LATE ENGLISH NEWS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 30 June 1880, Page 2

LATE ENGLISH NEWS.

[FROM MELBOURNE PAPERS.] London, June 16.

The Duke of Manchester proceeds to Melbourne as honorary Commissioner, and will be accompanied by his daughter, Lady Childers.

The Minister of War and Mr. Thomas Brassy, Civil Lord of the Admiralty, have signed as members of the Colonial Defence Commission. The Commission has adjourned its sittings until August. Sir Daniel Cooper, of New South Wales, and Mr, W. A. Macalister, the Agent-General of Queensland, have already been examined. Sir A. Blyth, Agent-General for South Australia, -will be examined when the Commission re-assemble 3. It is not expected that the report will be ready before 1881. .Tune 18. The Agents-General for the Australian colonies intend to meet and discuss the wine duties. Mr. O'Donnell's amendment of the question as to the new French Ambassador at London led to a wrangle with the Speaker, who had altered it. The Speaker threatened O'Donnell, who suddenly left the House amid ironical ohe^ra. June 19. Mr. Gladstone has approved of the principle of local option with regard to the licensing of public houses, but has objected to details whereby it is intended to bring the principle into operation. Recent despatches show that Mr. Layard, when Ambassador at the Porte, threatened the Sultan, and stated that in order to secure the reforms and good gov-ernrftent for Turkey the Powers must be prepared to go further than menace. He has been mstrucced to avoid menace for the future. The Albanians have issued circulars directed to the Powers protesting against the cession of Albania and other places to Montenegro, and declaring that sooner than submit they will perish with their wives and families.

At Providenoe, America, "Wallace Ross, a sculler, has beaten Hanlon, Boyd, and others. Hanlon stopped rowing through illness. The action of the British Government in threatening to enforce compliance with the Berlin Treaty, is supported hy France and Italy, but Germany and Austria are averse to extreme measures.

An International Wool Exhibition is to be held at Philadelphia. The French Chamber of Deputies are investigating the nature of certain atrocious cruelties alleged to be practised on prisoners at New Caledonia, jfane 21.

The Daily JSJevs states that the rising agaiqst by tribes in Central Asia is spreading.