GENERAL SUMMARY.

Southland Times, Issue 1145, 21 April 1869, Page 2

GENERAL SUMMARY.

Lokoov, Feb 26. A levee at Buckingham Palace is announced for March 5, and a •*'> aa¥logroom for the 10th. Prince Arthur holds levees at St. James's on the 12th and 19th March. The Queen's return to Windsor is postponed in consequence of the illness of Prince Leopold. The Prince and Princess of Wales, who are in Upper Egypt, will; on their return, *♦ isit Constantinople and Athens. The Judges' report on the election trials, with the detailed evidence, has been laid before Parliament. Col. Henderson, formerly of Western Australia, has been appointed Chief Commissioner of the metropolitan police* Two of the Admiralty officials have been committed for trial on a charge of conspiracy to extort money from gentle* men tendering for supplies of timberActing under the direction of the autho* rities, Messrs Maxwell paid them -£30, whereupon they were arrested. : ■ « The Central Asian question is exciting serious attention, the rapid advances of Russia towards the norjbh-west frontier of India having occasioned alum. The ' Times' suggests that immediate negotiations with Russia should be entered into respecting the neutralisation of Affghanistan. Gales, inundations, and wrecks, have made the month gloomy with disaster. At Glasgow eight persons were k?Ued*by the faH of a chimney. Four hondiwd wrecks have been reported since the opening Of th© year, and great destruction has been caused by floods. - At the Easter Volunteer Review, at Dover, a testimonial of £250 was presented to Corporal Peake, the Wimbledon victor. Another goldfield has been discovered in Sutherlandshire. The American Minister has been lionised at Glasgow and Edinburgh. In his speeches he adopted, his, usual .confident, affectionate, and gushing style. The outbreak of the Maoris and their violence, as reported by last mail, has drawn from her Majesty, through her Ministers, an expression of sympathy with New Zealand. Her Majesty, however, re asserts the principle which associates the obligation of self-defence with the right of self-government. Bills have been introduced in Parliament for the prevention of crime ; the uniform assessment of rateable property in London and the country j the abolition of the religious tests in the universities ; as to the ballot ; as to school and other educational endowments; and for the prevention of the cattle plague. The Theatre Royal at Hull has been burnt down. The Ritualists are generally conforming to the late decision, but under strong protests, ; The Government have declined to receive the memorial of the Irish bishops for permission to meet in convocation. The Fishmongers* Company have made a grant of £1000 to the middle-class schools of the corporation. ; . Mr Fawcett's bill, charging election expenses to the rates, has been, defeated. Continual discussions are taking place in the House of Commons rglativd'to' the position of the Commander-in-chief. The Lord -Lientenant of Ireland made a most liberal speech, at a dinner given to him by the Dublin Corporation. The Naval command at Portsmouth has been given to Admiral, Grant. Admiral Milne will have the command in, the Mediterranean. *.•■!>.*•: ■ v -- ,? The Times notices, with surprise tiiat some Australian banks have become shippers and importers of wool,**cdm« petting, as it would appear, with the merchants in the* colonies and London. In a trial proceeding in the Queen's Bench, some singular disclosures have been made as to convent discipline: It has occupied the Lord Chief Justice and a jury for three weeks. It is a case of assault, conspiracy, and libel, by a sitter of the convent against the superioress. The verdict was for the plaintiff, with -£500 damages. , s * Mr Gordon (of Overend, Gurney, ana Co.) has resigned the offices of director ofthe Union Bank and chairman ofthe Oriental Bank Corporation, and his seat in the directory of the Ceylon Company. The Chancellor has called on Mr I Edwards, as an officer of the Court, of Bankruptcy, to explain hii proceedinjrt'in the Overend business. Tin' days n*¥6 been granted to him for his reply. - 1 An opinion has been expressed in tbi Manchester Chamber of Commerce adverse to free trade, principally on account of the operation of the Franoh-treatyv-A Silk Supply Association is about -to be established, on a like basis to the Cotton Supply. Association. vi i .. iri Sir Chas. Slingsby, and six others, with their horses, have been drowned while hunting a fox, and attempting to cross a river. ' : ' '- '■ '■"■'*' General Codrington has written > public letter strongly opposing the ceding of Gibraltar. — Obituary. — W. Carleton (the Irish novelist), Joseph Hodgson*;' the' Marquis of Anglesey, Robert Keeley, Dr Epps, Sir J. K. James; Mrs Bernard/ Sir Joan . Stone, Lady Murchison, Lord Bussell, Professor Strangways, Lady Sir John Johnstone (from an accifle^t^hile i hunting). " '' ''"""* ' '' x '''"