London.

Manawatu Herald, 21 February 1895, Page 2

London.

It is reported that the French offered King Leopold five hundred million francs (twenty millions sterling), for the Congo territory in the event of the Belgian Parliament declining to annex it. Lord Eimberley, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, declines to interfere with the rights of British vessels to acfc as transports for French troops to Madagascar.

The Times, referring to the atti* tude assumed by the oolpnies against coloured labour on the mail steamers, advises Australia not to imperil the Oriental trade for the sake of racial prejudices. The race between Harding and Tom Sullivan, formerly of Wellington, for £200 a side and the Sports*, man's cup, which carries the English championship, came off on Tyne on Saturday. Harding won by four lengths. Sullivan has challenged Harding to row him on the Thames in April for £200 a side.

All the gambling summonses against the Jockey Club were dismissed. The Bench refused to state a case for the superior Court. Profesior Bryoe, President of the

Board of Trade, in wpW to a quostion, said a report which haa betn submitted by a select committet ad* vises that shipowners should provide watertight bulkheads on their vessels, but there was no power to compel them to do so.

The debate in the House of Commons on Mr Chamberlain's amend* ment to the Address-in-Reply resulted on division for a majority for the Government of 14. . The amendmebt was therefore rejected and the Addres>in-Seply Was then adopted. The thaw has begun, and the frost is breaking up.