EUROPEAN INTELLIGENCE.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 12, 22 December 1877, Page 2

EUROPEAN INTELLIGENCE.

(From the latest N. Z. Papers.) London, October 17. CnEFKCT Piwha, after pawling a third convoy into Plevna with provisions and ammunition, was returning toward* Orehanic, when ho succeeded in capturing from the Russians at Elich largo supplies of cattle. The Turkish arniv corps, while concentrating near the Danube, bad a slight skirmish with the K-UtyUaa near KadiThe Egyptian troopa. have been sent to Varna, Sulieman Pasha's pisitions have been bombarded from Etonian tloatiiiL' batteries. 6 The RiwUm in the ITanltoi dofilo have been reiuforCvXl liy two additional regiment*. fhert iw thr .. ; n the Pais,

Sulieman Pasha reports the roads unfil for the movemenej ot his troops. The contemplated visit of tie- EnprßH of Russia to Bucharest has be n abandoned, in cooacqtteaee of the removal of the Russian headquarters to Si-tova. October 24. Sir H. G. Elliot succeeds the Right Hon. Sir Andrew Buchanan as English Ambassador at Vienna. The Blackheath highwaymen have Ken sentenced to seven yean imprisonment. President MaeMahon presided at a Ministerial Council yesterday, when a message from the Chamber was discussed. " Le Moniteur" says that. after the Council, the President told AI. Fourtoti that there could lie no Ministerial changes for the present; that the Du Broglie Cabinet must meet the Assembly, and defend its policy. Tle-re has been a Kaffir outbreak on the frontier. Eight thousand Ualekas attacked the Colonial Police and 2000 Fingoes, and were twice repulsed. The (.'ape troops and Volunteers are moving to the front. Cleopatra's Needle, which was being towed to London, wa-s abandoned in the Bay of Biscay on the 17th, in consequence of a heavy gale. It was recovered on the 24th." October 31. The- Russians have captured Selekiie, on the road to Urchanic. They also took prisoners seven companies, a pasha, and several officers. Three guns were aNo taken. Mukhtar Pasha telegraphs that tinRussians are encamped at A/.us, three hours' distance from where his army is placed. The French Ministry has resigned in order to leave President MaeMahon free. A free pardon has been granted to Alice Rhodes, condemned to death for the Penge murder. The sentence on Staunton has been commuted to penal servitude for life. .November .-,. Ministerial changes at the Port.- arc imminent owing to the disasters to the A division of Zimmerman's Corps lias advanced, notwithstanding the Lad W.-athe,-. Telegrams From Stamhonl say that Soli an Pasha has been ordered to assume the offensive. Chefket Pasha has retired from the command at Orchanie. and has been superseded bv Mehemet Ati. Ismail Pasha is appointed to the command at Erzerum. Saddler beat Kelly to-day on the Thames. Stake—£4oo. November 0. The Russian forces in Asia attacked if.he Turkish positions at Erzcruni on Misndav afternoon. Ai't- ten hours' fighting the Turkish Centre was shattered. Mukhtar Pa-fa was slightly wounded. The Russians at Vetsva on Friday were repulsed, with the loss of .several hundred men Two thousand five hundred Servians are massed on the frontier. Skirmishing lias commenced. It. is reported at St. Petersburg that [gnattetf has stated that Russia would be certain of German sympathy as a consequence, of the annexation of Armenia; also in view of tie, formation of Independent States un the Lower Danube. A telegram to the "Times" states that Kars is closely invested. The Russians have invested the western side of the Euphrates valley over Bardali. Mukhtars position at .Devitzoyan is nearly untenable. The Russians now occupy country close to Orchanie. Mehemet Ali has arrived at Sophia to take command of the army at Orchanie. Russian dosorters report that Gourka has been killed. Great uneasiness is felt regarding the Pope's health. He never rises from his chair. His weakness is general, and is increasing. French election Council's General continue inexorable (sic.) At a meeting of the Left it was decided that no member should assume tile formation of a Cabinet without a guarantee against sudden dismissal. The Indian Famine Fund closed with a total amount subscribed of £446,000. November 7. Mukhtar was completely routed on Monday at Devitzoyan. He is now retreating to Trcbtzondi. It is reported that the Russians occupied Erzerum "yesterday. The inhabitants objected to Mukhtar's defence of the city. It is setni-orttcially reported that a Russian army of 70,000 men will cross the Balkans under Gourka, regardless of the fate of Plevna, and Advance on Adriauople. November S. The French Chambers met yesterdayAfter transacting some formal business, the Senate adjourned. M. Grew has been elected President. The Assembly was three days occupied in examining the returns. Real business commenced about the 12th. The capture of Erzerum is confirmed. | Barnahy has left London for Bulgaria,' J!e hoj.es to puter Plevua.

November 11. There is no news of importance from Plevua, The Turkish km to October 2j hj estimated al lii ,DiK). Tin- Bunions have oeeupied rXoprlkoiThe commandant at Kara rejected the l proposed terms for capitulation. The Russians continue bombarding tli» - city. The " Morning Post" correspondent says:—The Turks having abandoned the place, the Russians occupied Eraeram. The Russian troops arc before Devitzoytui, where the Turkish troops are strongly entrenched. A large Russian force holds Semikole. Mukhtar Pasha telegraphs that the Russians attacked Azazia on the 9th,and were defeated with great loss, and pursued beyond Devitzoyan. November 12. T!ie Russians are bombarding liatum. An official Turkish despatch from Kai-s states tliat the Russians summoned the garrison to surrender. The Turkish commander declared they would resist to the last extremity. The Pope's death was reported in Paris to-day. November I.'!. Plevna is completely invested. The "Daily News" status that it is amply provisioned. The Russian Government invite subscriptions for a live per cent, loan of £13,000,000. Then' has been more fighting at Shipka Pass. The Turks report that the Russians lost .">()<) men. The Russian cavalry are scouring the country between Plevna and VVidden. The members of the National Assembly met yesterday. A committee was appointed to enquire into the means employed at tbe elections to detort. The organs of the Left assert that if the Senate vote to dissolve again the Assembly will not submit. The death of the Pope is denied. Tie- rumors of foreign peace negotiations are denied. Urchanie i> strongly reinforced. The bulk of the Russian army More Plevna is withdrawn behind the Jautra, though Skoliulolfis still cannonading the place-. Lord Beaconsfield, at Guildhall, said he hoped soon to be able to bring about a consent to peace without affecting the independent • any European Power. Skobelotf, on the evening of the 9th, in a dense fog, captured the heights of Plevna near iJie Lofteha-road, and during the night his troops entrenched themselves. The Turks made two desperate attempts to dislodge them. It is reporti-d that troons are destined to cress the Balkans regardless of Plevna, and march towards Tirnoru. K.-irs is to be well provisioned. Fourteen thousand Kurds threaten the Russians at Hassan Kale. The Prince of Montenegro has attacked Antivari with twenty battalions. Tle-re has been a terrific gale inland and on the coast, an 1 much damage to property and shipping. .John Welch has been appointed American Minister to Lon lon. At the Colonial Hank dinner Sir Julius Vogel reviewed the history of New Zealand, and warmly extolled its advantages. A New Zealand band Agency Co., with a capital of one million is announced.

(From the European Mail.") It is rumored that Sir Arthur Gordon will, when a vacancy occurs by the effluxion of time, be appointed to the government of a neighboring colony. It is stated that in consequence of the splendid way in which the two Roumanian regiments behaved on September 10, before Plevna, the Czar has distributed as many as forty-three decorations amongst, the. soldiers of tinsaid regiments. Prince Charles has decorated the Kith Militia Regiment by placing the Star of Roiimania on its standard.

Tin l Emperor of Russia lias conferred the Cross of Commander of the Order of St. George on the Prince of Roumania, who, in recognition of the honor, went to the Imperial head-quarters, and, at the tame timo, presented the Emperor with tilt; Grand Cross of the Roumanian Order of the Star, which His Majesty accepted. The first detachments of the Russian Imperial (iuard passed through Bucharest on September 18, bands playing an'd colon dying, on their way to the seat of war. The men Sang in chorus as they marched along. General Gourko brought up the rear. The troops present a splendid appearance, but have, up to the present, seen little service. The streets were lined with people, and the ladies in the balconies threw flowers upon the soldiers as they passed. The French Government has just adopted a very formidable gun called a catuion-rcvolver. The peculiarity of this arm consists in its capability of throwing SO shells per minute of rather more than I lb. each, which break up into 24 fitigmcutH. The cannon-revolver can be brought into action and the range determined with great rapidity, and When once sighted it can be worked without thc> slightest recoil and traverser! by pivot action. Its destructive eSbeti can thus be brought to bear on troopt either In column or deployed It com

i;. net I •be iff etiva i • the tj r.«^ , '■ of ant ."i.ooo varda. The fiisi delivery of tliU formidable arm to the French Government is principally for the us.- of the Navy. The guns are Bred from and resting on the bulwark-, and are intended for torpedo-boat Marching; in this form the weight of the piece i-, only about 700 !bs., but as field pieces the additional gear required brings them up to about Hioo lbs. Two men only are required to move the gun itself, it is considered to be a most formidable weapon, ami attention should at once be given to so important a subject by tin; English War (fffico. It is stated that the Turkish Government purchased live or six of theso cannon-revolvers, but, being unable to pay for them, the guns remain undelivered.