NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3119, 15 February 1879, Page 2

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

(fkom the homb news.)

There is an apprehension of one of the greatest strikes in the coal trade this country has known taking place. Because of the depression that prevails in the trade in South and West Yorkshire and North Derbyshire, the masters recently decided to reduce wages, and already at many collieries notice has been given. The officials of the South and West Yorkshire Miners' Associations hare recommended unity of action in resisting the reduction; and at a monster jjitneribg proposed to be held in the holiday! will ' advise the men to strike rather than submit. If such a course be taken upwards of 100,000 men will be thrown idle; ? • j The General Meeting of the New 1 ZealaDd Kapanga Gold Mining Company was held at the offices on Dec. 31—Mr Soutbgate in the chair. The chairman eaid that the lust report from the mine was dated Nov. 11, and it was of a satisfactory character. It stated that' the gold was continuous in, the, Coradilla Mine, although in the Albion Mirie rid' gold had yet been found. The gold produced for the month of Sept. was 850 i., for Oct. 850z., for Nov. 780 a., arid up to Pec. 8, 85oz. Since the last meeting. they bad received new capital to the ex* tent of £5156, of which £4500 had been remitted to the mines and £196 paid' '-vg^ the way of telegrams and bankers' commission, and, after paying other indebtedness of the company, they bad a small balance in hand. ,In .driving they had. . met with a deposit of arsenic, and a sample had been submitted to I)r Hector, the Government geologist of New Zealand, and it was expected •■ that this discovery would add materially to the future prosperity of the mine. The report was adopted. ,;".o: The death of the Princess Alice it 5 mourned, as a national loss in England, and has secured for us the condolence of our Continental neighbours. The melancholy news arrived in London on the morning of Saturday, Dec. 14—the anniversary of the death of the Prince Consort, and the anniversary also of the day which marked the turning point in the illness'Of the Prince of Wales seven: years ago. ■•■• Of the accomplishments and great qualities of the late Princess We have spoken elsewhere. Here it need only be farther' stated that in both Houses of Pa riament a sympathetic address to He* Majesty Km, been- unanimously adopted,, and the^ funeral—a simple and unostentatious ceremony, attended by the Prince o£ Wales, Prince Leopold, Prince Christian, and representatives of many European, Sovereigns, as well as by the Graiid> Duke and his children—took place at Darmstadt on Wednesday, Deo. 18. At the,time of the obsequies the Queen 7 attended a private service at Windsor, and the day was observed throughout the 7 United Kingdom, and; under the Empire^ generally, by the tolling of bells and the' half-closing of shlopsL ! "•".'■f^ Ireland is the subject of two significapt and inteiesting statements—whether troe or false the events will prove. In the 0 first place, it is announced that the Government will bring in next Session a Bill which will virtually concede the demand of the Irish Koman Catholics in the,,matter of Catholic University eduea* tion. The Liberals^ could probably never carry such a m&lsure, Which would have only the divided support of Liberalism and the. opposition- of Conservatism^ jTo - a Conservative Government, with a majority like that which it now boasts, all things are possible, and this among the rest. The measure is also one that would probably have the effect of securing the Conservatives so valuable an acquisition^ as the Home Bule vote at the next general election, when parties may be a little more evenly balanced than they now are. \ The second announcement is, from a national point of view, of much greater moment. Lord Beaconsfield, it;is said, ! warmly advocates the idea of the./ Duke of Connaught, after his marriage, regularly settling >in Iceland, taking ■up his residence at Dublin Castle, and ; superseding the Lord-Lieutenant, not as the nominee of a political party, but as the direct representative of the Queen., There is no doubt that such a step would" be intensely popular in Ireland...How loyal at heart the; Irish are may be seen .from the tone of' the addresses of condoO ience to the Queen on the death of the Princess Alice which have come from th* < other side of St. George's Channel. But the Irish have always felt more or less neglected in comparison with Scotland. A royal residence in Ireland, a GovernorGeneral of Ireland who was a son of the Queen of England, would be received with an enthusiasm which would probably deal a death-blow at the Home itu(e} movement. In addition to this, it is said in well-informed circles, that in the legislative programme which may be expected next Session from the Cabinet will, be measures for giving Ireland great extension of local liberties—by means, first, of ' county boards like those proposed last Session for England; and, secondly, of large additions to the authority of Irish: grand juries. (1

Obituary of thi Month.-—Ex-Chief Justice Monahan; Lady Hardinge; Sir William Yardley; Sir John Orde, Bart.; Lieut-Col. Dud, M.P.j the Hon. E. C. Yorke. M.P.; Capt. the Hon. F. C. G. Fitz-Clarence; Gen. K. Burn, K.A.; Lady Prideauk; Lady C. Wh^MeU ville; Lady Lawley; the Hon. Maty 'Ann Napier; Professor Jackson, Glasgow University; the Hon. Mrs Congreve; Admiral A. Drew; the Marquis of Tweedale; Sir William Hayter, Bart.; Sir Thomas Saddler; the Hon. G. A. Browne; Lady Ban nerman. '; '