London.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 13 February 1892, Page 2

London.

Parliament was opened on 9th February. The ceremony was of an unusually sombre character, everybody appearing in doep black. The Queen's speech was unusually brief. Both Houses of Parliament passed votes of condolence on the Duke of Clarence's death Mr Lowther moved an amendment to the Address-in- Reply, urging the Government to terminate the treaties which prevent differential treatment of the colonies by England. Mr Curzon, the Political Secretary of India, announced that the Government of India intended to take measures to curtail the opium traffic. Mr Balfour gave notice to call upon Mr DeCobain, member for Belfast, to attend in his place within a fortnight. Lord Salisbury, replying to the criticisms of Lord Kimberley, declared that England would never surrender Egypt to the supremacy of another Power, or leave it to destruction by itself. He alleged that the Newfoundland dispute was due to the colonists themselves. In the House of Lords the Marquis of Salisbury stated that negotiations respecting the Newfoundland difficulty were in abeyance, as rash criticisms of the Government action by the Gladstone Party had induced France to believe that there was no hope of securing the execution of the award of the arbitrators. Mr De Coban, the recumnt member for Belfast, is ill, and unable to stand his trial. The electors have petitioned to have the seat declared vacant. The New Zealand Loan and Mer cantile Agency Company, Limited, have received the following cable message, dated London, 9th inst : — Wool— Since the date of our last telegram nearly all descriptions have declined £d per lb, except fine crossbreeds and lambs, the market for which is unchanged, and coarse crossbred, the market for which is easier. The American demand is good, but wools of a faulty character are neglected The total number oi bales catalogued and withdrawn to date are 164,000 and 15,000 respectively. Sixty thousand people attended the funeral service over the remains of the Rev C. H. Spurgeon at the Tabernacle. The majority of the peaches imported trom the Cape were spoiled by the low atmosphere. The rest brought from 14s to 18s per dozen. The nectarines were inferior, and only realised 2s 6d per dozen. The grapes were also inferior. They brought 12s per 441bs. Merchants think even these prices were only reached because Cape fruit is a novelty, and they are not likely to be | maintained. The tomatoes fetched B<3 per lb. l Factory butter, 112 a; dairy, 92s to

100s. The Austrian and Italian dairies are sending over large quantities and depressing the market. At' the half-yearly meeting of the Bank of New Zealand the Hon Mr Glyn. chairman, said the deposits had increased, and credit was improving. It was stated that £20,000 was expected to be carried over to the next year.