ENGLISH NEWS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 282, 30 November 1870, Page 2

ENGLISH NEWS.

The following items of telegraphic news_. additional to those which we have already published, are from the Melbourne Argus of 22ud inst : — Severe fighting occurred before Paris oq September 19th, 22rd, and 30th. The Prussiaus were almost universally successful. The French, panic-stricken, ran away from the shot. At Paris the Germaus are preparing Krupp's monster siege guns, to throw 1501b. balls. General Trochu rules Paris vigorously, and drilling is actively going on. The exportation of arras to France goes on. Chassepot rifles are being bought at Birmingham. Public feeling is much opposed to this complicity. The subject of the national defences is occupying attention. The Home Secretary, in a speech delivered at Glasgow, said he thought the defeat of France would remove the most pressing danger to Britain. Lord Carnarvon thinks we ought to be prepared for invasion. The great question of the next session will be our military forces. Since the proclamation of the French Republic the sympathies of the English working-men have veered round to the French. Large meetings of sympathisers have been held, at which the Irish national element was largely represented. The subscriptions to the national fund, for the relief of the sick and wounded, amouut to £200,000. The Daily News has opened a special fund lor the starving French peasantry. Funds have been alao opened for the relief of the refugees in Londou. Subscriptions have been likewise raised for the widows and orphans of those who perished in H.M.S. Capiain. For remainder of News see Fourth page

French military men on foreign service are ordered home. The approaches to Paris and the fortifications are illuminated nightly by the electric light. Parisian women are actively aiding id the defence. Paris narrowly escaped being blown up by petroleum. General De Faiily is not dead. The Duke of Nassau was shot by Franc-tireurs. A manifesto of Napoleon's is published in the new Imperial London organ. The war terms first proposed by Bismarck to Jules Favre were everywhere out of France thought to be reasonable. As conditions for an armistice, the surrender of three fortresses was demanded. two out of three surrendered a week after. General Burnside is mediating between Paris and "Versailles. Bismarck, anticipating the attempt of France eventually at revenge, deems the holding of Mclz and Strasbourg as German possessions necessary. The ex-Empress Eugenie find her son have removed from Hastings to Cliislehurst, Kent. The health oi both is improved. They are visited by many persons of distinction. The Emperor's horses have been sold at Tattersall's. The reported great wealth of the Imperial family is emphatical!}* denied. A warm controversy is raging with respect to the cause of the loss of the Captain, more especially between Mr. Reed and Admiral Elliott. It is attributed fo the lew buhvatks, the heavy sails, and to the turret, not having been fixed in tbe centre of gravity. Differences are said to exi c t between Mr. Chil.lers and bis colleagues on the policy of the navy. The former is fur economy. Either Lord Northbrook or Mr. Stansfeld has been named as the probable successor if Mr. Childers resigns. The following additional items are from Greville and Co. (Renter's agent) : — Thete is constant fighting in the depailrnent of ihe Eure, where even the women and children sire rising. Cliartres being invested by 20,000 Germans, surrendered on the 23rd. The victors imposed an indemnity of 2,000,000 francs. A balloon brings a circular from Jules Favre, dated the 2 Bth, declaring that France prefers the present sufferings to yielding to Prussian ambitioD. It is rumoured that negeciations are taking place for the restoration of the Empress, the object being to conclude peace with a legally formed Government. It is slated that tbe Empress refuses to become a party to the negociations.

The Grey River Argus learns "on good authority" that the general elections will take place some time in February next. Escape or a Gang of Pkisonteks. — A telegram to the Grey River Argus says that on Monday last the hard labor gang knocked down Iheir guards, took two revolvers, ammunition, and carbines, and got clear away. Several townspeople followed and fired at them, they returning the fire. Later in the evening one of them was caught, the other three are still at large. The West Coast Times is very indignant, and naturally so, that an interval of six day*? should have occurred between the arrival of the San Francisco mail at Nelson, and its receipt at Hokitika, and gives vent lo its wrath by prefixing the following heading to the English news : — " Arrival of the English Mail — Immense Postal Success — San Francisco to Honolulu in Twelve Days — Honolulu to Auckland in Fit'ieeu Days — Aucklaud to Hokitika iu only Eight Days." A lot of ewes, hoggets, and fat sheep about 1000, at Wangauui last week were sold in mixed lots at from 4s. 6d. to 7s. 6d. The steamer Wainui has been sold by auction for the Bank of Otajro for £145(3, and the. steamer Tairoa for £925. Dunedik. — The Provincial Council is now in session, and strong opposition is manifested to the financial policy of the •General Government. A motion in favor of ihe union of Otago and Canterbury was carried without a division. The basis of such a union lo be determined by three members of each Council, aad ratified by each Council. The New Agent General. — The Wellington correspondent of the Westport Times wiites : — Bo the colony is to have an -igei-tt-general at home who is to be the

hon. Julius Vogel. I long believed that he would not delegate to other hands the placing of his scheme on the London market, involving so large ft loan; and for some months I liave been almost certain that he had decided to go to England in some capacity. The matter is no secret in well-iuformed circles, and it is being criticized favorably or otherwise, according as men are inclined to place faith iu his practical judgment or not. The salary to b6 attached to the office is £2000 a year — a nice little sum ; but, perhaps, not too much (o secure the services of a firstclass represntative fo rthe colony at home. Are you jubilant, or mistrustful ?

Mr. Richmond at Taranaki. — Tlie following summary of Mr. Richmond's speech to his constituents at Tarauaki is from the Wellington Post : — Mr. J. C. Richmond addressed a large audience on Monday evening. He made a speech of some two hours, and depicted a very gloomy future for the Colony if the money authorised last session by the Assembly is obtainable in England. He cb-iracfer-ised the policy of the present Government'!sagaml>lingpolit'3*,and said that Mr. Volgcl's sanguine mind saw nothing but success for his scheme, whereas there were ninety-nine chances of failure to one of success. He was making the Colony into a Joint Stock Company, in which every member was compelled to be a shareholder. He stated that tlie revenue was falling off, and that, as the act providing for the capitation grant compelled the Government to give the provinces a certain sum, tlie Ministers would find their revenue {or carrying on the Government of the Colony would run short. He blamed the members of the House for the part they took iu supporting lhescheme,and hoped (lie Colony would return members who would check the Ministry so that the colony might not be brought to a state of bankruptcy, which he predicted would result from the present line of policy. He distinctly told the electors not to re-elect him if they did not agree with his ideas ou this question. He devoutly hoped the present Government would net get the loan ; but in case they got if, then he would like to go down to the House to see that it was wisely spent ; but if they did not wish him — if they thought that be had put the last political nail in his coffin — then he could quietly rest in retirement ; but they must not blame him if this great scheme failed, as he thought it was a hundred chances to one that it would, aud the colony would gradually sink from bad to worse, until it became in a state of bankruptcy. He spoke of the Native Department, and the dangerous policy adopted by the Native Minister, who. was lavishly spending the money, and would do so till all the loan was gone. He, therefore, pitied the next Native Minister that was in office when the money was all spent, and the time for retrenchment had come round again. In answer to a question whether he would support the present Ministry if returned, he replied he could not, but he would not oppose the scheme if it was considerably modified iD proportions, and the details were practicable, but he could not give a general support to the Ministry; he must go up free.

A Melbourne paper has been favoured with the following extract from a letter written by an officer of the 2- 14th Regiment, recently stationed in Melbourne, to a friend in tbis city. The writer says, speaking; of !he war : — " There are a great number of poor iellows knocked over already, and God knows when it will end. It is fully expected that we will be drawn into it. over this Belgian neutrality question. We are fully committed to uphold the little State, and what have we to back us ? lam sure we could not send more than 20,000 effective men of all arms over there — a nicn position tor Great ( ? ) Britain. I suppose it will be the Crimea repeated — a handful of men to do the fighting of a large army, and those serving at the time to be 'chawed up.' Then the British Liou will be rouse*'. But the wonder is that he allows all this to be repeated iu history."