HOME AND FOREIGN NEWS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 32, 5 January 1884, Page 3

HOME AND FOREIGN NEWS.

CANADA. Lord and Lady Landowne landed at Quebec on the morning of Oct. 28, and drove direct to the Departmental Buildings, escorted by a military staff. A loyal address from the Corporation was read, declaring that the Queen’s selection of the Marquis of Lans* do'srne was highly approved, as a proof that the Imperial Government intended to continue the policy pursued by Lord Dufferin and the Marquis of Lome. The new Gover-nor-General, who replied in both English and French, thanked the Corporation for the reception he had met with, and accepted the address in the name of the Queen. He said ; M I undertake my duties with a sincere admiration for the qualities which have earned for the people of the Dominion so conspicious a • place among the civilised community of the world, with a deep-seated faith in the political institutions under which that place has been won, and with an earnest desire to deserve the confidence which has reposed in my predecessors, and to work hand-in-hand witl 1 you for the advancement of the best inte. tests of your country, and I shall regard it asm y own. The words in your address leave no d oubt in my mind that I may count upon you Io assist me in the utmost of your ability in th t* realisation of this wish. I have, lastly, to ac iknowledge gratefully your wish that our resid enoe among you may be at once agreeable to Lady Lansdowne and myself and useful t< 3 your country. I can assure you that we si aall long preserve most agreeable recollectic ma of the manner in which we have been received in your historical city. His speech made a very favourable impression. The Marquis of Lome who had been waiting some little time, me’ pped on-to the dais in front of the Throne to receive his successor. The Canadian Chief Ji ifttice then swore in the Marquis of Landsd 3wne with the usual ceremony. The Marquis o-t Lome, who had been standing a silent Spectator of the ceremony, stepped from the finis as the Marquis of Landsdowne became Governor-General. The Marquis and Marchioness of Lome embarked,for England on Oct, 27. They wwe loudly cheered on their departure. A despatch was received from Montreal last which professed to give details of a •» most dibolical plot directed against the life of Lord Landsdowne.” According to this statement the Irish dynamite faction in New York, on the first news of his lordship’s appointment to the Governor-Generalship, formerly condemned him to death, and a few specially determined desperadoes were told off to carry out the sentence, A plan was arranged for blowing up the Allan liner, the Circe .ssian, as she lay off Rimuski, a town near the mouth of the St. Lawrence, where in criming steamers remain for some time to la o.d mads and passengers. The desperadoes w «re to row out to the steamer in an ordinary t K)at, in which were to be concealed two or 1 >hree powerful dynamite machines. These machines were to be discharged against the Circassian below the water-line, the miscreants hoping to make their escapes in the consequent panic and confusion. In the event of Lord Landsdowne landing at Rimouski, arrangements were to have been made to attempt his life on the railway journey by blowing up one of the bridges. These particulars came to the ears of the police, and were communicated to Sir John Macdonald, the Prime Minister, who at once convoked a special meeting of the Cabinet, at which it was decided to take the minutest precautions for his Excellency’s safety. This despatch further states that “ Telegrams from the provinces show that wherever the news transpired intense excitement and indignation prevailed, which it is feared may develops into a bitter and anti-Irish movement. EGYPT.

According to the latest official returns of the health of the British Army of Occupation in Egypt a marked decrease has taken place on the sick-rate of the troops, there now being about 7 per cent, on the sick-list, as compared with nearly 9 per cent, recorded in the previous return. Before the outbreak of cholera in that country the average sick-rate of the troops under General F. Stevenson, C. 8., was 8 per cent., so that the present return is of a more favorable character than any yet received from Surgeon-General J. Irvine, the principal medical officer in charge of the troops. There are now scarcely any traces of the recent severe outbreak of cholera amongst the British regiments in Egypt, those stationed with the convalescent corps on the Mokattam Heights being entirely free from the disease while the convalescents are all progressing favorably, The majority of the troops in hospital are suffering from slight digestive and ophthalmic attacks. The following is the average sick-rate amongst the various regiments, from which it will be seen that the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, are still suffering more severely than the other corps from ill-health, and it is understood that this regiment will be one of those selected to return to England in the course of next month: —Army Service Corps, strength 889, 3 per cent, sick; King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 662, 4; Boyal Engineers, 186, 8.2; Royal Sussex Regiment, 776, 5 J Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, 648, 5; Cavalry and Mounted Infantry, 645, 5*4; Royal Highlanders (Black Watch), 792, 6; Boyal Artillery, 462, 7; Gordon Highlanders, 740. 8; Royal West Kent Regiment, 260, 8; sundry corps at lAlexandria, 9; Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, 495,18. It may be added that of 200 officers only four are on the sicklist. Several officers of the Army Medical Department will return to England on the reduction of the Army of Occupation next month, the majority of medical officers, however, who have arrived in Egypt from India in connection with the oholera, remaining for some time in Egypt to form the nucleus of an efficient sanitary system. A deputation, representing a small section of the British residents in Alexandria, wailed upon Sir Evelyn Baring on Oct. 5, and asked if he could not state approximately the date at which payment of the indemnity awards would be made. Sir Evelyn Baring replied in the negative, but added that the question was under consideration of the Government. At the same time he pointed out to the deputation the anomaly of the foreign residents holding the Egyptian Government responsible for the destruction of property, and asking for indemnity, while they enjoyed exemption from taxation and contributed nothing to the means of protecting property. For this reason Sir Evelyn declared that he perceived no ground for exercising undue pressure upon the Government, which would, however, expedite the payment of the indemnities as much as possible, The Nile is rising rapidly, in consequence of the discharge of the reservoirs in Upper Egypt. Strict orders have been sent to the engineers in charge of the reservoirs to use great caution in emptying them, as otherwise serious damage might be done. The expected decrees of the Khedive granting an amnesty for crimes connected with the late insurrection, with the exception of murder and outrages on women, and dissolving the prosecution committees and courtsmartial, are officially published. The German Medical Commissioners who, by permission of the German Government, are about to proceed to India to prosecute their investigations into the causes of cholera have arrived at Cairo. They will start in the course of next week, after having previously made an inspection of the quarantine stations El Toi, Moses Wells, and El Wedj. The Board of Health is highly dissatisfied with the action of the British Consular Agent at Port Said in having forced the disembarkation of two persons from India who were undergoing quarantine. The Cairo correspondent of the Daily News telegraphs as follows:—Two officers and 150 Egyptian soldiers were killed by the Arabs in a mountain defile twenty miles south of Souakim, on Oct. 18. They were on their way to reinforce Tewfik Bey, the acting Governor of Souakim, who is now surrounded at the Sinkat Sanitorium on the route from from Souakim to Berber. The French Consul at Khartoum reports that the road from Souakim to Berber is in the hands of the Arabs. A Standard telegram says:—Telegraphic communication between Souakim and Cairo is still interrupted, as all the Country round Souakim, Kasala, and Singat continues in a state of open insurrection. On the 18th instant a strong force of Arabs, armed with spears, surprised and massacred 168 Egyptian soldiers and two officers in a gorge between Souakim and Singat. M. Lemay the French Consul at Khartoum, has reported that he is unable to proceed to hi s Po gt as the route from Souakim to Berber continues unsafe.