CONDENSED CABLEGRAMS.

Manawatu Herald, 21 February 1893, Page 2

CONDENSED CABLEGRAMS.

London. The Chancellor of the Exchequor favours an Imperial Penny Post. The amount expended on alcohol in Great Britain last year amounted to £140,000,000.

The American visible supply of wheat is 116,000,000 bushels

At the wool sales there is strong demand for lambs' wool and best combirigs. There Jiave been further withdrawals of colonial-bought wools.

Capetown pears are being retailed in London at 3s 6d each.

New Zealand long-berried wheat, ex warehouse, 81s 6d ; flat. Adelaide and Victorian wheat unchanged with market weaker.

Frozen mutton — Canterbury 4 9 16d ; Wellington, 4£d. New Zealand Hemp— Market is active. Prices are maintained. Last quotation, £24 10s. Thirty bales were withdrawn at auction

Mr Edward S. W. Do Cobain, formerly member for Belfast East, who in April, 1891, was accused of a grave criminal offence, and who fled to Spain, has been arrest afc Belfast, and will be placed on trial.

The P and 0. Company's steamer Ai'cadia has conveyed to Suez a battery of artillery suddenly ordered to Egypt.

There was a scene in the House of Commons on the 16fch, Mr Sexton accusing Viscount Wolmer, member for West Edinburgh, of falsely alleging that the Irish members were paid by the Gladstonians. Viscount Wolmer apologised.

On the motion of Mr Sexfcon, the editor of the Times was ordered to be summoned' to the bar of the House for stating that the Payment of Members Bill was to be introduced in order to relieve the financiers of the Liberal Party from the necessity of supporting the clerical contingent, whereby corruption was implied. The House also unanimously agreed that the Times' article, describing the Irish members of the House of Commons as paid mercenaries, was a breach of privilege.

Commenting on the action of the Hoime of Commons The Times says, * As Viscount Wolmer has apologised, ho do wo who used his words, but we repeat that the Irish are paid by the enemies of Knglnnd.' The report of the Parnell Commission i* quoted to that effect, and The Times conn cludns by saying, ' Gladstone and his Irish allies haw benn compelled to resurrect Parliamentary privilege to quell a hostile newspaper.

Lord Eandolph Churchill said the Home Rule Bill was a constitutional revolution. There was no adequate cause for it, and the whole ineasiira was grotesque. It would be impossible to conduct the Imperial Government with two separate majorities in the tiouse of Commons. The scheme would allow the Irish members an almost irresistable power of extracting concessions. He felt confident the constituencies, if appealed to, would reject the Bill.

In the debate on the Home Rule Bill, Mr Joseph Chamberlain dwelb npon the danger of the Irish taking advantage of England's emergency in the event of war to extort complete autonomy for Ireland. He ridiculed the retention of Irish members at Westminster, a principle which would prove unworkable.

The Bill was read a first time without division, and the second reading was fixed for March 13th.

The Home Rule Bill has been circulated. The chief points are as already cabled. Twenty-seven Ulster members will be retained at Westminster, and 15 in the Legislative Council, Dublin.

Unionist

meetings have been

arranged to be held at the principal towns in England and Scotland. The Marquis of Salisbury will speak at Belfast on April sth, and at Derby on April 7th.

It is rumoured in Dublin that the Parnellites and the followers of Justin McCarthy are reconciled. It ia stated the Independent and Freeman's Journal will amalgamate.

Mr Gladstone favours the payment of needy members of Parliament. The Radicals will not agree to this proposal.

The Standard asserts that Mr Gladstone intends to propose that members of the House of Commons not possessing incomes of £400 per year shall be entitled on official application to a salary of £800. The Radicals oppose any partial scheme, and there is but little prospect of anything being done in the matter this session.