ITALY AND ABYSSINIA. Rome, May 13.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 369, 18 May 1889, Page 5

ITALY AND ABYSSINIA. Rome, May 13.

The Italian Government will agree to recognise King Menelek as Negus of Abyssinia, providing the English Government is willing to do so.

Speaking at Dargaville fche other night, Mr Robert Thompson, JVI.H.R., &aid :—: — " The present Ministry are as hard-working a set of men as ever sat on the Government benches. No man except those who have sat in thb House can form any idea of the arduouaness of their work, having very often to work 20 hours out of every 24 dining the sitting of Parliament. The Premier has succeeded beyond the expectations of his warmest supporters in carrying out every pledge and promise he made to the House, to the effect that he was determined to bring the expenditure within the income of the colony, and that the old and ruinous habit of adding deficits to loan must for ever cease. He has so far succeeded that we are now told that when the Hou<=e meets in a few weeks there will be a handsome surplus of about £50,000. To those who know the wretched state the finances of the colony were in two years ago, the result) is almost unprecedented in the history of the colony." Of the 363 Popes registered in the statistics of the Holy See, only 49 are of foreign nationality ; the other 224 are Italians, and include 111 Romans. Among the foreign Popes thero have been 25 French, 8 Greek, 6 German, 6 Syrian, 3 Spanish, 3 African, 2 Dalmatian, 1 English, 3 Epirote, 1 Antiochian, 1 Portuguese, 1 Thracian, and 1 Flemish. The last-named, who reigned under the title of Adrian VL, is the latest in date, and his elevation goes back to the year 1522. So it is more than three centuries and a-half since a non-Italian Pope has sat upon St. Peter's Throne. After a long and painful illness, Mr A. J. Ralston, well known for many years as secretary to the Australian Mutual Provident Society, died at his residence at Ashfield, near Sydney, on Thursday evening la6t. The event was not unexpected, as the deceased gentleman had been suffering both mentally and physically for a considerable period, caused, it is thought, in a large measure, by the manner in which he devoted his abilities to the very responsible duties of his position. Mr Ralston was only, fifty-fix years of age, having been born in Tasmania in the year 1833. Iv the year 1864 he left the Civil Service for the position of assistant secretary to the A.M P. Society. At that time the affairs of the Society had got into some confusion, and the result was that the then secretary, the cashier, and the accountant all resigned. Mr Ralston was appointed secretary, which position he continued to hold until October, 1886, when be retired, receiving a pension from the Society of £1,200 »7«ar.