LATEST BRITISH AND FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

Kumara Times, Issue 2320, 4 February 1884, Page 2

LATEST BRITISH AND FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

■ ♦ [REUTER’S TELEGRAMS.] By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. THOMAS AND SONS’ WHOLESALE DEFALCATIONS. FROZEN MUTTON EX CUZCO. BAKER PASHA AMONGST THE ARABS. COLONEL CORDON EN ROUTE FOR KHARTOUM. (Received February 4, 0.50 a.m.) London, February 1. It lias transpired that Thomas and Sons, stock brokers, who have become defaulters for the'amount of £BOO,OOO, have defrauded the London Chartered Bank of Australia to the extent of £120,000, by the wholesale appropriation of securities belonging to the bank’s customers. The Melbourne portion of 3000 carcases of the cargo ex Cuzco has been found in good condition. The first portion placed in the market realised 5-1-d to 6d per pound. (Received February 4, 0.50 a.m.) Cairo, February 2. News has been received here that Baker Pasha, after landing at Trinkitat, made a recounaisance in force, and had a skirmish with the enemy. The latter fled southwards. Baker’s cavalry pursued the rebels for several miles, killing hundreds of them. Colonel Gordon, recently appointed Governor of Soudan, passed through K'-I >v ho yesterday, .and, entered the desert eu route to Khartoum,

[SPECIAL TO MELBOURNE AGE,] London, January 23. The death ia announced of the Right Hon. Lord Richard Grosvenor, M.P. for Flintshire, Secretary to the Treasury, aged 47 years. A subsequent examination of the tenders received for the Victorian Loan shows that the average is £IOO 3s. In consequence of the submission to the Egyptian authority of the Arab sheiks who have hitherto fauoured El Mahdi, it has been determined to postpone the evacuation of Soudan by the Egyptian troops/ January 24. The French authorities have promised to give full warning to natives of neutral nations residing in China before any attack will be made upon the Chinese.

[special to press association.] London, January 28. Sir Henry Parkes, writing to the Pall Mall Gazette, insists on the annexation of New Guinea as being necessary to prevent lawless assaults upon the natives. The sculling race between Wm. Eliott and Geo. Burbear, over the Champion course, was won by the latter. The remainder of the crew of the Simla have been landed at Dunkirk. After the collision an attempt was made to tow the Simla into port, but without success. Among her cargo was £4OOO worth of ironwork for the Sydney Government. January 29. The Arab Sheiks have summoned Khartoum to surrender. The Victorian gunboats sail from Portsmouth on Thursday. Great precautions haue been taken to protect H.R.H. the Prince of Wales on his journey from Paddington to Bristol. January 30. Information has been received from the Cape that Cetewayo had escaped to the Ekowe country, but that he was subsequently recaptured by the Militia foi’ce. It is stated that a plot has been discovered, whereby the baker at the Royal Palace, Peterhoff, endeavoured to poison the whole of the Imperial family of Russia with strychnine. The Union Bank of Australia will ship by the P. and O. steamer Ballarat, which shortly leaves for Melbourne, two bundled thousand sovereigns. The National Bank of Australasia also sends one hundred and fifty thousand, and the London Chartered Bank of Australia fifty thousand. The Duke of Manchester will shortly make another visit to the Australian colonies. The pilot, a midshipman, and a seaman of the Simla have been lost. January 31. The amendment to be proposed in the House of Commons to the address from the throne will touch principally on the affai.is in Egypt. The Standard, commenting on the recent heavy shipment of gold to Australia, asserts that it is not to relieve the critical situation of the Australian Banks. Admiral Courbett, Comraander-in-Chief of the French operations in Tonquin, reports that the town of Bacninh is too strong to attack. In consequence of the repeated threatening of the rebels under El Mahdi, the Egyptian Government are preparing to despatch a strong body of troops up the Nile.