THE BEHRING SEA DISPUTE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2150, 15 January 1891, Page 1

THE BEHRING SEA DISPUTE.

Washington, J«n, 12, There is a general feeling that should .England and Canada go to war with the United States over ihe Behring Sea dispute the latter ought not to resist, as the bu k of opinion is against the spilling of blood for the sake of a few sealskins. Ottawa, Jan, ,13. A motion of amendment has been made at Ihe instance cf the British Government with a view to settling the Behring dispute. Canada has moved the American courts to annul the seizure of the sealer captured in 1886.

IRISH AFFAIRS. London, Jan. 11, Mr Dillon declares that if the struggle is renewed the National cause will bo lost. Jan, 12. Mr Healy considers it hopeless to parley wilh the Parnell section any longer. The fond organised by Mr Balfour and the Earl of Zetland for the relief of the distressed families in Ireland mow amounts to £20,000, Lord Carrington subscribed £IOO.

At a meeting in Limerick Mr Parnell challenged Mr Gladstone to produce a memorandum of the interview with bira at Hawarden. He declared that the Liberal leaders had no land policy, and a mistake bad been committed in allowing the Radicals to abaulon the peasant proprietary clause in the Irish Land Purchase Bill thus leaving the Irish people to settle their own fate. He himself believed that the land question ought to be settled concurrently with Home Rule, or left to an Irish Parliament to deal with ; otherwise it would be impossible to govern Ireland without stringent and strong coercion i Without a settlement of the land question, Home Rule, instead of becoming a source of strength and freedom, would be a shorn, ending in resumption of the Government by the Imperial Parliament. Referring to the proposals submitted at the Hawarden interview he considered them distinctly worse than the provisions of the Bill introduced by Mr Gladstone in 1886 for the future government of Ireland. Mr Parnell stated he was willing to retire if assured that his opponents would promise four points, viz,—(l) A charter for a settlement of the land, or power to the people to settle it themselves ; (2) Power to secure the interests of labor and artisans j (3) Control of the Irish police ; and (4) To concede the appointment of judges and magistrates in Ireland.

CHINESE PIRATES. Sydney, Jan, 12. News from Thursday Island states -hat the sleanrr Namau left Hong Kong on December 10 h for Swatow, having on. board four saloon and 459 Chinese passengers. When the vessel was about thirty-five miles outside the harbor, and while all on board were at dinner, she was taken possession of by a band of thirty pirates, armed with revolvers and cutlasses, who had joined the steamer as passengers. The four saloon passengers, who were dining on deck, were shot dead, and Captain Pocock, who was in charge of the Namau, met a similar fate. While parleying with the pirates the Malay quartermaster was next disposed of, his body being thrown overboard. Two officers and four srsra'n, who had dos.’d with some of the pirates, were wounded, while three Chinese were stabbed to death and their bodies thrown overboard. The Europeans who were on board were takes completely by surprise. The pirates fired wildly into the cabin, throwing stinkpots at the officers, who were quite unarmed and unpnOued Lr such an emergency. After taking some 30,000 iol worth of plunder, the pirates landed on Mendoya Island,and those of the ship’s company who had remained in hiding, and has escaped the notice of the pirat-s, s ipped the anchor and steamed the vegsej back to Hong Kong.