HOME & FOREIGN GABLES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10064, 4 February 1909, Page 1

HOME & FOREIGN GABLES.

[By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.

(Per Press Association.) Received February 3, at 10.55 p.m. Durban, February 5,

The convention has reached a complete agreement, and will rise to-morrow. Though there is no official information the news is confirmed that Capetown will be the seat of the Legislature and Pretoria of the administration. A draft constitution was completed a fortnight ago, save the preamble and site of the capital. After a week Natal and Orangia were persuaded that they had no claim, and left the decision in the hands of their colleagues of the Transvaal and Cape Colony. All compromises, including the suggestion of a neutral 6ite were rejected. The delegates were physically and mentally wearied by the interminable and apparently futile discussion, and the crisis came yesterday evening. The delegates now propose to address meetings in their respective centres to expound the constitution, which will be submitted simultaneously to special sessions of Parliaments at the end of March. Afterwards the convention will assemble again to consider amendments, and. assuming that there are no insurmountable obstacles, the Imperial Parliament will pass an Act on the petitions of the South African Parliaments, and it is possible that union will be accomplished next year. Received February 4, at 0.40 a.m. St. Petersburg, February 3. There is great excitement in Russia and France over the Lopukhin affair. [M. Lopukhin, formerly chief of the Russian detective service, and a member of one of the oldest and most distinguished Russian families, was arrested at St. Petersburg in connection with the revelations of Azeff, agent-provocateur, who was recently condemned to death by a secret tribunal sitting in Paris. It is alleged that Lopukhin received delegates of the Russian Revolutionary Committee in Paris, and gave information regarding Azeff. Lopukhin is also accused of appointing Bakal as director of the Warsaw police, who afterwards joined 1 the revolutionaries, revealing the police secrets. Seventeen others were arrested with Lopukhin.]

The Duma has re-assembled and is interpellating the Government regarding the welfare of the secret police, calling attention to Azeff's duality as agent of the secret police and a terrorist, alleging that Lopukhin was the investigator of Azeff's and others' crimes. Durban. February 3. Dinizttlu has concluded his evidence. The witness was in the box for 11 successive days. Obituary—Right Hon. Lord Robertson, Lord of Appeal. [The Right Hon. James Patrick Bannerman, Lord Robertson, was bom in Perthshire in 1845 and was called to the Bar in 1867. He was appointed* SolicitorGeneral for Scotland in 1886, Lord Advocate for Scotland 1888, Lord Justice-Gene-ral of Scotland 1891, and one of the Lord Justices of Appeal in 1899. He sat in the House of Commons for Buteshire from 1885 to 1891.] Viennese opinion its regards the Russian proposals are highly suspicious, as it thought they would result in Bulgaria falling into complete dependence on Russia. Turkish acceptance is doubtful, though the Council of Ministers reported favorably.