MISCELLANEOUS.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 307, 7 June 1875, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS.

An alarming fire broke out early on April 13th r on the Pacific Steam Navigation ComSany’s steamship John Elder, lying in the lorpeth Dock, Birkenhead, The fire is supposed to have originated in the cowhouse on the main deck, and owing to the small numbers of persons on board and some delay in getting the hose to work, the flames soon obtained a mastery, and the main deck was completely gutted from forward to some distance past amidships. The officers’ rooms on deck and some of the boats, with the bridges and other fittings, were destroyed. The fire was extinguished by eight o’clock, by which time the cabins of the vessel were burnt, but it is expected that the hull and engine will not prove seriously damaged, One of the huge iron masts fell over into the dock about 4 p.m., but the Steamer being fastened with strong chains to the dock side was kept in an upright position. It was at one time feared that the fire would extend to other vessels near the John Elder, and also to the sheds, which were filled with valuable produce, but by the exertions of the dock and fire police these disasters weie averted. The greater part of the John Elder’s cargo had been discharged, so that the damage is solely confined to the vessel. The steamer was insured in the company’s

books for £95,000, and the damage is estimated at from £25,000 to £35,000. A despatch from Buenos Ayres reports that the Jesuit College there was assailed by a mob estimated to number from ten to thirty thousand, the building set on fire with petroleum, some of the priests killed, and others wounded. The mob also sacked the archbishop’s palace, having taken offence at a pastoral published a few days before. The Government sent troops to protect the Government House and the convents, and several arrests were made. The National Government, in view of the critical position of affairs, has declared the province to be in a state of siege for thirty days, and proposes to take immediate steps for the prosecution of all parties implicated in the outrage The motives of the rioters were anti-Ultra-montane.

Several fires have occurred, Messrs Cogswell’s cloth manufactory at Trowbridge was destroyed, damage £10,000; and the Wellington Cotton Mills at Brighouse, damage £IO,OOO. The Lunatic Asylum at Nice has been burnt, with the loss of three lives. The extensive premises of Messrs Llewellyn and James, brassfounders, Bristol, have been burnt, damage £25,000; the North Eastern Railway Waggon Works were consumed, the damage being £IO,OOO.

Seven men were tried at the Central Criminal Court for participation in a prizefight on Hackney Marshes, which resulted in the death of one of the combatants. All the prisoners were found guilty, but Mr Justice Brett sentenced none to more than a week’s imprisonment.

A miners’ conference has been held at Swansea under the presidency of Mr Halliday. A national federation of employes and arbitration for the settlement of disputes were the chief points discussed. A co-operative congress attended by 200 delegates, under the presidency of Professor Rogers, has been held in London. Mr Thomas Hughes took a prominent part.

The Otago Guardian publishes the followirg items; — Sir James Fergusson has delivered at Ayr, in Scotland, a very complimentary address upon New Zealand as a cslony for immigration, its public works policy, and its present position. He said he expected that New Zealand would attract a population larger than most other countries in proportion to its size, as it was fitted in every respect as a home for a wealthy, prosperous race. For the last twenty-three years New Zealand had enjoyed a Constitution and two Houses of Parliament. It had this peculiar feature, however, that the good of the country was divided into provinces, each having its own local Government. As a favorable sample of the management of the colony, he pointed to the truly magnificent works they had executed, and the most enlightened arrangements in regard to public schools, both upper class and primary, which were sufficient for the whole population. He was astonished when he came home to find doubts expressed as to the solvency of the cokmy and the wisdom of its policy. One of the members of the present Government had inaugurated what was called a “Public works and immigration policy.” The true way to render wars impossible, and to subdue the country, was to open it up, and accordingly it was resolved to spend £10,000,000 on public works and imraigation; £1,000,000 on immigration; £6,000,000 on railways—and the remainder on public works of various kinds. ‘He could not help alluding, before closing, to the system of dividing the country into provinces. Now that his lips were no longer sealed by office, he was free to confess that provincialism had had its day, and that the greatest measure of economy, and consequently improvement of the Government of New Zealand, would be the abolition of all those petty Parliaments.’ ” Sir James concluded by expressing his approval of the policy pursued by the Government, and hoped they would go on with courage and confidence. At a meeting of the Executive Council of the National Agricultural Laborers’ Union, a very long report was read from Mr C. Holloway, on the subject of his recent visit to New Zealand. He referred in most complimentary terms to the treatment he had received in New Zealand, and gave it as his opinion that all emigrants who go out to this fine colony with the intention of working their way upwards, can find ready employment at good wages. He says—“ This is evident to all in the immense numbers of letters which reach our shores by every mail, giving glowing and encouraging accounts of the success that attends their industrious efforts in their newly adopted country. New Zealand is no country for the idle, improvident, and dissolute. They had better stay at home. Men do not pick up gold in the streets in the colony, and they never will do so. Men, who in their own country have fallen out with work, and are too fond of their drops, had better not emigrate to New Zealand; but for the energetic, pushing, self-reliant, and persevering man, there is no lack of employment. Good, hard work, too ; but the men out there have something to keep them up.” On the subject of the land laws he said : “ My opinion is, that while it is well to make arrangements, if possible, in any of the colonies for special settlement, yet if the subject were but carefully considered, the more preferable system is Jfor our efficient farm laborers to go out and work their way upwards say, work for some employer for a year or two, thus acquiring a knowledge of colonial life, which would be of infinite advantage to them in after life ; and when they are in a position tp take up land, they will find no difficulty in suiting themselves in the colony of New Zealand,”

The alarm created in Germany by the announcement that the French were buying horses there, would seem to have a counterpart in France, for a correspondent writes to the Journal du Same to assert that certain suspicious looking foreigners are buying horses in Normandy at great prices, which is most suspicions to all French eyes. It would be curious if the French Government were to follow the example of Prince Bismarck, and in its turn forbid the exportation of horses.

Serjeant Ballantyne has been received with immense enthusiasm throughout India by the natives. He was surrounded with perfume and adorned with garlands. The conversion of United Catholics to the orthodox Greek Church continues upon a large scale in Poland. The Spanish official Gazette announces that all thejeigar shops in Havannah will be closed on the 31st instant, and that the State will take over all those which exist, and will indemnify the proprietors. A German paper states that at a given moment a number of German troops, which hitherto has numbered at the most only

1,329,600 men, may be brought up to 1,600,000 men, in consequence of the formation of a fourth battalion in cases of mobilisation or war. The same paper states that the French army, which numbers only 1,009,400 men, may eventually be raised to the same number as the German army by drafting into it the whole newly-created territorial army. To complete this calculation, it may be added that the territorial army exists only on paper, and that a long time will elapse before it exists anywhere else.