SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5390, 6 July 1878, Page 2

SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

(men. OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) [The following letter was crowded out of our yesterday’s issue.] Auckland, Thursday. The calling out the reserves causes great distress. Many of the men held good positions, and their wives and families are left almost destitute by the men being compelled to abandon their situations. The explosion of a coal-pit at Haydock shook the earth for "miles around. The first explorer descended the shaft five minutes after the explosion, and others followed. Ten men were rescued alive aucl sent to the surface; one died almost immediately, and the others suffered from after-damp. Eight other men are alive, and have taken refuge in the workings of the mine. Two hundred and thirty-two are dead. The explorers state that they found the bodies decapitated—reduced to shapeless masses —some blown to pieces. A large crowd of men, women, and children surrounded the mouth of the pit. The cause of the explosion is unknown, as blasting with naked lights was prohibited. Various letters from Bulgaria state that typhus fever is increasing with the warmer weather.

A despatch from Bucharest says that the Roumanian and Austrian officers ere very cordial when they come in contact on the frontier.

A telegram from Constantinople says a regiment of Cossacks advanced to the Turkish lines near Belgrade and summoned the Turks to withdraw toward Bujukdere. The Turkish officer replied that he must apply to the Porte for instructions before doing so.

The Porte has also received advices that the Russians are advancing towards Gallipoli, but the Russians insist that all these moves are made for hygienic reasons. There is great excitement and alarm at Constantinople, but the idea of a forcible attack on the city, or occupation of the Bosphorus, is discredited. The Times says the war has already cost Russia about £100,000,000. The passes taken by the insurgents are Diebna, Balkan, and Trojan’s Gate. All attempts to dislodge them have been unsuccessful. The Turkish Commissioner thus far have failed to accomplish their mission. England has agreed that the war indemnity is to be included on the same basis as other Turkish debts on a general plan of conversion.

A Berlin despatch says Dr. Falcfc, the German Minister of Public Instruction, has resigned. It' appears that the liberal views adopted by the Protestant Consistory when the State began to legislate against Catholic establishments, are gradually being relinquished, the growth of atheism among tho laboring classes being thought to demand an immediate return to stricter principles. The Manchester papers carefully point ■ out that it ifi the operatives, not the masters, who surrender, and that the meaning of the resolution passed is that, If the operatives return to work at a reduction, they know they will receive better wages as soon as the employers feel their trade can afford it, and not sooner. A Manchester correspondent says a strong impression prevails that recent outrages, attributed to the striking of the cotton operatives, were not perpetrated by them, but by the lower populace of Blackburn and neighborhood, who are notorious for ruffianism, and have taken advantage of the present moment for their own purposes. As the result of the negotiations, It is believed that a settlement of the strike will be made on condition that the operatives work three months at a reduction of 10 per cent., and that all wages be raised if the work warrants it at that time.

It is reported that in view of the attack made upon the German Emperor the Government has resolved to propose, or even to introduce by administrative decrees, serious restrictions on the freedom and right of public meetings. Efforts will be made to bring about a common action on the part of Germany, Russia, England, the United States, and other countries where socialistic communistic symptoms have lately appeared. Advices from Constantinople represent the Bulgarians throughout Roumelia as perpetrating horrible atrocities oh Mussulmans. General Todleben has ordered vigorous measures against the outlaws. Three Bulgarians, taken redhanded, were summarily executed at Dedeagulch. All travelling in Bosnia is stopped. The highways are infested with robbers, principally Turkish deserters. At Constantinople 5000 refugees assembled, and sent a deputation to the Porte asking relief, declaring that their provisions had failed and that sickness was increasing among them.. The Porte promised that . their rations would henceforth be regularly distributed. A riot occurred, when twenty-one men were killed and seventeen wounded. At Rome a congregation’of Cardinals convened to consider the question decided that under no circumstances can the Pope accept the provision made for him tinder the Italian law of guarantee. Calcutta, May 19. During a performance in the theatre at Ahmedmugger the bnilding caught fire.* Forty persons were burned to death. . • A Calcutta despatch says that orders have been issued for the immediate construction of coastdetences. Madras is tobeprotected by five batteries armed with Co-pounders. Batteries are, also to be erected on various parts on theeasteru coast. Another "battery for the defence of Calcutta is being constructed at Fulton, one of the narrowest points on the Hooghlay River, to cover the torpedo defences. Bombay and Rangoon will be similarly defended. A Vienna correspondent telegraphs that the conciliatory disposition in St. Petersburg was maintained to the end of Count SchouvalofiTs visit, despite efforts to the contrary, and the struggle, political and personal, which has been going on for the past week in St. Petersburg was decided in favor of Count Schouvaloff. Ho is said not to have waited for “an attack, but at his first interview with the Emperor assailed the treaty of San Stefano and its framer* boldly and frankly. The Impression produced on the Caar’s mind is reported to have been so deep that no efforts of his adversaries could weaken it. The effect of the Count’s communication about the extent of concessions which in his opinion must be made if war with England was to bo avoided, was startling indeed, and found expression in the first reports as to English demands being deemed exorbitant, and at the same time so little precise as not to offer sufficient .basis for negotiation. This phase, however, passed away, and now there can scarcely be a doubt, that Count Sohouvaloff goes back to London empowered to make concessions in accordance with the British point of view ; nay more, as it is believed in St Petersburg, to offer great concessions. A Stockholm despatch says _that in the Reichstag the Foreign Minister, in replying to an inquiry, said the report about Germany’s efforts to close the Baltic against the British' in case of war was untrue ; no such proposition had been made. In the House of Commons, Lord Harrington moved a resolution that no forces should bo raised or kept by the Crown in time of peace, save within India, without the sanction of Parliament. He said he bad made this issue very narrow because the question in itself was sufficient to.fix the attention of Parliament, because of delicate negotiations which discus’sion m’ght prejudice, and because Sir S. Northcote himself had said that a general debate at present was not in the interestjo£ the • country. ’ ; ...

Sic Michael Beclcs-Beach moved an amend- . ment at the conclusion of Lord Hartiogtoa’s • , speech, and said that the doctrine laid down by his Lordship’s resolution had been ru- , peatedly departed from in special circumstances, and the House had sanctioned a ■ , declaration that this was a time of emergency, when the Government was resolved, if possible, to employ the Indian doubtful whether practical difficulties would not interfere with its execution, He could not therefore immediately announce the policy which the Government might have afterwards *to confess impossible. The step was taken to counteract the influence of those who were endeavoring to depreciate the valor and loyalty of the people, and to show the world - that we have a united empire. If the Ministry was not to bo displaced it should be supported against petty cavils, ceaseless misrepresentation, and vulgar personalities.—The debate was continued until late at night. The principal Opposition speakers were Sir Charles Dilke, Sir W. Ycruon Harcourt, Mr. Lalng, and Mr. Dillwyn ; and for the Government, Mr. Stanhope and Mr. Chaplin, nearly all of whom confined themselves to the constitutional question. The debate was purely constitution il. In the Upper House Lord Selborne and the Lord Chancellor each took two hours in speaking, and were followed by Viscount Cardwell, Bail Granville, and the Duke of Rutland for ' the Opposition, and Lord Napier of Ettnok and Lord Desman replied for the Government. Lord Beaconsfield closed the debate. Lord Selborne opened the. debate in the House of Lords on the subject by colling attention to the constitutional question involved. Both Houses were crowded. Thq Prince of Wales and the German Crown Prihce and Princess ■were in the gallery of the House of Lords. An enormous peace petition has been accounts have been received from St. Petersburg, and prospects aro again threatening. The Pau-Slavist party are once more gaining the ascendancy. The Russians are said to bo making pteparations to attack British commerce. This attracts great attention. The Times says the United States may be depended upon to do all in their power to observe the treaty of Washington; but if the Russians succeed in equipping their little fleet, they will hardly do much mischief, and are more likely to fall victims to our cruissrs than to inflict damage on our merchantmen. We might have some trouble at first, but a short time will suffice to clear the seas, and make a passage for our vessels from ono port to another as safely as now. The Times printed the first intelligible explanation of the ironclad disaster. It shows.that the Grosser Kurfurst and Koenig Wilhelm were steaming along in parallel lines close together. The Wilhelm was on the left hand, or to seaward, and slightly ahead. The two merchantmen were standing across their course from right to left. Both ironclads ported their helms ancl passed listens of the merchantmen. An order was then signalled to starboard the helm, which the - Grosser Kurfurst obeyed, resuming her former course, while the Koenig Wilhelm continued to port her helm. This brought the vessels directly in contact.