LATE CABLE NEWS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2574, 21 June 1881, Page 2

LATE CABLE NEWS.

(From Melbourne Papers),

London, June 6,

Mr Healey, M.P. for "Wexford, one of the most youthful and extreme members of the Home Rule party, in the course of a bombastic speech, bitterly denounced Mr Foster, the Chief Secretary for Ireland, as the oppressor of the Irish people, and challenged him to mortal combat in a duel to be fought with swords. This proposal has excited general amusement, especially as Mr Foster is a well-known member of the Society of Friends. A plot has been discovered at St. Petersburg to assassinate the new Emperor of Russia. Twenty Nihilists were cautrht as thev were concluding their plans. The assassins intended to use firearms, A mine has been discovered at the Gatschine railway station. It was to be fired by means of a battery, which was connected with the telegraph office. All the clerks in the office have been arrested. An infernal machine, charged with dynamite, has been found in the Czar’s church. There is increasing terror in Russia, owing to the activity of the Nihilists. Even the army is suspected. It has been considered advisable under the circumstances to postpone the coronation of the Emperor. The Russian police are pursuing the ; r investigations into the recent conspiracy to murder the Czar. Besides the criminals already executed, twenty-one persons have been arrested on suspicion of complicity, and con fessions made implicate a number of others. The Theatre at Belfast has been burnt. The building was almost new

and was one of the ornaments of the city. J une 10.

The Lusitania which left Sydney on April 21, and Melbourne on April 26, conveying from both ports a quantity of frozen meat and fish in her refrig erating chamber has arrived safely in the London docks. The success of the experiment was perfect. The freezing machinery acted throughout most satisfactorily, and the temperature of the chamber never, even at the time of the greatest heat when the vessel was passing through the Red Sea, exceeded 2d degrees. The passengers during the whole voyage were supplied with frozen meat ■which was pronounced excellent. The residue will be taken by the steamer Orient for the outward voyage. Of the provisions placed on board the Orient steamer Lusilania at Melbourne the milk perished, but the meat arrived in fair condition, A great comet is reported to have been seen at Kimberley, Transvaal, South Africa. June 11. An extensive fire has occurred at St. Johns, a largo and important suburb of Quebec, by which 1200 houses were destroyed and thousands of persons rendered homeless. The loss is estimated at £2,000,000. June 13. A daring alterant has been made to rescue the prisoners M'Grath and Kevet, the Fenians, who are confined in the Liverpool gaol on a charge of attempting to blow up the Liverpool Town Hall with dynamite. The warders had previously received the alarm, and when the mob assembled in front of the prison the}' made their appearance armed. The would -be rescuers, numbering about 300, finding that preparations had been made to resist an an attack, retreated. The military have been called upon to guard the prison.