EUROPEAN INTELLIGENCE.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 29, 20 April 1878, Page 2

EUROPEAN INTELLIGENCE.

(From the lr.test Colonial Ropers I London, March 1. Tin: United States Silver Coinage Bill was passed on reconsideration by a twothirds majority of the Senate, and having thus set aside the Presidential veto, it becomes law. March <t Tho navy estimates amount to 111,000,000.' Tho King of Italy has been vested with the English Order of the Outer. Four divisions of tho Russian army reserve have been called out for activt service. " Tho Times " announces that the Porte has ordered the Governor of the Dardanelles to prevent the further passage of war ships. The " Now York Herald " states that a Russian warship baa arrived at San Francisco. March •'!. The Bulgarian question has been arranged ; the Russians have made substantial concessions. The claim to the Turkish fleet lias been abandoned, and the signature of peace is imminent. March 4. Cardinal Franchi has been appointed Pontifical Secretary of State. The Right 1 lonorable Gathorne Hardy. in presenting the army estimates, said that the British army was in excellent condition, and numbered 110,000 regulars, and 400,000 of the auxiliary forces.

An Austrian occupation of Bosina and Herzegovina is imminent. The Prince of Wales visited the Paris Exhibition on Saturday, and tho various colonial commissioners who are now in Paris, were presented to His Royal Highness. The conditions of peace between Russia and Turkey have been signed, and all movements of Russian troops in Turkish territory have ceased. Russia has renounced her claim to the Bulgarian and Egyptian tributes to the Porte. March 5. Tne Colonial Office proposes the appointment of a committee, consisting of naval and military officers, to determine upon the best plan of defence for colonial ports. March 0. It has now transpired that onlv the preliminaries of a treaty of peace between Turkey and Russia have been signed. A definite treaty is to be eventually drafted at St. Petersburg. According to the preliminary terms, Erzeroum is to be restored to Turkey ; but tho question of the Dardanelles is reserved. General Ignatieff takes tho Treaty of Peace to St. Petersburg for ratification. Meanwhile, though its publication is deferred, its leading articles are known. Those conditions which were menacing to British interests have beon withdrawn. Bulgaria is to be autonomous under a Prince, chosen by an assembly of notables who are not members of the leading reigning families, and is to be occupied by Russian troops for a period of two years. March 7. The indemnity to be paid by Turkey to Russia has been fixed at 1410 million roubles. It is expected that a European Peace Congress will be held at Berlin, to be presided over by Prince Bismarck ; this Congress to take the place of the proposed Conference at Baden Baden.

In the House of Lords, Earl Derby said that England desired the settlement of the Eastern question by the Conference as a final European, and not in the sense of a Russian settlement, in order to maintain the balance of the rival races.

The European Conference is fixed to take place at Berlin, with Prince Bismarck as President. The Swiss Guards at the Vatican demanded three months' pay as the usual allowance on the death of a Pope. The concession was granted. Of the indemnity of 1,410,000,000 roubles to be paid by Turkey to Russia, certain territory in Armenia is to be taken as representing 1,100,000,000. The balance, :U0,000,000 roubles, is to bo paid in money. March 8. In the course of a long debate in the House of Lords the Earl of Derby said that although the treaties of lS.iij and 1871 had now virtually ceased to exist, they must be held to be binding until Europe has sanctioned a substitute. He hoped tho Conference would effec! a European, and not a Russian settlement of the Eastern Question. The latter he said would involve difficulties, the issue of which would be uncertain. In the House of Lords, to-day, the Earl of Derby, replying to a question, confirmed the announcement of a European Congress, or Conference, at Berlin, for the holding of which he said Austria had opened negotiations with the other European Powers on n basis proposed by England. He added that the British Government had asked that the whole Treaty of Peace between Russia and Turkey should be: submitted to the Congress. A colliery explosion has token place at Kilsyth. Sixteen porso'ns were killed. March 11, All the European Powers have accepted the invitation to take part in Ihe Peace Congress, to be hold at Berlin, L'nglaml demands the admission of Greece to the Congress. An anti-Bassian meeting was held in Hyde Park.

A steamer was destroyed by the oil Cape Kli;i, and .*>oo Circassians perished. The Right 11..n. \V. R. Gladstone retires from tho representation of Green wieh at the next election.

A change of Ministry has taken place at Quebec, with Mr. Joly as Premier. Frequent Cabinet Council meetings are being held in view of the uusettled conditions of European affairs. England and France have accepted the propisal for a European Congress at Berlin. It has been announced that Mr. Gladstone will not be a candidate at the next general elections. The Austro-Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs, in asking for a grant of (10,000 florins, said that the European Powers must demand at the Peace Congress such a limitation of the claims based on the results of the RussoTurkish war that the granting of them might not affect Europcon or AustroHungarian interests; and so that any single Power attempting on its own responsibility to secure a solution of the Eastern difficulty, Would have to encounter a European coalition. March 12. Count Andrassy has repudiated the reported occupation .scheme in reference to Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is reported that there will be joint action on the part of England and France respecting Egypt. The Western Powers are supporting the right of Greece to representation at the European Conference. The Italian Ministry formed in December last by Signor Depretis has resigned. Signor Carioli, the new President of the Chamber, is now trying to form a Cabinet. It is scrai-officially state'l from Vienna that war is regarded as inevitable unless Russia submits for consideration at the European Congress the whole of the conditions of peace agreed to by Turkey. (From fhe "European Mail," Jan. IS.) A race for the Sculling Championship took place upon the Tyne on January 14 between Boyd unci Higgins. Boyd took the lead, and at a quarter of a mile led by a length. He was soon half a length clear, but on his going into Higgins's water and the latter pulling up, a foul occurred near Redheugh Bridge. Higgins was obliged to get into another boat, and Boyd, going on. finished alone. The referee gave his decision after landing at Newcastle in favor of Higgins on the foul. Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen will ask the leave of tin; House of Commons to-night to bring in a Bill to legalise Colonial Marriages. As a means of putting an end to Chinese immigration into California, a hill has been introduced into the; United States Congress for the purpose of imposing a tax of $250 on every Chinese subject entering an American port. The death is announced of Commodore C. H. P.. Caldwell, of the United States Navy, who has seen considerable service afloat. From 18:)8 to 1840 ho served in the .Mediterranean, and subsequently in the Pacific, where he had a brush with a cannibal trade in the Fiji Islands. The medallion of the Royal Humane Society has been voted to Albert G. Archer, for saving Ah (.'how, a ('hinamau, in Keppel Bay, Rockhampton, on September 4. We hear that a marriage- has been arranged, and will shortly take place, between the Earl of Roseberry and Miss Hannah de Rothschild, only daughter of the late Baron Meyer de Rothschild. It is stated that the Khedive has granted to a Dutch company the right of draining Lake Marcotis, and utilising the land reclaimed. Its area is 75,000 acres, and the company has bound itself to hand over to the Viceroy a certain proportion of the crops raised. It is stated that the largest quantity of fresh beef and mutton that has ever arrived at Liverpool from America in a single week came to hand last week.