MAIL NEWS.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 1882, 8 May 1878, Page 2

MAIL NEWS.

Tho Society for the Protection of Aborigines recently addressed a memorial to Sir Bivrtlo Frci'o deprecating the present storn suppression of the Kaffirs. In reply Sir Rartlo stated that from tho evidence there is reason to believo that the Galokas have taken up anna as a vaguo sort

of combination against the white men I and all that belongs to them. « The Agonts-Gonoral of Australia and i Now Zoaiand waited on Lord Carnarvon 1 to express their regret at his retireinont. < He seems to have gained the good will of . the colonies. i At n mooting of the Royal Colonial Institute Dr Forbes Watson read n paper I on tho character of the Colonial and Indian trade of England aa contrasted with her ' foreign trade. The Duke of Manchester presided. Sir Julius Vogol read a paper at tho samo mooting on New Zealand and the South Sea Isles and their relation to tho Empire. Mr Thomas Russell has been presented to tho Prince of Wales. On March the 25th news reached London of the wreck of the Eurydice off the Isle of Wight, almost within sight of Spithcad, for which place she wns standing, at the end of a pleasant and successful cruise to the West Indies. The Eurydice was a training ship for young seamen, and had 308 sailors on board at the time. She was bringing a number of military officers — superannuated and invalids — from the West Indies. The Eurydico was a wooden, sailing, full-rigged ship of 921 tons displacement, and was at one time considered one of the smartest and quickest of the 26-eun frigates in the service. She was built on the Avon in 1843 She sailed for Portsmouth on November 13th, with a crew of about 300 ordinary seamen and officers, all of whom were lost with the exception of two seamen. Captain Hare, who had been commander of the St. Vincent training ship at Portsmouth, was selected for the command for his knowledge and experience of young seamen. The Eurydice left the Bermudas on March Gth. Nothing was heard of her until she was seen by the Coast Guard at Bonchuro (?), on March 24th, bearing for Spithcad under all plain sail, her object being clearly to arrive at the anchorage, at Snithead, before nightfall. There was an ominous stillness prevailing at this time, heavy dark clouds were coming down from the north-west, and tho glass was falling rapidly. Such wind aa there was came from the westward, and blew on the port quarter of tho ship. From the direction in which the ship was steering she wouid be in comparatively smooth water, so sheltered would she be by the Down?, until she rounded Dun^eness where the disaster occurred. This circumstance explains the fact that the Emma, schooner, which was near at the time, was not affected by the gale. Just before 4 o'clock the wind suddenly veered round from west to eastward, and the gale, accompanied by a blinding fall of snow, came rushing from the highlands, striking the Eurydice just a little before the beam, driving her out of her course, which was heading to tho north-east, turning her bow to the east. This is what seems probable, though from the manner in which the sea was concealed by the snow, nothing was oeen of her at the moment that sho capsized to starboard. It cleared as suddenly as it became overcast, the wind sinking away at the same time. As soon as anything could be seen, tho masts and top-hamper of tho ship were discovered aboTo water, about 2J miles E.N.E. off Dumvise(i) The ship lies in 11 fathoms of wator. From hor position, she appears to hove righted in going down. Of the whole number of souls on board, only two persons succeeded in reaching tho shore alive. They are able seamen, named Benjamin Cuddiford, a native of Plymouth, and Sydney Fletcher, an ordinary first-class seaman, aged 19, belonging to Bristol. Lieut. Laborn, who wns roscuud from tho sea, diod before reaching the shore. One of the survivors states that when the squall struck the vessel, they wore taking in sail. Tho captain ordered them to come down from aloft, and the water was then running along the lee netting. Ho took hold of tho weather netting, and could see tho vossel's keel. The vessel righted a little before sottling down. She then went gradually over, the greater part of tho hands being forward outside. A telegram from Lloyd's agent at Constantinople, dated March 7, contains the intelligence that the British steamer John Middleton, Captain Robson, from Odessa, grain laden, whilst lying at anchor, was run into by a Turkish man-o'-war. The John Middleton, by the shock of the collision, was forced from her anchors and drifted against the Antelope (British gunboat), causing some injury to the latter. The John Middleton sustained so much damage that she sank m the harbor. The crew were saved by an English man-of-war. The John Middleton was the property of Watts, Mildown, and Co., London, and was a twin screw of 1200 tons gross. In the early part of the year she arrived at Constantinople with a cargo of military stores from the United States, and after discharging, went to Odessa to take grain for Antwerp. The Antelope is stationed at Constantinople, at the disposal of the British Ambassador. A correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" says terrible distress exists at Shumla, where some 250,000 fugitives are now collected. A formal note hns been sent to the Porte by the English Embassy, representing that unless something it immediately done, immense loss of life is certain, in consequence of the appaling destitution that prevails, the utter exhaustion of the means hitherto at the disposal of the Ottoman Government quite precludes, it is stated, the possibility of offering transport to the sufferers. The Russian and Bulgarian atrocities prevent the wretched Mussulmans from returning home. If transports were ready the Porte declares itself unable to decide on the place to send these people, as being used to the climate of Bulgaria, they would soon die if sent into Syria. The hard times are causing more numerous enquiries in England about Now Zealand, especially among farmers. A deputation from the National Liberal Federation met, on the afternoon of Apiil 3, nt the Westminstor Palace Hotel, by Lords Grnnville and Harticgton. The purpose of the delegation was to protest against tho attitude of the Government, to express disapproval of the calling out of the reserves, and proclaim the desire of the Liberal party to gave Great Britain from the shame and misery of an unjust war. The deputation numbered about 1500 representatives from nil parts of the Kingdom. Mr Joseph Cnambcrlain, member of the House of Commons for Birmiiigham presided. Earl Granville, addressing the deputation, said he required no stimulus to adopt a course likely to prevent the country from being dragged into a war which neither its honorable engagements nor national interests demanded, but they would be deceiving themselves and Russia to conclude that opposition could prevent the Government from going to war if the Government was bent on a warlike policy. Lord Haitington said the present duty of the Opposition was to interpose by every means in its power obstacles to any rash ana ill-considered action of the Government, the result of which might l>o war The Earl of Leitrim, his clerk, and driver, were all shot dead on Ihe morning of the 2nd, while driving near his lorcT ship's lodge, Manor Vauj>han, County Derry. The act was committed opposite a cottage from which he had ejected a widow of 89. His tenants were under notice to quit, The Eul's bod y was found in a ditch, with the left hid<- of his head battered in. The fatal shot went through his

heart, his left arm was broken, his clerk was shot in the head. The ground where the murder was committed snowed trace? of a hard struggle. A fowling piece and part of another gun wat found near the spot. A deep feeling prevails everywhere on the subject. In the House of Commons, Under Colonial Secretary Lowther said there was the best reason to suppose that the crime was of an agrarian character. The funeral took place on the 11th. A vast crowd assembled outside the church hissed, hooted, and cheered in turn. Pahis, March 21. Work is suspended in the printing houses, and the publication of books stopped, in consequence of a printers' strike. The war correspondent of the London "Times" was murdered by tho Turks near Macriritza. Drought and famine prevail to a disastrous extent in Morocco. The Queen's message, calling out the reserves, is as follows : — The present state of public affairs in tho East, and tho necessity of taking steps for the maintenance of peace and for the protection of tho interests of the Empire having constituted, in tho opinion of Her Majesty, a case of great emergency within the meaning of the Acts of Parliament in that behalf, Her Majesty deems it proper to provide additional means for the public services, and. therefore, in pursuance- of the Acts, Her Majesty has thought it right to communicate to the House of Commons that she is about to direct that tho reserve force or such part thereof as Her Majesty may think necessary be forthwith called out for permanent service. ' The organiser of the hierarchy, the Rev. Father Frantand, Rector of the S. C. College, is dead. He bequeathed his private fortune to the Catholic Church of Scotland, in oonsequence of the establishment of hi« hierarchy, The Pope nominated the Scotch Episcopate on the 2nd, as follows : — Right Roy. John Strained, D.D., Metropolitan Archbishop of St. Andrew at Edinburgh; Charles Eyre, Archbishop of Glasgow; M'Donald, Bishop of Aberdeen ; M'Lachlan, Bishop of Galloway; and M 'Donald, Bishop of Argyll. The conviction in Vienna is that tho Czar is bent on having Bessarabia back, that he will take it, and that the bett possible thing the Roumanians can do is to make tho best possiblo terms about tho i compensation they are to recoivo. Osman Pasha has been releasod, and received an enthusiastic reception at Constantinople. He was specially thanked by the Sultan, and has since been engaged on defensive works between San Stefano and Constantinople, with which 1 .tho Grand Duke is said to be greatly dis- ' pleased. 1 A Vienna despatch states that Austria l has written a statement of her views, i which was sent to St. Petersburg. Sho > not only insisted upon the European I character of the questions at issue, but > distinctly rejected tho idea of separate 1 settlement. • The London " Central News" publishos • a telegram which purports to bo a sum1 mary of the circular accompanying Prince 1 GortschakofTs reply to Lord Salisbury's, > but which latter seems to be a reply to > Austria's objections. Tho telegram says 1 Prince Gortschakoff endeavors to rofute 1 Austria's objections point by point, and > declares that Russia has fully redeemed 1 her promises to Austria, even at the risk • of the alienation of the Servians. Ho i expresses surprise that Austria has not » seized the opportunity to chock tho dia- > orders in Bosnia and Herzegovina, by • annexation or by imposing reforms. : Prince Gortschakoff, in conclusion, sug- » gests a settlement on tho basis of Con- ' gross, by separate agreement between tho > various Courts, as modifications could bo f introduced in the Treaty of Paris ; and > disclaims all responsibility for furthor > complications if the Powers refuse to agroo • to this course. The ultimate effect of » Princo Gortsohakoff's reply is not reassuring. The suddenness with which the • circular was telegraphed to London, dur- ! ing the dobato on the Address to tho 1 Queen, excites remark. The special > edition of tho " Times" containing it was ' issued about 8 o'clock, and the papers ' were distributed in tho House of Com- '■ mons. The text of the circular of was ■ publishod and framod, with a viow of in1 fluencing public opinion here, and hurried 1 into tho hands of members of Parliament • in tho hope of affecting the vote on tho ■ address. '■ The London "Post" publishes the ■ following despatch from Berlin :—: — Gerf many has not only refined Russia's request to guarantee the neutrality of Austria, but is further reported to have declared that she is prepnred to interfere if any ' attempt is mnde to hinder Austria from protecting her interests. A Vienna despatch says that Russia's answer to Austria consisted of a verbal confidential assurance. The correspondent's informant Hiid that Austria's position was not such as to involve the ques- ; tion of peace or war. The correspondent believes that this collapse of all serious opposition on the part of Austria is due to an autograph letter from the Czar to tlie Emperor Francis Joseph, and partly also to a remark made by the United States ■ Minister to Russia while at Vienna, that the Czar was disposed to make important 1 concessions. Another Vienua despatch says that General [gnat'icfTs mission is to complete the negotiations for a scheme for parallel annexation, which has already found favor nt head-quarter.*. Austria demands Bosnia, Herzegovina. Northern Albania, and a portion or Macedonia, including Salonica. Russia objects to Austria's annexation of a portion of Macedonia, but this difficulty is by no means insurmountable. Ifjnatieff goes to Berlin on leaving here. Russia, by the advice ol Germany, is conciliating Austria, and disregarding England. It is belifved Russia is preparing fora war with England. -200,000 of Russian Landwehr are called out. The " Journal de St. Petersburgh" declares that Russia will not endure a position obliging her to maintain an armament , indefinitely. The Italian Count Carti, Minister of Foreign Affhtis. in answering queries on tho Eastern Question in the Chamber of Deputies, said Italy was free from all engagements except those devolving from treaties which constituted the public law of Europe. The progress of the negotiations between the European Cabinets afforded ground for the belief that there would be a peaceful settlement. In any event Italy would preserve a vigorous neutrality. A tclfgrntn from Calcutta points out that trom the Bengal cavalry alone it is possible to draw 10,000 men, without the slightest detriment to the Indian service They are infinitely superior to Cossacks in training, equipment, and organisation. The British Government storehouses arcso crowded with war material under recent contracts that storage has been secured in warehouses at the Victoria Docks, and the other wharves. Advices from Tiflis state that typhus fever ii raging among tho Russian troops in Asia Generals Melikoff, Sclowitch, and dcholkoffnikoff are reported dead. It is believed moro men were lost by sickness since the cessation of the war than on the battle field (hiring the war. A Speoial from Pora, dated March 19, s\vs : — Gonerrl Gourka's staff and many other officers start for Odessa. Gouvka remains at San Stefano.

In the House of Commons Sir Stafford Northcoto stated that the February dividend in the Turkish guaranteed loan was paid by England The amount wa« £77,448. A portion of that dividend should come from Egyptian tribute, but this was paid. The Khedive promised to forward a part immediately England had taken steps to obtain half of the £77,448 from France, who was joint guarantor. A telegram received from Paris say* that England has askod permission to establish a coal depot at the Island of Tonedos. The British fleet is protected from tor podoes by electric lights constantly burning, and boats making circuits of tho ships. The officora visit Constantinople freely. Mr Layard has received a report from Mr Reade, the British Consul at Rustchuk, claiming satisfaction from the Russian Government for an outrage committed by Russian troops in entering the Rustchuk Consulate, and taking possession of its archives, although the British flag was floating over the building. The Roumanian Government, after repeatedly and vainly asking Russia to explain the daily influx of troops who take possession of the public buildings and private dwellings, and treat Roumania as an enemy's country, have decided to protest to the Great Powers.