ENGLISH NEWS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1271, 4 May 1880, Page 2

ENGLISH NEWS.

• a.**-*■ jL (SPECIAL TO MELBOURNE AGE.) London, April 20. The American Congress has decided to assist the promoters of an International Exhibition open to all the world, to be held in New York in the year 18$3. A munificent subsidy for tfye purpose of the undertaking hag beepiprqmised, and in manufacturing and mercantile circles the project been taken up enthusiastically. The affair ia'to be oar tied out upon a scale of unprecedented magnitude. An ovre exhibition was opened yesterday at Berlin, uhder distinguished patronage, consisting of almost every known species of fish, from all parts of the world, together with an infinite variety of angling and science of iphthyology in its manifold aspects. Prince Frederick William was present, and presided at ' the inaugural ceremony, Arrived from Port Chalmers, Waipa, ship, sailed 19th January ; from Lyttelton, Hurunui, ship, sailed 23rd January ; from (jisborne, Lqchnagar, barque, sailed 9th January from Blufip Harbor, Jessie Headman, ship, sailed 18th January. " ! -.i : April 21. The Home Rulers are divided on many essential points of their programme. Mr. Mr Sullivan, the member for Louth, and a political writer of distinction, has published a statement on the present aspect of political. affaips, which has given brage to several members of liis party. Several allegations have, been warmly resented, and Mr. *E. Collins, the late member for Kinssdsj has; in respect tp th? same,' initiated a criminal proseqution against Mr, Sullivan for libel.

Mr! W. L. Montagu Oorry," C.8., J , private secretary to the First Lord of (he ■ Treasury infthe Beaconsfield Ministry, has ' i been, raised <to the peerage with thetitle of Baron Rowstein. i Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, late Speaker ; of the Victorian Assembly, has arrived in ; Paris, cn route for London. He is said to have declined ah invitation on the part of i several Irish constituencies to stand at the late general election. April 22. A tremendous conflagration ocourred in one of the most populous portions of the f suburbs of Ottawa, the capital of the'. . Canadian Dominion, resulting in enormous destruction of property, The flames, : owing to a strong wind prevailing, spread . with the greatest rapidity* rendering all attempts to check their progress futile. Thousands of persons were rendered homeless and utterly destitute by the ravages of the fire. A public subscription, aided by the Marquis of.Lorne and,the Prinoess ; Louise, has been opened for the relief of the sufferers. A serious, disaster occurred last night at the theatre attached to Mr. Patrick i Gilmore's Gardens, ' New York. The structure which was capable of holding about 10,000 persons, was not of a sub- . stantial nature, and had " been used for . some time'as a hippodrome. During a i performance, the roof fell in, - burying i hundredsof people in the debris. Many i persons were injured, and in 25 cases the i effects are likely to be fatal. April 23. A telegram has been received from the i Viceroy of India announcing that a L brilliant victory has been obtained by ■ General Sir Donald! Stewart over a large s army of hostile Afghans. General Stewart, who had left Candahar some,"/; ; weeks ago with a strong, force Under hia" -i command, for the purpose of laying siege to Ghuznee, was aattcked by the enemy , , numbering over 45,000, some miles from i the city. A desperate ; battle ensued. r The Afghans had the advantage of posi- —. s tion, being posted on eminences com-- ~ i roanding the Ghuznee road, but the heavy - artillery of" the British caused dreadful havoc in> their ranks. After some hours : hard fighting, the Afghans were defeated* > and fled, leaving 2000 dead and wounded rr • on'the field. The British casualties were' '' I comparatively light, the number ot killed I and wounded being 132. Following up , his victory, General Stewart, without de- ~ E laying to pursue the enemy, ordered the cavalry forward to take possession ,of - .Ghuznee before the retreating Afghans 3 could recover from their panio. The city ■ - was soon reached, and occupied in force r without'any organised attempt at resistance from the inhabitants, the majority of r whom fled on the approaoh of the British. > General Stewart's army is now in full i occupation of Ghuznee. April 24. i The delay of the Turkish Government , in ceding Qussingee, in Albania, to i Montenegro, under the provisions of the fc Treaty of Berlin, threatens to lead to • i serious complications. The Prince of ; I Montenegro has ordered his troops to. t march upon the town, and oocupy it by i force if necessary. The inhabitants, r many' of whom are Mahomedans, have - united, and already several sharp en- > counters have taken place between the i Montenegrin troops and the Albanians. 5 Sourabaya, April 23. The George Arkle, British barque, ' hoqnd to Australia, went ashore on > Driven Island, but came off afterwards, x ! without assistance. London, April 26, >• Intelligence has been received from I- India that fighting has been renewed by • the Afghans at Ghuznee, The enemy, ' i after their recent defeat at the hands of ! General Stewart, retreated to the hills, in ' the vioinity of the oity, where their scat* ' tered forces were concentrated. A council ■ of war having been held by the rebel chiefs, it was decided to attaok the British : from the heights, whioh in part overlook Ghuznee. General Stewart was fully [ prepared for the emergency, A deter* : mined assault wasi made upon the city, i but the Afghans, were repulsed with great slaughter. During the encounter, over - 400 of the enemy were killed. Thq 1 British casualties were trifling. (SPEQIAI) TQ MHEBOTTBNB ARGUS.) London, April 21. His Excellency Sir Garnet Wolseley, Governor of Natal and the Transvaal, haft been directed to return to England forth' with. His Excellency Sir A. Musgrave has read a paper on Jamaica, of which island he is Governor, before the Royal Colonial Institute, There was a large attendance on the occasion. The Royal Geographical Society have awarded their gold medals to Mr. Ernest Giles, the Australian explorer, and Lieut, The Right |Hon. C. E. QhUders haa resigned the Chairmanship of the Royal. Mail Steamship Company for political reasons, A terrific hurricane has swept over the Northern and Western State? of America. Marshfield, a town in the State of Missouri, was destroyed, and 100 people were either killed or fatally injured. The o| the houses were wrecked caught fire. Intelligence has been received that the Hagaras, a tribe friendly to the British, have captured Ghuznee, the Afghan rebel stronghold. The lochia tan chiefs have arrived at Qabul. They are well disposed ta the British, The news that King Theebau had caused 700 men, woman, and children to bo burned alive as an expiratory sacrifice to the deities, with the view of averting an outbreak of small pox, is denied, April 83. Mr. Childera has renewed the proposal a Commission should take charge of the British court at the Melbourne International Exhibition. It is believed thai the new Government will arr&qge the matter. V April 24 A4§*fc?u<itive fU'o has occurred at Hull, . in Canada, causing damage to the amount; of 3,000,000 dols. The Right Hon. R. Lowe, who filled successively the offices of Chancellor of the Exchequer and Home Secretary in the last Liberal Cabinet, is to be raised to the peerage. The Porte is dismissing the English Lv» spectors of Gensdarmes who wereappointed during a,fter the late war. April 25. The Prinoess Frederick Sophie Marie of Hanover, eldest daughter of H.R.H. the Duke of Cumberland, has been married at Windsor Castle to Mr. Hammington, her father's secretary. The Royal Family of Hanover and the Prince and Pringegq of Wales were not the ceremony, April 26, It is stated that the revenue of the Indian Government was over-estimated by L3,000,00Q for election purpose*, Russia insists on the execution of the assassinator of Col. Commeroff, who was fired at and killed in the streets of Pera on the 29th February last. : The Standard believes that the exclui sion of the Radical element from the new Ministry will render Mr, Gladstone's course in the House of Commons a difficult one. Her Majesty hesitated to send for Mr. Gladstone to form a new Administration, but yielded. to the persuasions of Lord Hartington and Earl Granville.