ENGLISH NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5170, 17 October 1877, Page 2

ENGLISH NEWS.

(Per Arawata at the Bluff, to August 31.) A Commission has been appointed, consisting of the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Selborne, several of the Judges, Sir W. V. Harcourt, audMr. Torrens, M. P,, to inquire into the working and effect of the laws and treaties for extradition. A strike is imminent amongst the spinners at Dalton. The potato disease has broken out to a terrible extent in the neighborhood of Goole. It is said there is every prospect of famine, which can only be met by importations from abroad. The disease has also appeared in Belgium and Holland. In a discussion on the Colorado beetle, at the British Association meeting, it was generally considered that the English climate was too damp and cold to allow of its hybernating here. The Prince of Wales has sold off nearly the rt’holc of his farm stock at Sandringham, reserving only a few choice animals for breeding. On the Ist of October all general officers who have attained the age of 70 will be placed on the retired list. The list includes all the surviving veterans of the Peninsula and Waterloo campaigns, and' nearly all the brigade and divisional commanders in the Crimea. Amongst the generals are Sir Richard England, Sir W. Codrington, Lord Lucan, Sir W.fKnollys, Sir W. Williams, of Kars, Lord Ilokeby, Sir Edward Sabiny, Sir Patrick Grant, Lord Aire, and Sir Thomas Pratt, who commanded the forces in New Zealand for some time.

The Channel fleet arrived at Torbay from Vego on 27th August. The trial trip of the Shannon, a now powerful ironclad of the new class, came off at Plymouth on the 20th, but was not a success. She was found to be overmasted, and her engines did not work satisfactorily. The Duke of Edinburgh is visiting Athens. The Duchess is still in Russia.

The moat disastrous floods known for years have devastated South Wales. Kail way traffic is 'suspended, and the crops for a circuit of 50 miles are destroyed. Home Rule demonstrations have taken place frequently since the prorogation <f Parliament. On the 18th August a procession two miles long took place through the streets of Glasgow. At a meeting on the same day, Mr. O’Donnell, M.P. for Dungarvon, one of the leading obstructionists, said :—“ Irishmen had conciliated the Government long enough, but now they must stand upon their rights.” Some very incendiary speeches were made, and it was urged that Mr. Butt’s policy for the last four years had failed ignominiously, and that Messrs. Parnell, Biggar, and O’Donnell’s policy must now prevail. A Parnell-Biggar demonstration came off at Dublin the other day, presided over by Mr. W. IT. O’Sullivan, M.P. Letters were read from Dr. Darran, Roman Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor, and from numerous Catholic clergymen, approving of the demonstration. The building was thronged, and the doors were bolted and padlocked, several thousand persons being unable to obtain entrance. On the 26th Messrs. Parnell and Power had a meeting at Bradford, and expressed their determination to carry on their obstructive policy. Mr. Forster, M.P. for the town, was alluded to in very uncomplimentary terms.

The annual convention of the Home Rule Confederation of Great Britain was held at Liverpool on the 2Sth, Mr. Butt, M.P., presiding. The convention adopted resolutions for a more active and vigorous policy on the part of their “paltry” representatives, and endorsed the action of the members of the Home Rule party who were termed obstructionists. At a large meeting in the evening Mr. Butt’s name (he not being present) was received with loud groans. The obstructionists were warmly greeted. The inhabitants of the Caucasus are leaving for Asia Minor. A million of them are said to be taking their departure. Russian attempts to interfere with them have been unsuccessful.

The Ottoman Bank has negotiated a loan of £5,000,000 for Turkey. General Schilden, who was in command of the Russians at the battle of Plevna, on the 20th July, has been sent to Moscow to be tried by court-martial. A telegram to the Daily Telegraph from Pera, dated August 27, states that two months ago Mr. Gladstone wrote to an influential Greek merchant at Constantinople, urging that the Greeks should unite with the Slavs in attacking Turkey. A reply was sent, saying that the best policy of Greece was rather to fight the Russian than the Turk. Mr. Gladstone wrote again, saying he had given his opinion, and was astonished to find the Christians of the East ready to make common cause against the Mussulmans. The correspondence has been submitted to the Diplomatic Corps at Constantinople. The statement having been brought under Mr. Gladstone’s notice, he has written that his opinions were given in the Contemporary Review last December, and he is not aware of having added to them in any letter. Kossuth has made an appeal to the Hungarian nation to take up arms against the common enemy Russia. In many of the Hungarian churches Te Dcums have been sung in honor of the Turkish victories.

Thomas Hendley Carrister, who lately died in Northumberland, bequeathed £209,000 for the endowment of a bishopric for that county. He was a large colliery owner.