LONDON.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 30, 31 January 1877, Page 3

LONDON.

Thursday. The Press considers that the European. Powers- are bound to enforce the demands made by the Conference.: At a great Tory meeting at Liverpool, Stafford Northcote, . the of the Exchequer, insisted ' that, it was to the; interest of England ; that peace should be ; conserved, and . it was that feeling that guided the Government m their policy _with regard, to the Eastern, question.' He denied the charges made that.there was . any. jealous feeling towards Russia. Such statements were only calculated to hamper any efforts at intervention on behalf of Christians m the.Turkish provinces. The Government have, carefully avoided any .false policy; of coercion. lie thought the Porte acted unwisely m rejecting the proposals ; but admitted that the Porte was free to choose its own course. No European Power would be justified m considering the rejection as an insult. A^DBTon Cross, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, said he believed- ;the , prpspects ,. of peace were better than they Thad been for months past. "- > r ; ' ■_. . Topth, , of. Hatcham, r was imprisoned for defying the judgment of the Court of Arches. r : The Result, of the Eastern Conference was that the Porte declared its willingness to make concessions and offer ample securities to Powers, but unwaveringly refu sed- to sanction, the occupation of the provinces: by any troops whatever ; they refused to ; consent to occupation by English troops, upon which point the Turkish: Ministry were confidently approached, but by what Power cannot be ascertained. Belgium refused to aUow her troops to occupy, and a corps of -a thousand troops of each nation represented' on : the commission, as a bodyguard, was suggested ; but the Turkish Minister, at the interview with Lord Salisbury, refused to .recognise the International Commission; ■ - The Mussulman, population was very excited. Great . quantities of arms^and ammunition, have been received from America. ' The temper of the population is warlike. • The Softas made a demonstration before the [Russian Embassy by shouting " Down with Russia." Russian steamers have ceased rurfning on the Black Sea. r The Mahometan population m India are also said to be excited. ■ The ", Pall Mall Gazette " says if the Porte refuses the concession Britain will not quarrel with Turkey, but will watch the outcome of refusal with a steady view to its own -position m the world. "The Times " m a leader concludes that the Porte may rest assured that the firs,t shot fired m defence of the united demands of Europe would be the beginning of the end, and that

neither England nor any other Power .would interpose to save it from ruin. It might have more foes than Russia even at the outset. A. "Times " despatch says the warlike feeling 'in Russia is decidedly decreasing, and enthusiasm is partly checked by the discovery of great deficiencies m military . stores, and an impression that Turkish preparations are so great that the force already mobilised m Russia is insufficient, and that measures shquld be taken for the levy of reserves m Southern Russia. A fearful catastrophe occurred to a train at Ashtabula, Ohio, on 29th December.. A^bridge over a. creek broke, and precipitated the train 75 feet. Over 100 lives lost.; either crushed, burned, or frbfceh to death. There was a great snow storm at time of the accident, and for a long time particulars could not be obtained. The citizens; of Ashtabula .worked hard removing debris, and every house m the neighbourhood was turned into a hospital. • In the middle of December severe gales, were_ experienced thorought the United Kingdom, 120 vessels and 250 men were lost. On the Aberdeen coast sixty lives were lost, and the shores of 1 the, Tyne were strewn for four miles with wrecks. There are great quantities of wreck at: Pentland' Firth. Dover pier has been partially destroyed, and nearly every town between Dover and Portsmouth has been partially inundated, furniture being washed out of the houses. January 27. Replying to a farewell address Sir Henry Eliot, English Ambassador at ..Constantinople, expressed a firm, belief m the future of Turkey, as the Porfce had announced its intention to introduce, of its own accord, the reforms demanded. Muidhar Pasha sent a despatch to Prince" -Milan, of Servia, and Prince Nicholas, of Montenegro, inviting them to enter into negotiations for appointing the place of meeting of Congress and adopting a plan of election.