ENGLISH.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 32, 6 February 1874, Page 2

ENGLISH.

[Cablegrams.] London, January 24. The marriage of the Duke of Edinburgh, with Marie, the daughter of the Emperor of Russia, was celebrated at St. Peteraburgb on the 23rd instant in the Greek Church first, and then in the Church of England. The ceremonies were magnificent. There was a grand review, and tbe festivities will last three days, and each night St. Petersburg-, will be illuminated. The Duke and his bride proceeded to Moscow, and will return to England early in March. A deputation waited upon Mr Glad- ' stone to urge the assimilation of the Borough and County franchise. The Premier declined to give any reply, hinting that the position of Government was not sufficiently strong. . Mr Whalley has. been fined £250 by Chief Justice Cockbum. He refused .to pay, and was imprisoned for con<tempt of Court. The fine was inflicted for upholding tbe aocuracy of Jean Lines' original statement that he saw the ■claimant rescued. The Austrian Government have presented a bill to the Beichsrath to abolish the Concordat with Borne. n The Pope is reported unwell. . Silver is in demand on account of •exchanges with India being adverse. - A Queensland four per cent loan of a quarter of a million is announced at 88. At the Liverpool sales, wool ruled from ld io l£d lower, but olosed with

better prospects. The colonial arrivals amount to 50,000 bales. The corn market is quiet. Adelaide wheat scarce at 70s to 725. Flax is depressed. Little business is doing. The Queen has accepted the advice to dissolve the Parliament: The elections will take place immediately, and the new House will assemble on the sth of March. Mr Gladstone in his address at Greenwich stated that since its defeat upon the subject of Irish education, the Ministry was not possessed of sufficient authority to carry any great legislative measures. The experience ■ of the recess was not such as to foreshadow an improvement, and a dissolution was tbe proper remedy for the unsatisfactory state of things whicb had arisen. The estimates were so far I advanced aB to enable him to promise a surplus of five millions. He intends to abolish the income tax, to revise local taxation, and to repeal the duties on certain articles of consumption. Bills will be introduced to amend the Education Act, to improve the Bystem of local Government, to amend the Game, Land, and Liquor laws. The hope is expressed of a speedy assimilation of the County with the Borough franchise. Mr Disraeli, in his address, criticises the conduct of Ministers in advising a dissolution, and alleges that they have adopted such a policy to avoid an explanation relative to the Ashantee war. He characterises the programme of Mr Gladstone as indefinite, and takes exception to the promised surplus, every Ministry, he says, having a surplus, and promising to apply it to the reduction of taxation. The Conservatives always favored the abolition of the income tax and the reduction of local taxation, but had always been opposed by the Liberal party. He maintained tbat Mr Gladstone ought to show more energy in his Foreign policy, and not confine his programme to Home legislation. The Conserva-. tives were not afraid of the results. He would hesitate to sanction the assimilation of the county and borough franchise because it would involve the disfranchisement of all boroughs comprising less than 40,000 inhabitants. Dr Featherston has received the decorations of St. Michael and St. George. In the Bear and Stevenson case iv which an appeal was allowed with costs, the Court held that there had been no fraudulent misrepresentation. Singapore, January 27. Dr Livingstone died of dysentery in June at Lake Banba, after wading through the water during four days. The body is preserved in salt by native servants, who are proceeding with it to Zanzibar. London, January 24. The Clio has arrived at Portsmouth. London, January 26. The dissolution of Parliament has taken the country by surprise. At a meeting of tbe Geographical Society Sir B. Frere and Mr Kirk stated doubts concerning the death of Dr Livingstone. News has been received from Cape Coast to llth inst. The troops continue to advance steadily towards Commassie, and their health is good. Mr Whalley has paid his fine and been released. lhe Nubia, with the outward mails from Australia arrived at Galle on the 21st inst. The Australian steamer James Paterßon has been wrecked off Queensland.