CONTINENTAL NEWS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 124, 26 May 1874, Page 2

CONTINENTAL NEWS.

Tho French steamer Amerlque was wrecked near Brest. The chief officer was drowned, but the remainder of the crew and 180 passengers were saved. The British • steamship Quean Elizabeth fr m Calcutta for England, has been wrecked off the coaßt of Spain. Twenty-three lives were loss, including' the Rev 11. J, Aliardyce (missionary to South India sent by tho Society lor tho Propagation of the Go.p_l), his wife and three children. Sixty million francs have been vote! for repairing the French fortification.. With reference to the escape of Rochfort and bis companions, the Paris Soir says the escape of the French convicts has already led to an exchange, of notes retween the Cabinets at Versailles .and St. James. According to information received by the English Governn ent it was a French vessel that rescued them.' The vessel was fitted out by the friends of the prisoners, having on board a crew of twenty-five men, who were quite determined to fight if neaessary. Seventeen convicts were to have been carried off, but when the moment arrived,, only, five were ready, the others being engaged at the workassigned to them. The English authorities declare that the captain of tbe vessel fraudulently hoisted the British flag. The French believe they can prove that tbe vessel was equipped and prepared in a British port, and that the British Government should be held responsible for the prisoners' escape. Upon reaching Sydney, Kochlort telegraphed for 25,000 francs to M. Adam formerly Prefect nf the Paris police. The guardian of his children, after satisfying himself tbat it was not an attempt at hoaxiog M. Adam, forwarded the money, part of which bad been supplied by two newspapers. M. Victor Hugo also contributed 6,000 frflncs. Four hundred thousand francs havo been subscribed for the relief of tho laboring classes in Paris. The oiatress prows wider daily. Two batches of Lotheringen priests, 37 iv all were tried at the Court at Metz for reading from the pulpit the Pastoral of the Bishop of Nancy, commanding the faithful to pay to the blessed virgin to intercede for the speedy reunion of the annexed Provinces of France. Of the first batch, eleven Ecclesiastics were condemned to a fortnight's imprisonment, three to a week's confinement, and the remainder were acquitted. The official report rel .tive to Central Asian affair i says that after the Turcomans had been punished for robbery, tranquility was perfectly restored. J » A I*lll ™ri»* of Roman noblemen attended the Vatican on March 23rd, to pay -.orange to the Pope as counter to a demonstration to celebrate the King's accession. His Holiness made an energetic speech, praising the unalterable devotion of the Roman nobility, who h.d given tha world a unique example of their faithfulness in adversity A considerable meetiner of Romans held at Loggie de l_aff_elo saluted the Pope with frantic cheers. The Grand Duko Alexis is the only member of the Imperial family who will .accompany the Czar on his visit to Poland. The Carli.t General Sabillo, commanding at Guipuscoa issued a proolamation decreeing punishment of death, to all persons furnishing food to the cities of San Sebastian and [name unknown.] A despatch from Pedro Abanto says that an army of 5000 Republicans are marching on Valmazeda, a town 2_ miles from BUboa. The particulars of the elections in Switzerland mdicatethas the plebiscite on revison of the Federal Unsfitution.rasulted in a majority of 100,000 m favor of the revision. „ :

The German Tribunal of Severene has condemned an j imposed a heavy fine on the Bishop of Nancy, for his charge to the clergy, issued last July. Three million of reals intended for'Carlists have been seized in Santander. A rumor is cut rent that the Carlists asked Mar.hal Serrano for an amnesty. Senor Castelar has written a letter and declares himself in favor of a Federal Republic. The French steamer A merique Rank off the Island of Ushant, 26 miles from Brest The passengers and crew were rescued by Engli<<h Norw.giau, .and Italian vessels. One ot the latter arrived at Brest with the crew. The A nerique was not a new vessel, she formerly being the Eugenic Imperatrice, and was one of the finest steamships of the line. The losb of so fine a ship fo'lowing _o close on the less ol the Europe, has created great excitement at ! New York. The A merique was somewhat eiml'er than the Ville dv Havre, but of similar build. AMERICA. fub.c.iptiohs are being made in all parts of the (States towards the exhibition to be held at Philadelphia. Eighty thousand dollars was toon subscribed at New York. Honolulu advices state that the king has returned from a tour through the Islands, during which he sought to make himself intimately acquainted with their condition i. Everywhere he was cordially received. The session of the Legislative Assembly was opened by the King. His speech, which ie highly spoken of by the Press, urged the desirability of economising public expenditure; of immigration of free labor ; of a scheme of irrigation by a water supply; and encouraging 6team communication with Australia and San Franci.co. A submarine cable between America and Honolulu is projected by American capitalists. Fifteen to twenty thousand people have been driven from their homes by the breaking away of tlie levee on the banks of the Mississippi, in Louisi-ma. A largo breadth cf the test bottom lands w.r_ overflowed, and the crops ruined or greatly damaged. From Cape Girardean to Red River there are seven or eight millions of bottom land, ranking as the most productive cotton land in the world. The product of this fertile tract in a good season is worth four or 500 million dollars. At the last accounts, several thousand people, occupying these alluvial lands, were not only driven out, but were left in a starving condition. New Orlenns telegrams state that the moat gloomy reports continue to be received of the inuudation in various points. The whole of one valley was submerged ; houses, barns, implements, and animals were washed away, 'ihe inhabitants fled to high land, where they remain in a destitute condition. Letters from the Red River say: — We are entirely overflowed, and all are bankrupt. We have no provisions; no money; and many starving. The overflow still continues, ond tbe water is still rising. The cattle that are not drowned, are dying from want of food/ and sheep snd hogs h_vc been drowned by the hundreds. The bandit Vasquez, for whose head a reward ot 15,000 dollars was offered, is again ravaging in the Southern Counties of California. He seized a ranchero at the San Gabriet mission, near Los Angles, and compelled him to write a cheque for 500 dollars. There is a great epidemic of crime in San Francisco, six violent deaths having ocenrred in one week. One murderer committed suicide beside the body of his victim, and another nearly similar case occurred a few days after, but the jury disbelieved the statement of the survivor and found him guilty of the murder of bis comrade. President Grant has vetoed the Senate Currency Bill. \The message of President Grant on the Navigator Islands will soon bo printed. Commissioner Shemberger's report has attracted cpneiderable^ttention. The conflict of the claim to the Governorship of the Arkansas causes great anxi.ty Brooks and Baxter, the rival claimants, have each raised an army. The Federal troops were called on to restore order. The mail steamer has arrived at Rio Ja_i.ro, and reports that there is a rupture between the Argentine Bepublic and the Government of Monte Video because of the arbitrary cosing of the River Urjquay against Oriental vessels. The settlement of the difficulty is hoped for. Venezuela advices state that Governor Pulgar, of Maracaibo, fled from that Province to Kingston, on account of a revolt against his despotism. News has reached Panama of the loss of the eoastiog steamer Tacha, with nineteeu persons. The losa of life is attributed to a panic which seized the crew, two of whom made off with the only boat. The friends of Stokes, the murderer of James Fisk, intend to apply for his pardon.