EUROPEAN.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 81, 20 December 1884, Page 3

EUROPEAN.

London, December 11.— It is not expected that the samples of diamonds sent Home by the Australian Diamond Mining ' Company of Bingera, New South Wales, will be worth more than twenty-two shillings per carat. | fcThe French Chamber of Deputies have accepted the rejection of their amendment by the Senate in reference to the election of the latter Chamber by universal suffrage. Consul Stubel's memorandum inferred to Anglo-Australian competition with Germany in her portion of the Pacific trade. London, December 11. — It is currently reported here that Earl Granville, British Minister for Foreign Affairs, has announced to the Powers that he has abandoned the attempt to mediate between France and China. No official communication, however, has yet been published. To-morrow the Agents-General will receive a copy of the amendments proposed to bo inserted in the Federation Enabling Bill. These are believed to be of a trifling character, and provide for additional consulates for the colonies, and also that an increased display of strength amongst the Polynesian Group of islands is imperative. London, December 12. — The amendments proposed by the Imperial Government in the draft bill to constitute a Federal Council for Australasia are now shown to be chiefly verbal, and likely to prove quite unobjectionable to the colonies. London, Dec. 12.— Arrived Plymouth steamship Doric, from Lyttelton ; steamship Potosi, from Melbourne. London, December 13. — The ship Cainmoney (?),bound from Liverpool to Sydney, has been towed into Falmouth partially dismantled. It is believed the cargo is undamaged. The shipments of frozen meat to hand by the steamers Doric and Potosi have arrived in excellent condition. The death is announced of Mr Lindsay, representative for Flinders in the South Australian Parliament. The wheat market is dull, and quotations are unchanged. London, December 13,— The sentence of death passed upon Uapt. Stephens and the mate Dudley, of the yacht Mignonette, has been commuted to six months' imprisonment. ft {London, December 14. — Prince Bismarck has been urged to appoint permanent officers in the islands of New Britain, New Ireland, Apia, and Ponga, to conduct German affairs. A quantity of dynamite was dropped on to one of the buttresses of London Bridge, on the Surrey side. The shock caused by the explosion was felt as far as No clue at present has been obtained as to the perpetrator of the outrage. Another account says :— An explosion of dynamite took place to-night under one of the arches of London Bridge. Little damage was caused to the structure, but the shock of the explosion was felt for miles around. London, December 15. — The evidence of the experts who examined the scene of the explosion which occurred under London Bridge tends to show that the damage was effected by means of dynamite. The property in the vicinity of the bridge did not suffer any injury. It is rumoured in Berlin that Germany intends shortly to establish several colonies in the Pacific and New Guinea. Lord Reay will succeed Sir James Fergusson as Governor of Bombay. London, December 15. — The following are the amendments proposed to be introduced into Federation Enabling Bill :— In clause 15, which provides for the legislative authority of the Federal Council, the words " authority over all Her Majesty's possessions in Australasia and over all British ships sailing between them " have been struck out, as likely to conflict with the authority of the colonial Legislative Chambers and the Admiralty Any action under subsections A, B, and C of tne same clause, referring respectively to " the relations of Australasia with the Islands of the Pacific," "the prevention of the influx of criminals," and "fisheries in Australasian waters beyond territorial limits," will require to have Imperial sanction. Clause 26, providing for the apportionment among the colonies of the necessary expenditure incurred by the Council, has been recast, and a new clause inserted, giving power to any colony to retire from the arrangement at its option. : Hon. John Douglas, C.M.G , exPremier of Queensland, and Mr Simon Fraser, ot Queensland, are passengers to Australia by the s s. Rome. Paris, December 12. — In the Chamber of Deputies last night, the Premier, M. Ferry, made a statement regarding the Franco-Chinese difficulty, in which he announced that the attitude assumed by the Chinese Government had defeated Earl Granville's efforts at mediation between the two countries, and the parleying which had been proceeding was now ended. M. Ferry added that Government intended to pursue energetic measures in the prosecution of hostilities against China. The Senate has agreed to an additional forty-three millions of francs for French operations in Tonquin. In the debate which took place on motion for the credit, M. Perry promised that immediate action should be taken by the Govermneut to carry on the war with China. Paris, December 12.— The official telegram from Madagascar has been published, which states that the French forces captured a fort containing five guns at South Vohemes, and that in an engagement which took place 200 Horaswere killed. Paris, December 15. It is stated here that the French Government have decided to reinforce the fleet for operations against the Chinese, and that several ironclads will be despatched to Admiral Courbet in January. Despatches have been received from Admiral Courbet announcing that he has dislodged a strong force of C linese troops who were menacing the French position at Kelung, and that a hundred Chinese were killed during the action. The parleying which has been proceeding for some time between Earl Granville and the Marquis Tseng, the Chinese Ambassador, in connection with the Franco-Chinese question, has been suspended. Vienna, December 10.— A violent hurricane passed over the city to-day, and caused a considerable amount of damage to property. Vienna, December 14. — A disastrous colliery explosion has occurred at Sterdirof, Hungary. A large number of miners were underground at the time, and 70 of them lost their lives. Calcutta, December 13.— Earl Dufferin, the Viceroy-elect, arrived to-day, and got a most enthusiastic reception. Cairo, October 31. News has been received here through a messenger despatched from Khartoum of further successes achioved by General Gordon in his conflict with the Arab rebels. The messengers report that General Gordon undermined and blew up the rebel forts at Ouderman, destroying them, and

killing large numbers of the Mahdi's followers who occupied them. Cairo, December 12. — The Austrian, French, and Italian Governments support the claim of Germany and Russia to seats on the Commission de Caisse of Egyptian public debt. Cairo, December 13. Intelligence has been received from Dongola that the Mounted Infantry Guards and Camel Corps, under Colonel Sir Harbutt Stewart, are now advancing to Koiti, near Ainbukol. Cairo, December 15. Latest despatches from Dongola state that Lord Wblseley has proceeded from Debbah to Korti, near Ambukal, where the British forces are concentrated. Colonel Sir Herbert Stewart with his staff has already reached Korti, and reports that he finds ample supplies forthcoming, and the attitude of the tribes friendly, i Hong Kong, December 15. Intelligence has been received from Corea of the outbreak of a revolt in that country. The rebels chose the occasion of a banquet which was being given by the King to make anattack upon the palace. The King's son and six Ministers were murdered by the rebels, but the King made his escape and fled to the hilU. So far as is known, the residents of the capital are safe, and a gunboat has arrived there to quell the revolt.