GENERAL SUMMARY.

Southland Times, Issue 1019, 11 September 1868, Page 2

GENERAL SUMMARY.

LoiTDoir, July 17. The Australian May mail, due urLon* don on July 18, did not arrive until the evening of July 16. The letten were not delivered until the morning of the 16th, The London bankers a3a ntifc chants were hard pushed to prepare &• plies, while it was impossible for. those in the country to send answers by the present mail. The vexation and inconvenience created has increased, the demand for an improved and more frequent service.

The Southampton portion of the mails is not expected till the 21st The Queen is at Osborne, and in good health. She proceeds to Germany early next month, and will remain three weeks, travelling incognita. The state concert and public break* fast at Buckingham-palace Garderls m*H great successes. The Duke of Edinburgh on his arrival proceeded to "Windsor, accompanied by Mr Yorke: He was met ; by the Queen and the Boyal Family at the ontraric« t6 the casile: . ....... ...^ „:,:, , A. fete was given to Prince Alfred ftt the Crystal Palace, and was attended by 30,000 people. / The Queen visited the Galatea, and was received by the Duke, who presented all his officers to Her Majesty, and conducted her through the ship. r! *HerMajesty inspected the ship's company. In the evening the puke entertained ft brilliant party, including ;,, the; Prince c& Wales, at dinner on board the Galatea, which was illuminated*

The Duke of Edinburgh was ill th« House of Lords when the Bishop of Ox* ford alluded to the Aftstralufo; attempt btL nis life, which the Prelate ip'tly iritrof duced in vindication of his .speech .-about destroying the church for the sake of disarming the assassin. ; -_ ; .^ r i-<" Sir Eobert Napier has been raised to the peerage by the title of Baron Napier of Magdala. A pension of £2,000 a-year has been voted to him. It is expected that he will get the comntander-ship^in-chief of the Indian forces: t ' , « ; Great preparations are beittg made iot the forthcoming general election. In response to a requisition, the Lord Mayor called a meeting of citizens ' at the Guildhall to express their views on Mr Gladstone's Suspensory BilL Nine speakers were heard. A general melee took place. . IMstieiiffs were resorted to, and chairs thrown about. The Lord Mayor was struck twice or thrice, and left the hall without putting the motion. The meeting separated ingreat confusion. The Conservatives of Edinburgh hare resolved to invite Lord Stanley to become a candidate for the representation of that eittf -^ ' ' ' '"■' ' '' ■•'■■■•'' '-^ The Conservative graduates of the University of London have passed ; a i& solution supporting Mr Lowe; t •*. " Parliament is rapidly disposing of tn# remainder; of the business, preparatory to a dissolution. : . The Corrupt Practices Bill has passed through Parliament. Its provisions will be enforced at next election. A bill has passed the Souse or Coni* mons to make provision for the appointment of members of the Legislative Council of New Zealand, and remove doubts respecting past appointments.. A bill was also passed defining, the.powera* of the General Assembly of New Zealand to abolish any province iiithift colony, or to alter the boundaries of guch province* """ j Government intend to grant a medal to the troops employed in the late war in New Zealand; The Lords' amendment of the Scotch Beform Bill has been accepted by the Commons. The London morning papers have been authorised to state that it is not true, •« announced by the ' Owl,' that Sir JamwT Ferguson has accepted the governorship * of South Australia and Tasmania. ] : ' A fire, unprecedented : in extent, has occurred on the Cleveland Hills, in Yorkshire, It was occasioned by sparJta from a railway engine. The" moorp ignited, and burned- uninterruptedly forfive days. The fire ran along the moon, enclosing them as in a chain. The extent of ground covered by the fire was twenty-four square miles. Sheep and other animals were burnt, and thousands of birds and young grouse ; destroyed; T Professor Grote has been elected president of London University College in room of the late Ijord Brougham. The new Foreign Office was inaugurated by Lord Stanley by a grand dinner and assembly. An address has been presented to Governor Eyre by a large number of gentlemen, having property. in, ..or. con*--nected with, the West Indies. Madame Rachel is now in Newgate waiting her trial. j; j King Cole, of the aboriginal black' eleven, has died of inflammation of the lungs. : At the Newcastle Summer Meeting the Northumberland Plate was won by Fortunio, Tynedale second, Tarahar third.- •■■•". ' ' The arrangements for the marriage of - the Crown Prince of Denmark nave been completed,.; .'..;.... . -,jt^ -.« - A material reduction, will be made m the charges for 1 messages the Atlantic cable, - "

*fb§ Abyssinian trophies have Wen inhibited, by command of Her Majesty, in the South Kensington Museum, An imp©?fcant debate has taken place In the House of Commons on the subject of telegraphic communication with tho B»ti • « . * , A few of the New Zealand colonists resident in England have presented a v itaff to .the Bishop of Liebfield, • Another outrage by the Spaniards tspon ' " fen English vessel is reported. V The jPope has issued a bill summoning - .aa cßcutnenical council for December, 18?0, to mark the completion of his twenty-five years' of office. This is the longest term a Pope has eve? reigned. . -„ Mi Wilkinson, late manager of the v JToint Stock tHseount Company, convicted r ' and sentenced to five years penal servi- . : tilde for fraudulently appropriating -, money, has been released by order of the x- '■■ Home Secretary, the proceedings against him being the result of a mistake. The affair has now assumed a strangely com- . plicated aspect. , ,Mr Tallerman, of Melbourne, is exhibiting beef and miitton brought from Victoria, which has arrived in excellent condition. 'The Times' of the 17th inst., in a leader on the subject of the importation into England of fresh meat from Australia, says "it must seem unnatural to us as to the Australians, that at the distance of only seventy-five days ; from such plenty, people should be perishing of hunger in London. The health of this country and the prosperity of the colonies depend in a great measure Upon our ability to avail ourselves of such aT>^danc6;'*. In New York 300 deaths havt occurred from sunstroke. The French army is to be considerably reduced by a six months' furlough being granted to as many men as possible. , Government has definitely arranged to buy. the telegraph lines. The heat of the last few days has been intense. There were several deaths from sunstroke, and Borne fires occurred. Fresh, insurrectionary movements have occurred in Spain. Several generals have been arrested. The Duke and Duchess de Montpensier have been ordered to leave Spain. They are charged with being in league with the insurrectionary party. Some observations by Napoleon on political assassination are attracting much notice. At Dunkirk the immense store-houses Belonging to the Messrs Bourbon have been utterly destroyed by fire, with their "contents; The estimated loss is twenty millions of francs. The money market fluctuated during the month. The Bank rate of discount is 2 per cent. In the open market the demand was a little stronger, and the rates 1£ -to 2r per cent. Consols, 94f to 94£. The Great Britain's manifest includes l,6oocwt. of Chilian wheat.