ENGLISH MAIL NEWS.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 170, 18 September 1886, Page 4

ENGLISH MAIL NEWS.

Mr Cbsurle* DUke. Since the verdict of the jury in the Crawford divorce cue, Sir Charles DUke hM withdrawn from London society. He has 1 taken formrl farewell of his late const!tients, and availed himeelf of thii document, to protest his innocence, and assert that he has not hid a fair trial. If his peccadilloes were not co glaring, one could only have associated thin formidable protest on his part with absolute innocence. There is a striking infatuation about this address, which, perhaps, to some extent explains why Sir Charles Charles Dilke courted this second inquiry. Public opinion, however, is emphatically against him. The public believe Mrs Crawfords assertions to be proved to the hilt, and many of the newspapers are crying out for a prosecution for perjury against the late member for < Chelsea. This extreme step, however, is not likely to be taken, for, in the first place, it would once more etir up the " mud and filth/ with which we have been so plentifully regaled, and, in the second, it would be a new departure in the ordinary course of procedure. Were we to have prosecutions for perjury in, every instance in which a jury decides by impli* cation that a witness or party to a case has not spoken the truth, we should have materially to increase the capacity of our Criminal Courts. It is, therefore, not at all likely that Sir Charles will be proceeded against. Permanent Colonial exhibition. The Prince ot Wales baa caused it to be made known that he will only accept the presidency of the executive committee of the Proposed Permanent Colonial Museum on certain specified conditions. The first is that his Royal Highness shall have what virtually amounts to absolute control of the affair; next, that the guarantees to the present Exhibition shall be maintained ; and, further, that there shall be an annual vote on the part of the colonies. England, Russia, and Afghanistan. The Persian paper " Fars," published in Vienna, learns from Cabul that the Ameer has been informed by a courier from Jaisabad, on the Amou Daria River, that a Russian emissary has arrived in Taachkurgan, the capital of the Khanate of Wakbam, who is negotiating with the chiefs for their subjection «to the Czar. If the Russians succeeded in occupy* ing the Khanate they would get possession of the eastern end of the Deri* Pass, which leads to the Indian province of Lahore. The "Politische Corresponded " learns from London that although the British Government does not attribute to the differences of the Afghan Frontier Commissioners respecting Khoja Saieh co much importance as to the affair of Pcnjdeh and Zulficar, nevertheless much attention is given to the matter, as England's prestige and influence in Afghanistan are called in question. It is to be feared, gays the writer, that the Afghans would entirely sever their connection with England if they thought their interests would be better served by Ruseia. Russia and Bulgaria. Prince Alexander, of Bulgaria, has istued an edict prohibiting the circulation of Russian roubles any longer in Bulgaria. After two months the Russian coinage will neither be accepted in payment of taxes nor received, on any account, by th 3 Treasury. The " Cologne Gazette " learns from Constantinople that, with regard to Bulgaria, the St. Petersburg Government has made the following statement: — "The interests of Bulgaria are always near to Russia's heart, as the Bulgarian Government well knows. The latter has, however, modified her relations to Russia in such a manner that the Russian Government regards it as impossible to propose any conditions for a rapprochement unless a formal guarantee is offered. Since the Bulgarian Government is unable to offer such a guarantee discussion could only lead to fresh disappointments. Russia will attentively follow events in Bulgaria, and will shape her course accordingly." The Rhenish organ remarks that the only condition acceptable to Russia is neither more nor lees than the deposition of the Prince of Bulgaria, Reported. Destruction of Khartoum. Waaeif Bey, who was formerly captain of the garrison at El Obeid, has just arrived at Cairo, after having been absent for 18 years, which have been spent in the Soudan. The Cairo correspondent of the "Standard" says : — " Waeeif left Omdurman on the 16th of April in the disguise of a dervish, slowly working his way down. He was present at the capture of El Obeid, and at all the subsequent move* rnents in Kordofan. For several yeara he was in captivity as a slave. Hid account of the state of affairs generally in the Soudan was very satisfactory, from the English point of view The former followers of the Mahdi are now split up. into factions, and are occupied in internecine warfare. The great mass of tho inhabitants are heartily sick of the whole business, and would gladly welcome the restoration of the Egyptian sovereignty. At Dongola, which dis trict suffered most severely, and from being a prosperous province has been reduced to the condition of a desert, the rebels had three steamers, but the Shillok tribe captured them, and are using one. Khartoum, says Waseif Bey, has heen razed to the ground, with the exception of a few European-built houses on the banks of the Nile. Its place has been taken by Omdurman on the other side of the river, which is now a large town. There are several Europeans there attempting to carry on a trade in cloths in the interior. Amongst thoso Wassif Bey saw there were Lupton Bey and Slaten Bey, and aleo several Greek merchants and a dozen or so European women —mostly Greeks. Slaten and Lupton have fall liberty^ within the town, riding about freely. •Wasaif finally states his conviction that any force marcbiug up to re-establish the Khedive's authority would meet with a welcome rather than with resistance. As regards Omdurman, even the opposition would be slight. Wassif bad a long interview with Abdel Kader this morning ; but I believe he has not yet repeated hie story to the English authorities." On July 27th Mr F. L'hoste, the French aeronaut, aecended at Cherbourg in his new balloon, " Torpilleur," with the intention of crossing the Channel to England. The balloon was fitted with new steering and other gear invented by the aeronaut, which it was proposed to thoroughly test during the trip. The " Torpilleur " ascended at half-past eleven, the only passengers being M. L'hoste himself and Mr Joseph Mangot, the astronomer, The trip was a most successful one. The new gear is said to have answered admirably, and during the passage M. L'hoste manoeuvred over passing ships, and threw down upon them dummy torpedoes, with a view- of demonstrating, the usefulness of his balloon for r warlike purposes'. • .The •'Torpilleur" was steered-for London, and*, a, descent -.was, made .•■near; the metropolis at a quarter, paet^ o'clock the, follpmPK Imorping, >Tbe. hig^e»fc ( altjtmje: attained . was ; 36000. feet a£d ;1 the lowest temperatnreregLitered 7|degre4£j>entjerflde. If. M. L'hoste and Manget propose; to undertake shortly . a- balloon voyage from Cherbourg to Norway. ,