American.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4443, 2 April 1883, Page 2

American.

San FfiANcrsco, March 11. The Board of Trade of this city has memorialised the legislators to ask. Congress to continue the Australian and NewZealand mail steamship service through San Francisco, as the Atchison,. Topeka, and Santa Fe railroad management is seeking to divert it to their western terminus at Guaymas, a Mexican Pacific coast port.

The papers in the eastern states, and also on the Pacific coast, have been making merry over's, prophecy by a Profewor Wiggins, said to be aa attache of the Finance Bureau, Canada, to the effect that a fearful hurricane would ravage the country some time between the 9th and 15th of Maroh, the effeots of which would be felt in Australia, whore a tremendous

tidal wave" was to wash the shore line for •everal miles -landward, while elemental disturbance was prophesied. It did not occur in as great a degree as .was looked for on this side of the ocean. There was considerable trouble, along the eastern coast: At St: John's, New Brunswick, Boston, and Halifax, the worst storm known for years prevailed, and at several places in the interior of the United States road and railway tracks were made impassable on, account of snow. The prophecy created a widespread scare. Many vessels were retained in different ports fearing to put to sea, and the loss to the fishing interests of Gloucester, Mass, by the day is not far from 125,000 dol lars. . ' .

fhe New York Star of March 9th, prints the following exciting despatch trom Dublin :— •* It is now said that Carey has implicated John McCafferty, said to be from California, who with his private secretary (named Milne) was in London in .April and May, 1882, for the ostensible purpose of disposing of a mine in that State ; both these parties were extremely anti-English in their conversation, and were well supplied with money. Carey, it is stated, told the detectiv* officers here that the men frequently furnished him with large sums of money to cover the expenses of the secret order, and _t_eT!afferty. told him to wind twine around the handles of the knives as was the eußtom in California (to give the user a firmer grip of the weapen). Both McCafferty and Milne were well-known to the American colonists in London and to the Scotland-yard detectives, and it is hinted that Close, the Scotland-yard emissary, who is now in New York os» tensibly to bring back Kino, the alleged incendiary, is in reality seeking to identify McCafferty and Milne,—the first of whom is supposed to be the instigator "of the 'conspiracy which led to the Phoenix Park murders.—McCafferty was heard from on the 10th. He gave the charge an indignant denial. . . ' Apologies have been received from the Dutch authorities of Curacoa for omitting to salute the American flag, borne by the steamer Yalentia. on.leaving that port. -It was the result of rcmissness on the part of an official who had failed to transmit to the commandant of the fort notice of the steamer's departure permit. The Inplish ship Mysterious Star was seized on Feb. 25tb, at San Lorenzo, in Ibe State of Icuador, by order of the Dictator Vientemilla, and partially dismantled. The reason assigned was that CaptaiD Jenkins bad afforded aid to the revolutionists. M c bad arrived in Panama to seek assistance from a British man-of-war.

Henrp Seybert, a Philadelphia philanthropist, died recently, and was cremated on March 7th ; he left his entire estate (upwards of 500,000 dollars) to charitable institutions.

Sam Brannan, a former Californian Mormon millionaire, is at present atGuaymas, Mexico, in want ard misery. _he Saints 1 organ at Salt Lake, making the fact known, on March Btb, adds that this is j a f fulfilment of the prophecy made by j Apostle Pratt,;in 1854, that Brannan, who is a Mormon recusant, should not die,, till he was in want of ten cents, to buy a loaf of bread. *

Mrs John Towence (stage name Mrs Judale, one of the oldest actresses on the American stage, and for 30 years a resident of San Francisco), died in that city on March Ist, at the age of 75 years.

, ___________ (fbom oub own cobbespondent.)

London, February 22

Sir A. Gordon hag delivered two lectures at Edinburgh on " Fiji and the Western Pacific," eulogising the natives, and advocating a system of native government, and regretting, tha* Samoa should have become the prey of inferior adventurers. The steamers chartered by the New Zealand Shipping Company for the direct service between New Zealand and Eng~ land are the lonic.sooo tons, and the Doric, 6000 tons; the British King, 3559 tons; and (he British Queen, 3558 tons. The Agent-General is recovering from bis recent indisposition. The New' South Wales Government have let a contract for 72,000 tons of steel Tails to a Sheffield firm. * The rails are to be delivered at Mary port at £5 per ton. Sir Hercules Robinson is about to visit England, and is not likely to* return to the Cape.

March 11.

Mi* Gladstone arrived in London on the 3rd. He was enthusiastically cheered. He interviewed Laeour and Ferry, 're Egyptian affairs, and the result wai not reassuring. France insisted upon a reinstatement in a position equal to that occupied by her.under the joint control. French foreign policy promises to be independent and aggressive. Foote, Ramsay, and Kemp, editor, proprietor, and printer of the Freethinker bare been sentenced to 15J, 9, and 3 months' imprisonment respectively for blasphemy. Foote's sentence provoked The Society for the Suppression of Blasphemous Literature propose to get up cases against Professors Huxley and Tyndall, Herbert Spencer, the publishers of' John Stuart Mills' works, and John Morley and others, who by writings have •own widespread unbelief, and in some oases rank atheism. When Mr Gladstone entered the House «&£ was cheered. He said that the hope that the evacuation of Egypt would be complete within ajx months was based on circumstances. Oscar Wilde is about to appear as "Borneo." Government is expected to move for the appointment of a Committee to consider the expediency of constructing the Chan- ' *nel Tannel. ''The distress in Ireland is very great. In Donegal the people are geueralfy emaciated, and there is a sick person in every house. In Loughrea things are no better. The Bishop of Baphoe writes, believing that the policy of the Government is extermination. In the County of Mayo 700 people are on the relief list. The Government are unable to fix the identity of" No. 1.". Bradlaugh's . meeting in Trafalgar square was attended by a}>out 7000 persons, one third being disorderly youths. He was enthusiastically received, and at ".' 11.30 was present in his usual seat in the , House of Commons. Mr Trevelyan, on the 10th, said that the condition of Ireland was more tranquil .than for some time past. ,' ■ The natives in Madagascar are excited and preparing to resist the French. ' The English papers state that Mrs Laogtry ; received £150 from an eminent •oap manufacturing firm for her signature, wh'ielr appears, in the firm's, adveitisemeats;