GENERAL SUMMARY.

Southland Times, Issue 891, 31 January 1868, Page 2

GENERAL SUMMARY.

Another batch of Alabama claims correspondence has been submitted to Parliament. Lord Stanley stated officially that England will never submit to foreign arrangements in claims involving the right to recognise belligerents. The French Opposition had assailed the Eoman intervention policy. The Austrian Premier advocates the assembling of the Eoman Conference, with powers unpledged. In the Italian Parliament, Prime Minister Menabrea justified the arrest of Q-ari-baldi. Many political arrests have been made in Italy. The Italian Q-overnment has ordered 300,000 Ohassepot rifles. The Austrian Cabinet informs the Pope that the Vienna Parliament must legislate on the Concordat. King Theodore, of Abyssinia, is said to have ordered the execution of the English prisoners. One thousand persons, in and about Calcutta, perished by a cyclone.

More earthquakes, and loss of life and ! property, have occurred in the Windward and West India Islands. i The Island of St. Thomas has been purchased by the TJnitpd States. < President Johuaon has sent his message > to Congress, and reiterated his objections to the Reconstruction Laws. The Cotton Tax has been repealed in the House. The proposition to impeach the President failed in the House by a vote of nearly two to one. Horace Greely's nomination as Minister to Austria was confirmed, but he declined. The first session, 40th Congress, closed at Washington on the 2nd December. The second session immediately opened. The President sent a message on the 3rd, in which he enlarged on the Civil War and its results ; the paralised state of the South, and the growing feeling adverse to Negro supremacy. He speaks of the enormous frauds perpetrated on ■ the Treasury, reviews with despondency the financial position of the country, states that the public debt on the 30th June was 2,692,199,215 dollars— shewing a reduction during tie fiscal year of 91,226,664 dollars. The military strength was 56,315. A general Indian war was averted. The building of the Pacific Railway is progressing. The speech caused great excitement. A motion for the impeachment of the President was lost by 108 to 57. Parliament adjourned on the 7th December to the 12 th Feburary. The London cabmen struck on the 3rd, on account of a new law compelling them to carry lamps. The operation of the law was suspended. William Hogan, who is supposed to have supplied arms to the Fenian rescuers, in Manchester, has been arrested at Sligo. The present attitude of Trance renders the Conference on the Roman question impossible. Her Majesty's Theatre was totally destroyed by fire on the 7th instant, just after the audience retired. The cause is unknown. Tremendous funeral demonstration expressing sympathy for the executed Fenians, took place in Manchester, Cork, and Dublin. In Manchester, 10,000 : in Cork, 20,000 ; in Dublin, 50,000 Jlrishmen turned out. London, Dec. 10. The Times praises the House for its refusal to impeach the President. It expresses the fear, however, that the President will accept the action of the House, as a new endorsement of his policy, and from this, concludes that all hope of a sound reconstruction must be deferred. It is inferred from the tenor of the Speech made by M. Rouher, in the Corps Legislatif, that" the French Emperor has adopted a policy which coincides with the views and desires of the Clerical party. Preparations have been made in this city for a public funeral on Sunday next, in honor of Allan, Gould, and Larkin, and it is feared that a serious riot will ensue. Paris Dec. 10th. Minister Rouher has made some official explanations in regard to the old Luxemburg despatch. He affirms that the first suggestion for a change of frontier came last year from Prussia, and declares that, since the settlement of the controversy which was followed by the London Conference, France has entertained no thought of territorial extension by negociation or conquest. Beelin, December 10th. The Prussian House of Deputies has voted to transfer the Foreign Office of Prussia to the Budget of the North German Confederation. Private treaties indemnifiying the displaced Princes of Hanover and other Provinces annexed by Prussia have been approved by the Diet. Dryse, the inventor of the celebrated needle gun, is dead.