NEWS BY THE ENGLISH MAIL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2144, 4 February 1880, Page 2

NEWS BY THE ENGLISH MAIL.

THE REIGN OF TERROR IN EUSSIA. Notwithstanding the most rigorous and unceasing inquiries and researches in all directions the police authorities are without the least clue which is likely to lead to the discovery and apprehension of the actors in the plot against the life of the Emperor. There appears to be a well-founded suspicion that one of the individuals who took a leading part in the attempt had escaped from transportation to Siberia. The investigation of the affair by the police is being vigorously prosecuted. Though the distance is nearly 450 miles, military posts were stationed along the whole line, at every fifty paces, when the Czar travelled from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Each post consisting of several men grouped around awafehfire. A considerable force was required to protect the Sovereign on his perilous journey. On the Czar’s entry into St. Petersbury his sledge was surrounded by a cloud of officers, concealing him entirely from the public gaze. At (lie sight of his Majesty standing erect at the window of his saloon carriage an enthusastic cheer burst forth, which was taken up and continued all along the streets through which the Imperial cortege had to pass on its way to the Winter Palace. The Czar, evidently touched at the truly affectionate welcome accorded him on all sides, and probably still labouring under the emotion of the last few days looked paler and more melancholy than even previous fo his departure for Lividia. A grand illumination took place in the evening, and, despite the severe cold, the principal streets and the banks of the Neva were thronged with spectators until a late hour of: the night. The results of the investigations for the discovery of the perpetrators of the heinous attempt on the Czar’s life, which, to all appearances, -was long premediated, and designed and executed with great forethought and skill, are up to the present far from satisfactorv. T 1 ic would-be murderers, favored by the darkness and confusion, seem to have quietly effected their well - planned escape without leaving behind them any traces of their identity. Quito a number of pictures of the Emperor and Empress, as well as other members of the Imperial familv, were beside a sacred lamp burning under the effigy of the Saviour and the Virgin found in the house from which the mine, most artistically constructed, had been laid and ignited by the spark of a powerful electric battery. There can scarcely be a doubt of the conspirators being educated men, well versed in the art of engineering and the latest improvements in the adoption of electricity.

The most experienced detectives and police officials at the command of the cheif of the gendanncrie have been hastily despatched to Moscow to-ferret out the conspirators engaged in the atrocious crime. Their duty will be no easy one. But even more difficult than the discovery of the would-be regicides is the task imposed upon Government of surpressing the Nihilist hydra. As all means to be conceived for the realisation of this object have been already enforced previous and after Solovieif’s attempt on the Czar’s life, scarcely anything remains to be done but to appeal to the nation itself to take in hand the re-establishment of public order and peace. Whether the autocrat Czar, after the failure of his despotic rule, will be wise and prudent enough to avoid a catastrophe by the inauguration of a truly liberal and constitutional government, is now the topic of the day in Russia. . Intelligence from St. Petersburg describes the Czar as still resorting to the most careful precautions to secure him from further attempts upon his life. Whenever he drives out policemen in plain clothes are sent before to reconnoitre and watch the streets through which he purposes to pass. The Czar never stirs abroad otherwise than accompanied by Circassians of his bodyguard and a strong escort of gendarmes. The guard in the Winter Palace has been strengthened, and the number of sentries posted outside, especially on the riverside, has been increased. A CAPTIVE COLONEL. A telegram from Cairo states that a collision between Abyssinia and Egypt is so probable that nothing bu t prompt action on the part of England and France, is likely to prevent hostilities. King John of Abyssinia sees his opportunity, and is ready to push it to the utmost. Colonel Gordon is still detained by the Abyssiuiaus, who refuse to allow him to communicate with Egypt. It is stated that the Khedive has ordered his general in the Soudan —Colonel Gordon being in captivity—to remain upon the defensive, and not to attack the Abyssiniaus. But this order was clearly superfluous ; the Abyssinians are the aggressors, and they appear resolved to carry out their programme at all risks. _ The matter is really serious. Egj r pt is in no cond:lion to stand tbc strain of war, and the Abyssinians, remembering their success on the previous occasion, when the Egyptians thought to force the fighting are not likely to retire without having tested their strength. THE SULTAN’S SUPPLIES STOPPED. The purveyors of the Sultan s palace have suspended their daily supplies in consequence of the non-payment of their long-standing bills. If there be any foundation for the reports coming from different quarters, touching the finau-

cial distress of the Porte, the above measure is not astonishing. Osman Pasha is represented as securing his enormous salary by main force. The provincial inspectors of finance lately appointed find the public coffers empty, and in some instances when they ventured to remonstrate with the local authorities, they got notice to quit the vilayet within a stated number of hours. THE INYENTOE OP THE MINIE RIFLE. M. Claude Etienne Minie, the inventor of the rifle which bears his name, did in Pails on Deo. 14. He w r as born in 1 arts in 3801, and took part as a private soldier in several campaigns in Algeria. His good conduct brought him promotion, and it was as captain in a battalian of chasseurs that he conceived the idea of improving the muskets used in the army. He became an instructor of musketry at Vincennes, and in this capacity introduced fresh changes into the construction of firearms. He retired in 1858. NARROW ESCAPE OF AN INDIAN LINER. The British India Steam Navigation Company’s ship Eldorado put back to Plymouth after encountering some terrific weather in the bay of Biscay. The Eldorado left London on Dec. 1, commanded by Captain Kerr, and manned by sixty lascars, with four English quartermasters and English officers and attendants. Her passengers numbered ninety-five including a large number of ladies and children. On the night of Dec. 3 a storm of terrific violence arose, and one of the ventilating shafts having been carried away, the water poured into the engine-room and stokehole, put out all the fires, and of course stopped the engines, and the steamer lay helplessly in the trough of the sea. Captain Kerr called up the gentlemen passengers, and told them that with the help of all hands the ship might be saved. Though most were suffering from sea-sickness, the response to the call was nearly unanimous, nor was there any panic among the ladies. The passengers formed lines from the upper deck to the engine-room and stokehole, bailing with buckets. With no food, except an occasional biscuit moisted with brandy, they kept at their task throughout the night, with the exception of one or two wholsuccumbed to exhaustion. The wind that night did not abate, but there was no rain. Late on the next night it was found possible, to relight some of the fires, and the donkey engine was worked during the night. There were occasional lulls, by morning the engines were set in motion, when many of the workers were utterly exhausted, and all were blackened with coal-dust and dirt. The plight of the ladies was even worse. Penned in the dark the,whole day, with Hooded cabins and next to nothing to eat, and with in fants in charge, their position was very wretched, but great courage was shown by those who were least ill, and two American ladies volunteered to do duty as stewardesses while the attendants were employed in other duties elsewhere. On the second morning, after the gentlemen had lit the engine fires, the galley fires were got to burn, and coffee was dealt out among the ladies. They got their first warm meal at midday. The captain considered it necessary to return to Plymouth, water having got between two skins of the ship, and washing up below, started the plates under the stokehole. The first thing done when the passengers met in the saloon on Dec. 5 was to hold a thanksgiving service.

THE FIG HTING NEAR CABUL

The “ Times ” correspondent at Cabul under date of Dec. 14, gives the following summary of the important events of the last few days - “ General Roberts has known for some time that he has had to face the' likelihood of several gatherings of malcontents. One of these, which had its origin in the neighborhood of Ghuzni, and was supported by the . preaching of some noted fanatical raollahs, took place near Maidan. On the 10th inst. General Macpherson had an action with the Kohistan insurgents, whose movements for a junction were quicker than those of the Ghuzni men. lie easily drove them back northward, with only Colonel Fitzllugh wounded. He was then joined by General Roberts, who, upon his arrival, ordered that General Macpherson should move the next day along the road towards Urghundeh, and that BrigadierGeneral Massy, with a small force of Horse Artillery and cavalry, should cooperate with iiim by the valley road. Brigadier-General Massy, who advanced too confidently through a difficult country, intersected with watercuts and studded with walled villages, suddenly found himself confronted by the Ghuzni insurgents in great force. Loth to retire, as prudence dictated, he opened fire with his guns, but without checking the advance of the enemy. The cavalry charged in order that time might be given for the guns to be extricated, but the enemy were too numerous and the charge was repulsed. A second desperate charge was attempted with a similar result. In attempting to withdraw the guns they got into difficulties, were upset in the watercuts, and passed for some time into the hands of the enemy. The gunners and cavalry retreated, covered by the 14th Lancers. General Roberts, who had ridden out from the camp, rallied a portion, and Captain Deane, a volunteer, rallied some others. Colonel Macgregor, chief of the stall:’, met the latter party, and under his direction and guidance the guns, which fortunately the enemy could not carry away, were reeovored. No words of praise are too great for this action. The enemy, triumphant from Brigadier-General Massy’s mishap, had in the meantime marched towards, Cabul and would have entered the city, hut that General Roberts, with great forethought, had guarded the defile with two companies of the 72ud Regiment, who were reinforced by the cavalry he had rallied. General Macpherson altered his route accordingly, and pressed the enemy’s rear, without, however, beingable to bring them to close action. The insurgents, finding themselves between General Macpherson and General Roberts, betook themselves to the hills above the city. On the 12th instant General Macpherson was instructed to dislodge the enemy from the position which they had taken on the lulls above the city, and from which they had made during the night several determined attacks. General Macphorson’s attack was directed against a very steep conical hill called Taktishah, which was held in great force by the enemy. The ground to be covered by the attacking party was very extensive, and the progress of tin* troops was slow, owing to the nature of the ground and the determined resistance of

the enemy. Night approached before the final assault could be made, and General lloberts ordered the attack to be suspended for the night, the troops holding the ground they had gained. Next morning General Baker, with a strong force, made an ineffective assault and two companies of the 92nd Highlanders, under Major White, went to his relief. The Highlanders advanced with the greatest determination, only halting occasionally for breath. The enemy receded before this steady advance, and would not wait the final assault. As the Highlanders approached the summit they streamed away, and Colonel Money occupied it unopposed a few minutes before the Highlanders could reach it. Meanwhile large numbers of the tribesmen and sepoys, who had spent the night in the neighboring villages, attacked General Baker’s troops left at the foot of the heights, and spread themselves over the country as far gs Siahsang. These were not finally dispersed until General Baker was rejoined by the troops from the hills, and until the cavalry were despatched in several directions from Shirpur. In this service all the cavalry had an opportunity of distinguishing themselves. THE DISTRESS IN IRELAND. A large meeting of tenant farmers was held a few days ago at the chapel of Fahey, a township about four miles from Westport. Contingents arrived fromWestport,lslaneady,Aughangower, Kilmena, Clogher, and Newport, with banners bearing inscriptions, such as “ Give weeping Erin her right,” “First for reductions,/ “ The priests and the people.” A considerable lot of excitement was caused by the ;appearence in the course of the proceedings of two shorthand writers representing the Government. The chair was taken by the Rev. Mr O’Donnell; there were about six thousand people present. In the course of the Chairman’s speech he said: If the Government do not come to the assistance of the people they will be more to blame than in 1817, because now they have experience of famine which they had not then. (A Voice: “ They do not want to save us ”) The Rev. Chairman supposed the Government wanted to ascertain the truth as to their condition when they had sent their reports, and it was the duty of all present to give them as much help as they could. They were not acting as beggar men, they were not calling for charity; but they demanded what it was their right to get —employment. In the same way in which the people were bound to support the Government in their necessity, the Government were bound to support the people in case of necessity, and surely there was no necessity greater than starvation. The Rev. gentleman was the principal speaker, and after the passing of several resolutions expressing the object of the meeting, the proceedings terminated in good order. Meetings held recently at Carnlongh, on the skirts of Ulster, and at Carrick-on-Shannon and Ballina, are remarkable for the constant repetition by Uavitt, Killen, and Daly (Parnell being absent from all of them) that their movement was within the lines of the constitution, and that they did not counsel violence. They all declared that landlordism must be abolished, and in return for having been prosecuted, they directed all their (ire upon Lord Bcaconsfield’s Government, which expends money, as they said, in subduing naked savages, and would not feed the people of Ireland. They exhorted the tenants to organise, not only for the purpose of refusing to take any farm from which a tenant had been dispossessed, but to resist all evictions, and to return to Parliament the supporters of Mr Parnell, the “ second and greater O’Connell.” Near Loughroa a notice has been posted on a landlord’s gate containing a rough likeness of the gentleman, with an Irish peasant presenting a revolver at his breast. It also made a strong appeal to the tenants to pay no rents. At the Connaught winter assizes, at Carrick-on-Shannon, true bills have been found in the cases of Davitt, Daly, Killen, and Brennan. The writs of certiorari removing the trials to the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court were then put in. Mr Killen then put in bail, and it was stated on what was said to be good authority, that the Government had decided not to proceed further with the prosecutions. THE TICHBORNE CLAIMANT. The English public has been reminded again of the existence of the Tichborne claimant. It will be remembered that the “ unhappy nobleman” was sent to prison for two terms of seven years each, on separate indictments for perjury. Of these one term will have expired in about a twelvemonth lienee. A doubt has been raised whether it was strictly legal on the part of the judges—the Lord Chief Justice, Mr Justice Mellor, and Air Justice Lush—to make the sentences cumulative. Apparently, the Attorney-General is by no means certain on the point, since he has advised that a writ of error shall be granted. The case will therefore be argued in due course, but it will be simply a dry legal disputation, and none of the romantic incidents of the original trial will be re-opened. REFRACTORY EXHIBITS. The friendly Zulus are on strike, and neither their importer, Mr Colley, or their employer, Mr Farini, knows what to do with them. Their agreement is for £3 a month, board and lodging being found. They now ask £6 10s. the chief mutineer against the terms of the existing contract being a Zulu named “ Jim.” One of the compatriots, “ Squash,” is willing to continue upon the present arrangement. But manifestly he is only “ ratting.” Mr Earini declines to make the advance, and Mr Colley declares he will not be troubled with them for a day, or for an hour. Mr Earini has brought them before a magistrate, whom he has entreated to lock them up ; but the magistrate replied that he has no power in the matter, and all that Mr Farini can do is to sue the former subjects of King Cetewayo in the county court for breach of contract. A South African native in a metropolitan county court would certainly be a triumph of civilisation. Meanwhile “Jim’s” temper Is decidedly nasty. He left the magistrate’s court, muttering threats against “ Squash,” and if Mr Earini does not take heed he may find that the assagai can he used with unerring effect in London as well as at Isandula.