LATE CABLE NEWS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2652, 20 September 1881, Page 2

LATE CABLE NEWS.

[By Telegraph.] (Per s.s. Arawata from Melbourne.) London, Sept. 5. An extraordinary outrage has taken place at Lille, an important manufacturing city of France, in the Department of Nord. A large number of the principal citizens of the place received parcels containing some explosive material, and on an attempt being made to open them these parcels exploded, in several cases with very disastrous results. Many persons were killed and others injured. The cause of the outrage is entirely inexplicable. A terrible railway accident has occurred near Paris. A passenger train from Corbell ran off the track at Charenton Le Pont station, four miles from the metropolis, and was completely telescoped by the Marseilles express train. Thirty passengers and officials were dead when extricated from the wreck, and twenty more sustained severe injuries.

Further riots have occurred in Limerick, and the resistance offered to all attempts to restore order was so determined that at length the Constabulary were obliged to fire on the mob. Twenty persons received bullet wounds of a more or less dangerous character. Later intelligence indicates that the riots in Limerick were even more serious than was at first reported. Several wounded persons now in Limerick Hospital are in a critical condition.

It is rumored that Earl Cowper, Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, intends to resign his office. Earl Benmore is mentioned as his probable successor. In consequence of the massacree of General Carr, seven officers and 100 men of the United States army by Apaches, the American Government have commenced general hostilities against the Indians of New Mexico. Sept. G.

Mr B. Powell lias read a paper on “ Australian Tariffs” before the British Association, which contrasted the fiscal policies of Victoria and New South Wales, contending that the results achieved w.ere much in favor of the free trade colony. A protective policy he held to be fatal to the best intersts of a community. In the discussion which ensued, Mr Westgarth expressed his opinion that sufficient allowance had not been made for the decline of the gold production of Victoria. An unsuccessful attempt has been made to blow up, by means of gunpowder, the Artillery and Infantry Barracks at Castlebar, the chief town of County Mayo. M. Gambetta strongly advocates the principles of free trade. The Liberals are jubiliant over the result of the election for Tyrone, which they assert is to be regarded as a complete snub to Parnell and the Land League, and as indicating that the Irish people are willing to accept the new Land Act as a probable settlement of peasants’ complaints. A number of members of the Conservative party have formed themselves into a Trade Union League. The objects set forth are to obtain the imposition of retaliatory duties on the products of countries whose tariffs are protective and hostile to Great Britain. The formation of an imperial Customs Union is advocated, to include the Colonies and all other integral parts of the British dominions, so that there would be free trade within the empire itself. Consequent upon the establishment of such an union, the colonies would be invited to return members to the Imperial Parliament. In consequence of the success of Irish tenants obtaining concessions, the tenant farmers of Scotland are agitating for reforms, with a view to improve their tenure.

The delegates from the Australasian Churches to the Methodist (Ecumenical Council have arrived. The colonies have now 16 representatives in the Council.

Tropical heat has caused disastrous fires to breakout in the State of Michigan. Tillages have heen surrounded and destroyed, and hundreds of lives have been lost. Families who are miserably homeless* are counted by thousands. Thrilling accounts of the sufferings of the homeless have been published. Sept. 7.

The relations between the Empires of Russia and Austria have of late become strained, and a marked coldness between the two Powers is apparent. This has arisen out of their conflicting interests in the south-east of Europe. The Austrian Press in discussing the question declares that recent indications point to a war with Russia being imminent. Sept. 8. Cholera has broken out at Aden, the British station at the entrance of the Red Sea. Precautions have been taken to secure as far as possible the health of the troops, but the epidemic is making great ravages. A serious crisis is threatened in the cotton trade, owing to the unscrupulous action of a ring of speculators in Liverpool. Operations for some time past have been embarrassed, and manufacturers have been afraid to enter into any extensive contracts. An arrangement has been come to among cotton operatives, and they threaten to stop the mills entirely for a time, in order to suppress the Liverpool ring. A serious railway accident occurred in the State of Kentucky. A bridge gave way as a train was passing over it, causing a terrible smash. Seven persons were killed on the spot and a number of others seriously injured. Energetic efforts are being made to ensure the success of the proposed exhibition of Irish wool, to bo held in Dublin. All parties join in the movement, The members of the Land League have subscribed £SOO, and Earl Cowper has guaranteed a similar amount. Sept. 12.

Piracy is developing amongst the inhabitants of the islands of the Greek Archipelago. Recently an English trading vessel has been seized by pirates at Samos, one of the principal islands situated on the west coast of Asia Minor. Strong representations have been made to the Turkish Government

in reference to the necessity for suppressing these outrages, and vessels of war will be despatched to punish the offenders. Sept. 13. An agitation is rapidly spreading amongst the farming population of England and Scotland in favor of the extension to those countries of the new principles of land legislation embodied in the Irish Land Act. The cession, of the territory given by Turkey to Greece under the recent convention is being peaceably carried out. Much excitement has been caused in the United States by an attempt made at Washington to assassinate Mason, the guard in whose custody Chas. Jules Guiteau, the would-be murderer of President Garfield has been placed. He was shot at by some unknown person, and very narrowly escaped.