ADDITIONAL MAIL NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5293, 13 March 1878, Page 3

ADDITIONAL MAIL NEWS.

(i’ROM ODR .OWN correspondent). ; The likelihood of the Prince of Wales visiting Australia in 1879 is revived. Colonels Englin, Wood, Howland, Pitt, and Jarvis have gone with reinforcements to the Cape. A number of Gatling guns, firing a thousand shots a minute, have also been sent. . The Chimborazo took 50,000 salmon eggs for New Zealand. Lord Beaconsfield expressed surprise that • Earl Carnarvon should not have returned to the Cabinet when the orders for the fleet to enter the Dardanelles were withdrawn, that being the ground of his resignation. Sir James Eergusson was defeated by a considerable majority at Greenock, owing to the .circulation of a placard at the last moment announcing the Conservatives’ intention to ask for a war vote. The Conservatives were also beaten at Perth and Leeds. Lord Charles Beresford has been swindled out of £l-100 by a Chinese servant, who forged his name. An order sent to Chatham for all the dockyard hands to work overtime caused some excitement. The war vessels preparing for sea at Chatham are the ironclad Monarch (8322 tons), Northampton -7323 tons), Penelope (1394 tons), besides several large unarmoured vessels. More hands have been engaged for all departments at Woolwich arsenal, and for Plymouth and Davenport dockyards. ,J- A regiment which was under orders to leave ' Portsmouth has been directed to remain there, :■ and hold itself in readiness for other movements. Snlieman Pasha, after his defeat by Gourka, escaped towards Gallipoli with 40,000 men. The Porte simply protested against the second entry of the fleet into the Dardanelles. Pifty thousand refugees are at Oonstantinople. Many are armed. There are disturbances and great distress in the capital and throughout Roumelia. Small-pox and fever are increasing among the refugees at Constantinople, and the distress is very great, _ The Emperor of Germany subscribed £2OO to the International Refuge Fund, The Austrian subjects residing in Roumania have been summoned to report themselves to the Austrian Consulate, in view of possible Austrian mobilisation. There are many petitions against the retrocession of Bessarabia to Russia. Considerable Russian reinforcements are ariving at Jassy. At Athens it is feared that in consequence of the reports of . atrocities in Thessaly it may become impossible to restrain the troops from recrossing the frontier. A St. Petersburg letter from a semi-official lource states that the retrocession of Bessarabia is a personal question with the Czar. A St. Petersburg correspondent telegraphs that notwithstanding Lord Derby’s explanation, the sending of the fleet to Constantinople and the Parliamentary vote of credit have produced a profound, impression here. He thinks these acts constitute a breach of neutrality justifying immediate war. Fortunately the Government has not adopted this view, but is sincerely desirous of avoiding further complications. It would be dangerous, however, to impose on this conciliatory spirit. With the general public war with England would be very popular, and in the small circle of those who influence the foreign policy of Russia several urge strong measures. The moment is critical, and even a simple want of tact on the part of the British Cabinet might have most serious consequences. A Vienna correspondent confirms the report that the British action has produced a serious impression at Berlin and St. Petersburg as to the question whether the Porte, by admitting foreign inen-of-war, does not give Russia the right to march on Constantinople, In the House of Commons Gladstone suggested an address to the Crown from both Houses of Parliament, assuring the Queen of support in the Conference, instead of a vote of credit. Gladstone said the armistice removed all apprehension of 1 Turkey being encouraged by the House to look for English aid, and also removed the reason for persevering in the vote now that there was not any apprehension of the Russian occupation of Constantinople. The Govern- , ment, by the menacing attitude they proposed, were taking a step in the direction of barbarism and violence. In urging that the vote of credit should be withdrawn in favor of an address to the Crown, which he had proposed, he said he conceded the necessity of supporting the Government by some declaration before they entered into the Conference, and he would support the Government in using their influence to induce Russia to relinquish her claim for the retrocession of Bessarabia, and also for the free navigation of the Danube, and in obtaining liberal terms for Turkey as far as was consistent with the interests of Turkish subjects. Gathome Hardy, the Secretary for War, pointed out that the Government were Ignorant of the conditions of the armistice, and that the Russian army had reached a point which, if negotiations failed, might be dangerous for Europe. It was important to be prepared, because of late wars were sudden and unforseen. The Russian basis of peace was exceedingly vague, and although Government had been told the condition relative to the Straits was withdrawn, it still remained a good object to secure a permanent and solid peace. Grudging £6,000,000 now, might involve a future ‘expenditure of £600,000,000. TheGovernmenthad been misrepresented throughout the country, and they were not now going to accept an empty vote of confidence. If the vote of credit should be denied, it was time for them to resign. They did not desire to lead a crippled existence. The Bower* were armed to the teeth, and a single spark might light the fire threatening. It was for the best interests of the country that they asked the House to give them this credit vote, so that they might perform their part in European affairs for the benefit of mankind.