ARRIVAL OF THE SUEZ MAIL

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5523, 9 December 1878, Page 2

ARRIVAL OF THE SUEZ MAIL

(PER HERO AT AUCKLAND.) Auckland, Sunday. The Hero has arrived from Sydney with forty passengers and the Suez telegrams.

GENERAL SUMMARY. London, October 25. The British scheme of reforms in Asia Minor has been signed and delivered to Consul Layard. Only a slight modification was made by the Forte. Great satisfaction is felt. The report of a French naval demonstration in the Mediterranean is emphatically denied. The report receives support of the resolution of France to unite with England in preventing Russian ascendancy in the East. Gambetta's speech created an excellent impression by the moderate and statesmanlike tone. He expects the senatorial elections will result in a Republican majority of twentyone.

On Tuesday, thirty-nine persons were arrested at an attempted Socialist Congress. They were put on their trial for holding a public meeting without permission, and were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment. The reduction of the Austrian army in Bosnia is about eighty thousand men, with* a corresponding reduction of expenditure. This has calmed the excitement of the Hungarians. Count Andrassy reports that he feels sure of a majority before which he will argue that the occupation of Bosnia was necessary as a bulwark against Panslavism. Two and a half millions of francs have been stolen from the National Bank at -Ancona., Three bank employes have been arrested. The escaped brigands are alarmingly active. They recently captured a rich landowner named Lavaus and demanded twenty-five thousand francs for a ransom. They captured Signor Larsconi, connected with the Ministry of Justice, and dragged him about the country for five days, owing to the ransom not being paid. Ho was rescued by a party of carbineers.

The Pope is highly indignant with the Italian Government for having imposed quarantine regulations on some Spanish pilgrims bound for Rome. The Spanish Government demanded an explanation concerning the matter. The ex-President of the Spanish Council has been arrested on a charge of complicity in the recent Republican conspiracy. The unredressed murder of a Spanish official at Morocco has greatly incensed the public. Public opinion in Spain urges an armed intervention. Naval preparations have been ordered.

The Russian Government is trying throe hundred and forty Nihilists. Some have been imprisoned at Odessa since 1876. Official contradiction has been given to the reported agitation throughout Russia to compel the Czar to resign. Private letters report the presence of numerous Russian cruisers in Chinese and Japanese waters. The English papers call Lord Harris’s cricketing team a veak one, not fairly representative.

A Montreal Orangeman, tried for belonging to an illegal society, was acquitted, and brought an action against the Mayor of Montreal for a false arrest.

The new Dominion Cabinet is headed by McDonald.

Sentences of death were passed on the Kaffir chiefs Mengatite and Unymacomo. There have been large finds of gold in the Transvaal,

Colonel Scratchley is gazetted with the local rank of colonel in Australia. The Duke of Connaught will be married about the second week in February at Windsor. The Duke of Edinburgh has embarked on board the Black Prince for Canada, to welcome the Marquis of Lome on his arrival. The betrothal of the Duke of Cumberland to Princess Thyra, of Denmark, is announced.

A peerage offered to Odo Russell, in recognition of his services at the Berlin Congress, was declined. Erasmus Wilson and John Dixon have been knighted for services in connection with the Cleopatra needle. Instead-of returning to London last week Count Schouvaloff was summoned by the Czar to Livadia, where it is believed he will relieve Prince Gortchakoff.

There is no abatement in the interest excited in the new inventions for utilising the electric light experiments. It was tried at the Thames Embankment, Waterloo Bridge, and Billingsgate Market. At Sheffield four lights, equal to the light of a thousand standard candles, illuminated an area occupied by 30,000 persons witnessing a football match. Reports from all parts of Ireland concur that the Sunday Closing Act came Into operation on the 13 th. It was received in a favorable spirit, and without any opposition. The breach among the Home Eulers is widening in Ireland, They are tiring of agitation. The leaders, admitting that there is a want of popular sympathy, convened _ a meeting at Dublin to adopt a course for its remedy. Proceedings have been taken by the Board of Trade against the first mate of the Princess Alice and three officers of the By well Castle. A reduction of wages is reported in various industrial centres, and has been resisted in some instances by strikes. The reduction of 74 per cent, on the Clyde came into force on the 21st. It affects forty thousand men. William Stafford, clerk in the Liverpool branch of the Bank of England, absconded with £15,000. He was captured in Jersey, whije landing from a yacht privately hired. |

There have been sham fights at Portsmouth in the presence of the Duke of Cambridge; five thousand were engaged, including volunteers.

Ihe destruction of the Liverpool landing stage in IS7I by an explosion of gas cost the Gas Coinpany £87,000.

A memorial signed by sixty-five Armenians resident m England, and principally engaged in mercantile pursuits, was presented to Lord Salisbury, expressing satisfaction at the prospect of the English protectorate over Asia Minor.

The Alma Mill, at Oldham, containing 30,000 spindles, was destroyed by fire. Damages, £30,000. The joinery works of the Gloucester Waggon Company were also destroyed; the loss exceeds £20,000.

Some large warehouses at Haydon-square, Minoriea, partly occupied by Brown and Gale, Gooch and Cousans, wool warehousemen, were burnt. No Australian wool injured. In deference to public demands the Metropolitan Board of Works are taking steps to remedy the foul condition of Thames water near the sewage outfall, which, it is alleged, has been poisoned by the many bodies of the Princess Alice passengers. The Afghan war excites controversial discussion.

The troops for Khyber Pass will consist of 35,000 men.

The Khan of Khyber will allow the passage of reinforcements sent to Quettab. ° The principal Sikh chiefs and several princes have offered contingents, which the Viceroy accepts, The Russian Envoy, General Skobeloff, returned from Turkestan in the middle of September, accompanied by the Afghan embassy, and proceeded to Livadia, where the Czar is staying. Several members of the Russian mission remain at Oabul.

The Ameer’s reply to the Viceroy’s letter is discourteous and unsatisfactory, miking no excuse for the indignity offered to England by the repulse of the mission, and generally indicating a disposition adverse to a pacific solution.

All accounts, from the occupied districts in Turkey represent Russia as attempting to evade the stipulations of the Berlin Treaty. There are eighty thousand Russian soldiers south of the Balkans.

Russia refuses to surrender her financial administration of Roumelia so long as their troops occupy the province, but promises to hand over any surplus after defraying all expenses government, including the pay of native militia and police under Russian officers.

The military organisation of Bulgaria is proceeding rapidly. A detachment of militia 40,000 strong has been formed. General Todleben is forming an army of reserve in Bulgaria, with a park of artillery. Instead of demolishing the fortresses of Widdin and Rustchuk, they are being armed with cannon. These and similar menacing movements are intended to bring pressure upon the Turkish Government to compel her signature to a supplementary treaty. The Sultan authorises Baker Pasha to employ 20,000 men to complete the defences of Cbataldga.