REUTER’S TELEGRAMS.

Kumara Times, Issue 1385, 10 March 1881, Page 2

REUTER’S TELEGRAMS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN. London, March 7. The Board of Trade returns for the past month were published to-day. The imports amounfed to £36,625,000, being an increase of £3,375,000 com'pared with the corresponding month of last year. The exports reached a total of £16,812,500, and shew an increase of £312,500 under the same comparison. In the House of Commons to-day, the Premier was questioned regaiding a statement in the Daily News that a week’s armistice had been proclaimed in the Transvaal. Mr Gladstone, in reply, confirmed the announcement, and added that the armistice had been agreed to to enable Kruger, the Boer President, to reply to the conditions of peace which had been submitted to him by Sir Evelyn Wood. Gladstone further stated that during the time of the armistice Sir E. Wood would be allowed to revictual the British garrison in Transvaal. March 8. Very heavy hurricanes, accompanied by heavy falls of snow, have been experienced over the greater part of Scotland. During the past 23 hours great damage has been done to property. Terrific gales have raged on the coast, and numerous shipwrecks, resulting in great loss, have been caused. So far as can he at present ascertained, fully 100 persona have been drowned in vessels which have foundered at ports off the coast.

The Irish Judges of Ass ! ze, in their charges to the Grand Judges at the

Courts which opened yesterday in the Irish Provinces, again took occasion to refer to the alarming state of the country, and deplored in forcible terms the continued occurrence of the enormous amount of undetected crime. Capetown, March 8. Intelligence has been received from Natal that, taking advantage of the provision of thearmistice with the Boers, Sir Evelyn Wood has already despatched convoys of provisions to the British garrisons at Pretoria, Wakkerstroom, Standesta, and other places in the Transvaal. LATEST AUSTRALIAN NEWS. Melbourne, March 8. The following additional Exhibition awards are published :—First order of merit: Bank of New Zealand, for gold specimens; Brunner Coal Company, Coal Pit Heath Coal Company, Greymouth, Kaitangata Coal Company, Westport, for coal; Wilson, for sulphur. Second order of Merit: Bay of Islands Coal Company, for coal. Third order of merit: J. R. Hackett, Nelson, for chromo ores ; Ingram and White, Oxford, West Canterbury, for chalk; Johnston Bros., Nelson, for ores; M‘Farlane, Jackson’s Bay, for copper ore. Sydney, March 9. Nearly 100 men of the permanent artillery here have volunteered to proceed for service against the Boers.