ARRIVAL OF THE RANGATIRA, WITH THE ENGLISH MAIL VIA SUEZ.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 815, 22 August 1870, Page 3

ARRIVAL OF THE RANGATIRA, WITH THE ENGLISH MAIL VIA SUEZ.

I The HawkeV Bay portion of the English June Mail, via Suez, came to hand pen Rangatira early on Friday morning. S'jch of the news as we have room for will be found below. Mail dates are to June 17; by telegraph, July 13. [BY MAIL/] It is stated that the arrangements in connection with the loan of £1,000,000 to JSTew Zealand will be based upon the principle of a sinking fund. ; There has been a decidedly better feeling with regard to New Zealand flax, and ; considerable parcels have been cleared off ' by private and public sale during the ' month.

The London Colonial wool sales commenced on June 16. The attendance was large, and, so far as can bo judged from a first prospects seem favorable. It appears from an announcement made by Mr Balme, the presiding broker on this occasion, that the next series of wool sales will not be held till October 27.

A scheme of emigration on a large scale, on the scheme ol co-operative societies, baa been advocated in the interests of New Zealand and Australia.

Fpon the receipt of the news of the brilliant achievements of Kemp and Elo pata, the Times took occasion to justify its remarks upon Lord Granville's colonial policy. A writer in the European Mail for South Africa has drawn a comparison between Nevf Zealand and the Cape of Good Eope, which is very much in favor of the former.

J. E. Fitzgerald, Esq., formerly chief member of the Executive Government of JSlew Zealand, and now Comptroller of the Colonial Exchequer in that colony, has been gazetted an Ordinary Member of the Third Class, or Companions, of the Most Distinguished Older of St. Michael and St. George. The medal for service in New Zealand has been presented to several non-commis-sioned officers and men of the supply branch of the Army Service Corps at Aldershot.

The Qxieon has been graciously pleased to approve of the words " New Zealand " being borne on the colors of the regimeiits that have served in New Zealand, in commemoration of their services in that country. Orders have been issued for the withdrawal of all the officers and the subordinates of the Army Department from Aus tralasia. One officer will be left temporarily in each colony, via, Victoria, VV T estern Australia, New South Wales, and New Zealand, to settle all claims against the Government, and to make arrangement* for the future payment of pensioners it:. those colonies.

Speaking of the new mail route via San Francisco, a correspondent of the European Mail says :—" The line has hardly been inaugurated in the best shape. It is pretty well understood that Mr H. Webb, of Rew York, will soon start a rival institution on a better basis, provided he can obtain the subsidies sought from the Govern uents of Australia, .New Zealand, and the United States." The A and P.S.N. Co. have abandoned that portion of their scheme between Milford Haven and San Francisco, and now only contemplate running steamers from the latter place to New Zealand. They propose to go first to New Caledonia, thence to Sydney, where branch steamers will start for Tahiti and New Zealand. That colony will, it is expected, be induced to accord the company a subsidy of, say £25,000, New South Wales a like sum, while France, which has strong political considerations at stake, will probably be willing to grant a much larger amount. Another company, it is said, is ready to take up the lapsed portion of the enterprise between Milford Haven and San Francisco. Dr. Featherston and Mr Dillon Bell have both been on the Continent enjoying themselves lately.

The Australian meat trade continues to progress, although the sales of it are not so rapid as in the winter. Tinned meat is going down in price. The Spectator thinks the New Zealand loan guarantee is to be regarded as indicating a change of Colonial policy. The Ministry saw that their line of policy was opposed to the feelings of the nation, and redeemed it in time.

It is satisfactory to notice that a 5 per cent, per annum dividend, has been declared by the Directors of the Dank of New Zealand, and that a further issue of shares will be made. I

The " Anglo-Australian " in the European Mail writes :—Sir George Grey has been unwell lately, the consequence of a severe cold caught at the Derby. He still speaks of returning speedily to New Zealand, but as he has been constantly talking of this ever since he has been here, his friends are not very much alarmed at the prospect of losing him just yet. Like many other eminent retired colonial governors, he doubtltss feels painfully the comparative obscurity of his position here. He is obviously not satisfied with the inferior r&le he is doomed to play at home, and his ambition restlessly sighs for a wider Held of action.

Under the head "Criminal" the Euro pean Mail; Juno 17, says ,•—-The criminal , news since our last is stained w ith crimes of the darkest hue. The number of mur dera reported from the effects of unbridled passion, and the depravity still rampant among what are called the lower orders,; is enough to make one shudder. Boulton and Park, with others said to be implicated (who cannot plead ignorance as an excuse for their conduet), charged with frequenting public places of resort in ladies' olothing, have been committed for trial, and the Grand Jury have found a true bill against them. The case was set down for trial on June 9, but on the application of counsel it was postponed till the July Sessions, and Hurt and Fiske have been admitted to bail in heavy sureties. The latter occupies the respectable position of United States Consul at Leith. A man named Jones, charged with murdering an entire family at Denham, has been committed for trial. The trial of Walter Miller, for the murder of Mr. Huelin and his housekeeper, at Chelsea, has been postponed till next sessions The preliminary examination of the Fenians Davitt and Wilson—who have been committed for trial—'have disclosed their connection with a widely organised scheme having for its object the overthrow of the Government. It is stated in the Levant Times that the amount of property destroyed by the great fire in Constantinople exceeds five millions sterling, and that the loss of life has been fearful. Up to June 8 more than a thousand dead bodies had been found, but the number of persons reported to be mis sing was 2.4 0. The editor of the Levant Times, the clerks, and the compositors, were all burnt out, and saved nothing but their lives and those of their families.

The small-pox epidemic in Paris appears to be gaining ground. Altogether tnis disease has caused over 2,000 deaths since the beginning of the present year. The general death-rate of Paris has been 10 per 1,000 in excess of that of London for many weeks past. A fire broke out on June 4, at the factory of Messrs. Young, Strang & Co., musiin manufacturers, Bridgton, Glasgow, after all hands had left the works. Ihe large mill, the warehouse, and its eonfents were entirely destroyed, and nothing was saved but the weaving engine and boiler shed. The damage is estimated at from £20,000 to £30,000. For Australian securities the English market has been fairly brisk. New Zealand have especially advanced, and if the accounts from that colony continue satis factory, their Government debentures will ere long rank on a par with Victoria and New South Wales. Bank stock still show a drooping tendency, owing to the general prevalence of an impression that they all have been hit more or with squatting advances. This state of things will con tinue until the banks cun declare that they are not holders of stock and station.

In the House of Commons on May 28, Sir J. Hay asked the First Lord of the Admirality to state to the house the nutnber of petty officers, seamen, marines, and boys constituting the complement of the so called "Flying Squadron," and the numbers that have died, deserted, or been invalided up to the latest accounts received from Hear-Admiral Hornby. Mr Childers said that the complement, excluding officers, consisted of 2,882 pretty officers, seamen, marines, and boys. Of that number, according to the latest accounts receive:!, 33 had died, and there were stragglers or deserters. Many of them, it was believed, belong to the character of stragglers, having taken advantage of free passes over the railways granted by the Colonies. Of these 16 had been recovered from one Colony alone, and out of the total number only 92 were bona iide seamen.

An idea has been for some time prevalent in military cijrcles that arrangements were being made for raising a force in this country for the service of the colony of New Zealand. It was oertainly a part of the mission of the Colonial Commissioners (Dr Featherston and Mr Dillon Bell) to make arrangements for organising such a force should they deem it practicable; and those gentlemen, whose services on behalf of the colony have been most unremitting, have been in communication with the authorities at head quarters on the subject. The Duke of Cambridge pro mised to render every assistance to faoili tate the volunteering of officers for New Zealand, but an insuperable difficulty appears to have presented itself with refer ence to the means of securing the service of levies made here on arrival on the other side. This, and other difficulties which have presented themselves, have caused the Commissioners, after mature deliberation, to decide on not raising a force iu England for service in New Zealand.

Mr Dickens left the most positive instructions that his own interment should be private, and without any of tue accustomed pomp of generals. They were literally carried out, though he lies buried in Poet's Corner. The Dean of Westminster urged upon the family that he should be laid in the Abbey, and 60 arranged that the funeral took place at an eariy hour in the simplest and most private manner. The grave, however, was left open all day, and many hundreds of persons threw flowers into it. Thus all that is mortal of Charles Dickens lies at the feet of Handel and at the head of Sheridan, with Bichard Cumberland resting on his right hand, and Cary.the translate!- of Dante, on his left. A letter, which was certainly one of the last written by Mr Dickens, for it is dated the day of the fatal seizure—will be read with much interest. Somebody, with questionable taste, had cnhed Mr Dickens' attention to a passage in the tenth chapter of Edwin. Drood as likely to wound the

I feelings of religious people by the fact of its containing what the writer was pleased to "consider as a not quite reverent allusion to a passage in the Bible supposed by very many to refer to Our Lord. Mr Dickens sent the following reply :.—- Gad's-hill-plaoe, Higham-by-Rochester,. Kent, Wednesday, June 8* 1870.'

Dear Sir, —It would be quite inconceivable to me, but for your letter, that any reasonable reader could possibly attach a Scriptural reference to a passage in a book of mine, reproducing a. much abused social figure of speech, impressed upon all sorts of service, oa all sorts of inappropriate occasions, without the faintest connection with its original source. lam truly shocked to find any reader can make the mistake. I have always, striven in my writings to express veneration for the life and lessons of our Saviour ; because I feel it, and because I rewrote that history for my children—every one of them knew it from having it repeated to them long before they could read, and almost as soon as they could speak. But I have never made proclamation of this from thehousetops.—Faithfully yours, Chakles Dickens. The Brindisi route has again proved suo cessful for Indian and Australian letters. Those by the last mail reached town late on June 11, while the Marseilles letters were delivered with their usual punctuality on June 13. The two days thus gained, which sometimes may be extended to three, is of substantial service to all engaged in business with the colonies. [BY TELEGRAPH.] London, 7th July. In the debate on the Colonial policy in the Lords, Russell's resolution was withdrawn. Granville and Northbrook defended the new policy of Colonial self-proteo-tion. The New Zealand Loan Guarantee Bill has been read a first time. The Cerberus has been floated out of the dockyard. The wool sales intended for October and November, will be held in one sale in November, and this has strengthened the market, which has a tendency upwards. The harvest prospects have improved ; wheat is lower. Obituaet. —Earl Clarendon, Sir Jaraea Clarke, Lord Arthur Clinton, Professor Syrae, Jerome Bonaparte. Karl Granville is appointed Foreign Minister j Lord Kimberly, Minister for the Colonies; Lo'd Halifax, Privy Seal. These changes are consequent on iCarl Clareu* don's death. The Irish Land Bill passed the committee of the Lords.

Four more brigands hanged in Greece. A collision has taken place on the Groat Northern Railway; sixteen have been killed and many wounded. Humours of Ministerial changes in France unfounded. Queen Isabella signed her abdication in favor of the Prince of Asturias. Infallibility dogma carried by GEeurne* nical Council. 13th July. A Spanish deputation has arrived in Prussia to offer the crown to the Prince of Hohenzollern, who has accepted the candidature. The French press and political parties oppose Prim's project* Ollivier declared that the French Government desired peace, but with honor. If war becomes necessary it would not be declared without the consent of the Corps Legislatif. The Cabinets of London, Florence, and Vienna are disposed to join in diplomatic action with France for the removal of the difficulties which have arisen in consequence of the Prince of Hohenzollern's candidature. The Duke of G-rammont stated that France would not suffer a fo;eign power to placa Prince Hohenzollern on the throne, a statement which was received with loud applause from the Corps Legislatif. The London journals have censured Prim's project in reference to Priuoe Hohenzollern.

On the 10th and Xlth inst., war was considered imminent, and a panic ensued on the Exchange and the Bourse. France is awaiting Prussia's reply be» fore declaring war. The Spanish troops are in motion to the frontier. The French press adopts a warlike tone. Dissentions have occurred in the French Cabinet on the question of peace or war. The King of Prussia has acknowledged authorising Prince Hohenzollern's acceptance of the Spanish crown. France demands that he should refuse authority for Prince Hohenzolleu to reign in Spam. The Prussian journals say that Prussia is distinguished, and cannot lower her dignity by interfering in the Spanish selection of a king. Tuo British Ministry expressed regret at tue strong language used by France. On the 13th, the Spanish ambassador at Paris notified, by letters from the father of the Prince of Hobenzollern, his renunciation of his candidature. Tho general belief is that peace is now secured, Baron Lesseus has visited London, and i has been decorated with the order of the Star of India. The Irish Land Bill has been read a third time in the House of Lords. Galle, 15th July. Consols 92£. Colonial produce brisk. The Irish Jjand Bill has been passed by the House of Lords. The mail from England, by the French mail steamer Volgar, passed through the buzz canal, from Marseilles, and reached Oalie in twenty days. The French Government are organizing a transport service, via the canal, from Toulon to Said. The Avoca was 4i days late in arriving here ; the other mails had left. The Australian mail will arrive one week later.,,