NEWS BY THE SUEZ MAIL.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1502, 9 December 1878, Page 3

NEWS BY THE SUEZ MAIL.

[By Telegraph.] [Per s.s. Hero, via Auckland.] London, October 25. The British scheme of reform in A-ia Minor has been signed and delivered to Consul Layard. Only a slight modification was made by the Porte. Great satisfaction is folt at the report of a French naval demonstration being contemplated in the Mediterranean. The report receives support from the resolution of Franco to mnite with England in preventing Russian ascendancy in the East.

Gambetta’s speech created an excellent impression by its moderate statesmanlike tome. He expects the senatorial election to ro.->ult in a Republican majority of twenty-one. On Tuesday thirty-nine persons were arrested for attempting to hold a Socialist Congress, and put on trial for holding a public meeting without permission. They were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment. The reduction in the army of Bosnia is about 80,000 men, with a corresponding reduction in expenditure. This has calmed the excitement of the Hungarians. Count A ndrassy is reported to feel sure of the support of a majority in maintaining that the occupation of Bosnia was necessary aa a bulwark against Panslavism. By a great Bank robbery two and a half million francs have been stolen from the National Bank of ‘Ancona. Three Bank employes who were arre-ted escaped. The brigands arc alarmingly active in Italy. They recently captured a rich landowner named Loran, and demanded 25.000 francs for the ransom. They also captured Signor Sarsconi, connected with the Ministry of Justice, and dragged him about the . ountry for five days owing to the ransom not being paid. He was rescued by a party of carbineers. The Pope is highly indignant with the Italian Government tor having imposed quarantine regulations on some ."'panisli pilgrims bound for Rome The Spanish Government demanded an explanation concerning the matter. The ex President of the Spanish Council was arrested on a charge of complicity in the recent Republican eonspi acy. The nnredressed murder of a Spanish official in Morocco has gre vtly incensed public opinion in Spain, which urges armed intervention, and naval preparation has been ordered. Ihe Russian Government are trying 310 Nihilists. Some have been imprisoned at Odessa since 1870

A scmi-oilicial contradiction Las been given to tbe report of an agitation throughout Russia to compel the Czar to resign. Private letters report that at present there are numerous Russian cruisers in Chinese and Japanese waters. English p 'pers call Lord Harris’s cricketing team a weak one, and not fairly representative. The Montreal Orangemen, tried for belonging to an illegal society and acquitted, brought an action against the Mayor of Montreal for false arrest.

'Hie now dominion cabinet is beaded by Mr M'Douald.

Sentences of death passed on tbe Kaffir chiefs, Meongatike and linymacomo, have been commuted.

Large finds of gold arc reported in the Transvaal.

Colonel Scratebley is gazetted with the local rank of Colonel in Australia.

The Duke of Connaught is to be married about tbe second week in February.

The Duke of Edinburgh embarked on hoard the Black Prince for Canada to welcome the Marquis of Lome on his arrival.

The betrothal of the Duke of Cumberland to the Princess Thyra is announced.

The peerage offered to Lord Odo Bussell in recognition of his services at the Berlin Congress was declined.

Erasmus Wilson and John Dixon were knighted for their services in connection with Cleopatra’s Needle.

Instead of returning to London last week, Count Schouvaloff was summoned by the Czar to Livadia, where it is believed he will replace Prince Gortscbak'ff. There is no abatement in the interest excited by the new invention for utilising the electric light. Experiments wore tried on the Thames embankment, Waterloo bridge, Billingsgate Market, and at Sh -ffield. Pour lights, equal to 8000 standard caudles, illuminated an area occupied by 30,000 persons witnessing a football match.

Reports from all parts of Ireland concur that the teunday Closing Act, which camo into operation on the 13th, was received in a favorable spirit and without opposition. The breach among the Home Rulers is widening Ire and tiring of the agitation, and the loaders admitting the want of popular sympathy, convened a meeting in Dublin to adopt some course for its remedy. Proceedings have been taken by the Board of Trade against the first mate of the Princess Alice and three officers of the Bywcll Castle. Reductions of wages arc reported in various industrial centres, and arc resisted in some instances by strikes.

A reduction of 7A- ])cr cent, on the Clyde came into force on tlio 12< sfc, wliich affects dO.OUO men. William Stafford, a cleric in the Liverpool branch of the Lank of England, absconded with <£15,000, and was captured m Jersey while landing from a yacht privately hired.

Sham lights were hold at Portsmouth in the presence of the Duke of Cambridge. Five thousand men were engaged, including volunteers.

The destruction of the Liverpool landing stage in 1870 by an explosion of gas, cost the Gas Company .£87,700. A memorial signed by sixty-five Armenians, residents in England and principally engage . in mercantile pursuits, was presented to Lord Salisbury, expressing satisfaction at the prospect of an English protectorate of Asia Minor. The Alma Mill, Oldham, containing 30,000 spindles, was destroyed by fire. The damage was ,£30,000. The joinery works of the Gloucester Waggon Company w.re destroyed. The loss exceeds <£20,000.

Some large warehouses at Haydon square, in the Minories, partly occupied by Brown, Gayle, Gooch, and Consens, wool warehousemen, were burnt. No Australian wool was injured. In deference to the pub'ic demand of the Metropolitan Board of Works was taking steps to remedy tiie foul condition of the Thames. The water near the sewage outfall is alleged to have been poisoned by many bodies of the Princess Alice passengers. The Afghan war excites controversies. The division of troops for the Khyhcr Pass will eon-Ist of 35 000 men. The Khan of Khyber will allow their passage. Beinforccments have been sent to Qucttah.

The principal Sikh chiefs and several princes offered contingents, which tho Viceroy accepts. The Russian Envoy, General Sloheloff, returned from Turkestan in the mid lo of September, and, accompanied by the Afghan embassy, proceeded to Livadia, where the Czar was st »yiog. Sc.era! members of the llussian mission remain at Cabul.

The Ameer’s reply lo the Viceroy’s letter was discourteous and unsatisfactory, making no

excuse for the indignity offered to England by the repulse of her mission, and generally indicating a disposition adverse to a pacific solution. All accounts from the occupied districts of Turkey repre ent Russia on attempting to evade the stipulations of the Berlin trea y. There are 80,000 Russian soldiers south of the B dkans.

Russia refuses to surrender the financ al administration of Roumeiia so long as her troops occupy the province, but promises to hand over tbc surplus after defraying all expen-es of Government, including the p y of the native mi.itia and police under Russian officers.

'I he military organisation of Bulgaria is proceeding rapidly. A detachment of militia 40,'>(»0 stro g has been formed. General Todloben is forming an army of reserve in Bulg via, with a park of artillerv. Instead of the fortre-ses of Widdin and Rustchuk being demolished they are being armed with cannon.

These and similar menacing movements, are intended to bring presssure upon tbc Turkish Government, to compel their signature to a supplementary treaty. The Sultan authorises Baker Pasha to employ 20,000 men to complete the defences of the Tcbekmedgcs.