GENERAL SUMMARY.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3523, 10 April 1880, Page 2

GENERAL SUMMARY.

• London, March 20. ; The British Arctic Expedition sails in May. •■: t ./..' .' . .... „.. , ■ At an explosion at DixonY colliery, Glasgow, one life was lost. 1000 men was thrown oat of employ* ment at Asbton-uttder-Lyrfe. Wearers, to the number of 1000 struck for an advance of five per cent. Mr Plitnsoll, M.P., apologised \q Messrs Russell and Onslow before the House for the severe reflections made by him in a pamphlet on the course in opposing his bill regulating the loading of ships with grain. The City and the Czar, The Common Council of London refused by a vote of 72 to 45 the motion for an address congratulating the Czar on his escape' from assassination. Bitter epithets were applied to him during the debate. Something: like Walking. "Blower" Brown beat a!l previous records Jat the^Jata pedestrian mutclr Irf London, making 553 miles in six days. Sir James Fergusson, formerly Under* Secretary for India and Governor of New' Zealand, has been appointed Governor of Bombay. The Cause of the Disaster, In an investigation into the Tay bridge disaster evidence was submitted that one of the supporting columns of the high girders was cracked from top to bottom, and held' together by four hoop bands; that there were many rivets without heads, empty bolt holes, loosened bars, and nuts unscrewed. Some moulders testified that the defects in the iron were filled with putty and painted over. The Standard understand a Royal Commission on .Agricultural Depression unanimously approved of; the scheme for the purchase oy the Government out of the Irish Church of the: surplus of the; Irish Waste Lands to be allocated amongst the local farmers. Professor Roscoe doubts the process for, making diamonds, lately submitted by Ballantyne Hannay. At the same time the latter says that his discovery will hot affect the trade, owing to the great cost of production. Concessions to the Transvaal. Sir M. Hicks-Beach has written a despatch to Sir Bartle Frere in favour, of local self-government for Natal, and Transvaa, when settled as a local colony. A, portion of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (in consequence of representations made by the Ruisian Embassy) completely equipped was held raady during March 6th to proceed to St. Petersburg. Transportation was arranged for engines, horses and men. Russia and France. The Times thinks the Hartman affair will lead to a lupture between France and Russia. Hartman acknowledges that he was chosen by the Nihilist Committee to assassinate, and also that he was connected, with the attempt at Moscow. He leaves for America in a few days. The relations between Austria and Italy are distrustful. Italy scrupr'oasly upholds the Berlin Treaty. Ireland. In the Marylebone speech the Right Hon. Mr Gladstone, alluding to Irish affairs, said he had no friendship for Home > Rule, but he would never forget, in considering the Irish question, the unjustifiable and abomf nable condtct of this country towards Ireland through many generations: He declared no higher object could be presented to a Liberal politician then that they should endeavour to combine together the people of Scotland, Ireland, and England, three strands of a great rope, which never would be broken, even irtt were tested, and even if strained by the united strength of tie world.

James Redpath, special correspondent of the New York Tribune in Ireland, writes that the famine is well in hand, and all danger of general starvation has passed. Per contre, the Duchess of Marlborough, in writing to the Lord Mayor of London, says the distress continues general, and in some parts is increasing.