commons by 328 votes to 39. Sir Wilfred Lawson moved its rejection. Mr Goschen, in a sarcastic speech, recommended its contemptuous acceptance. The Bill has since passed the Lords. The India r Council Bill has passed the House of Lords. One .important feature in it is the appointment of a responsible Minister of Public Works. Lord Sandhurst wrote to the Times, complaining that the Bill had been smuggled through the House without adequate discussion, and alleging that he in consequence had been unable to oppose certain clauses. Lord Sandhurst was severely rebuked in the House by Lord Salisbury, who emphatically repudiated the charges. Several loading weekly papers have utilised this incident by denouncing the had system of reporting Parliamentary proceedings into which our dailies have lapsed. The Bill being objected to in India, Mr Fawcett will move in the House of Commons for its postponement until the correspondence between the Home and Indian Governments has been published? Dr Lyon Playfair asked for a select committee to consider how Ministerial arrangements may be made more efficient in the administration of votes for education, science, and art. He pointed out anomalies and inr conveniences in the present state of things, and suggested the appointment of a M inister of Education. The motion was supported byr Mr Forster, and Sir John Lubbock, but was opposed,by Mr Disraeli and Mr Lowe. On Friday last Mr Bailie Cochrane moved a resolution to the effect, “That our commerce being deeply interested in the unintep rupted' navigation of the Suez Canal, it is desirable that the British Government should at once give in its adhesion to the judicial reforms in Egypt approved by the European Powers by which the better administration of justice and the settlement of disputes will be secured.”