CONTINENTAL NEWS.

Southland Times, Issue 954, 20 May 1868, Page 3

CONTINENTAL NEWS.

In the sittings of the French Legislative body, a bill fixing the army contingent at 100,000 men has been discussed. M. Eouher, in reply to M. Picard, said the relations of France with foreign powers were excellent, and the clouds which had begun to appear, and which had caused alarming reports, were now entirely dispelled. According to a petition from Algeria, discussed in the Senate, it appeared that prior to January 15 not less than 200,000 natives had perished of hunger, and it was estimated that ere the next harvest is gathered the number of victims will be 500,000. A disturbance has taken place at Toulouse and Nantes, from the dislike of the working population to the drawings for the National G-uard Mobile. Crowds sang the Marseillaise. Barricades were erected, and several arrests effected. Prince Napoleon has visited Berlin on a dipolomatic mission. King Louis 1., of Bavaria, leaves a fortune amounting to more than £9,600,000 sterling. It is asserted in Government circles in Berlin that the King of Hanover has at his disposal 40,000,000 f, An assembly of cardinals and prelates has been summoned to meet at Rome, for the purpose of consultation on the question of the revision of the concordat with Austria. A serious conflict took place at midnight on the 26th March, at Brussels, between the troops and rioters. The ' Nord ' publishes the text of the ukase of the Emperor of Russia, which annihilates the kingdom of Poland, and amalgamates ten Governments in that kingdom with the rest of the empire. The special administration for Poland will cease on the 13th of next July, when Poland will be completely absorbed in the gigantic empire of the Czars. The Austrian Parliament has adopted a civil marriage bill, notwithstanding the clerical opposition. A pamphlet has been issued by the Emperor Napoleon in vindication of dynastic arrangements. Conscription disturbances continue in Prance.