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Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 52, 6 February 1869, Page 3

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London, November 30, ISG3. The Court of Common Plcn.3 h;w decided that women are not entitled to the suffrage, bo tho question in again pl&csd upon somothing like its former footing. The case was not, however, very well argued, and tho decision therefore is not regarded us very satisfactory. Sirs. Disraeli has been crafted a Peeress, r.uder the title of Viscountess Beaconstield, of Beaconsfield, in tha County of Bucks. It was fully expected that coon after tha meeting of Parliament, and Mr. Disraeli' 3 consequent resignation, he would accept a prsorage, but instead of this he has gracefully conferred the honour on his wife, aud has thereby won the admiration of even his opponents. Mr. Bright haß yi3itsd Edinburgh, and been warmly received . Tho freedom of the city was conferred upon him, and he was alao made an honorary member of IJie Chamber of Commerce.

The Queen-left Balmoral on the 4th, for Windsor, where she is now staying. The Prince and Princess, of Wales have* Btarted on their foreign tour. They have been to Paris, and been entertained at Compeigne by the Emperor, after which they went on to Denmark, where they are now staying. Prince Arthur has joined the corps of the Royal Artillery at Woolwich, his course of study with the Royal Engineers having been completed. Princess Louis of Hesse (Princess Alice), was safely delivered at Darmstadt on the 25th, of a Prince. The Galatea lelt Plymouth on the 7th, for Madeira, Cape of Good Hope, East Indies, &c, and ia reported as having reached Madeira on the 14th. Some little delay took place in starting, in consequence of the ship grounding when leaving Bampool, which necessitated her being again docked to repair damages. The mausoleum erected by her Majesty in Windsor Park has been completed, and the remains of His Royal Highness the Prince Consort removed there from the tomb below. There was no ceremonial, the change being made under the direction of the architect. The mausoleum is in the shape of a cross, and -has been constructed of Portland Btone and granite, the walls being extremely thick. In the interior is a central octagonal chamber, which contains the granite sarcophagus, the lid of which is adorned with a recumbent figure in marble of his lats Royal Highness, the execution of which was entrusted to Baron Marochetti. The sarcophagus is highly polished, and within it there is said to be room for another coffin. All the walls of the chamber are adorned with, coloured marble and paintings. The funeral of the late Archbishop of Canterbury took place on the 3rd, at Addington, in which village the place is situated. The Bishop of London haa been appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, a choice which meets with general approbation. Mr. Gladstono has written a pamphlet, which has just been published by Mr. Murray, under the title of "A Chapter of Autobiography." It is intended to explain the manner in which his views became modified during his Parliamentary career, with reference to the question of the Irish Church establishment, as up to the year 1841 ho was its zealous advocate. The summons against the Countess of Derwentwater was heard on the 3rd. The defence was that the road in question had not been proved to be a highway, and further, that it was Crown land, and could not belong to the Highway Board. The Bench eventually decided that the roads on which she was encamped was a highway, and therefore fined the defendant 13s and costs. An application will be made for a case to a higher court. On the sth, the authorities forcibly removed the huta which had been erected, but these proceedings were viewed with much disfavour by the inhabitants of the surrounding districts, and large threatening crowds of people gathered round, so that it was found necessary io employ a body os police to overawe them. After dusk, another hut was erected for tho Counte3s by her friends. The Marquis of Hastings died on the 10th instant ; aged 26. His life, short as it was, has been a most eventful one, and i will long be remembered in sporting circles. When he first left Oxford, it was hoped he would have followed a career worthy of his noble name, but unfortunately a taste for sport carried to excess withdrew him from grader and worthier pursuits ; and falling a prey to the fascinations of the turf, he became devoted to its pursuits io the exclusion of all other. Over excitement, and the mortification produced by the severe disappointments which he experienced, undermined his constitution which was never very strong. In the long and exciting annals of the British Turf, there has never been any man known, whether gentle or simple, who would stake with unchanging countenance such enormous suras upon the speed and endurance of a horse as the quondam owner of Lecturer and Lady Elizabeth. Within six brief years he contrived to gamble away Loudon Castle and Donington, to win £60,000 upon the Cesarewitch, and lose £100,000 upon the Derby. Rossinj, the great composer, died at ! Passy, in France, on the 14th ; aged 76. He has been ill for a long time past, and hi 3 loss is very much felt in Parisian circles. At the funeral, which took place in Paris, every celebrity in France was present, and the grand musical ceremony, in which all the best singers took part, was very impressive. He was buried in the cemetery of Pere la Chaise, by his request. The Italian Government wished his funeral obsequies to take place at 1' lorence, but Madame Rossini felt bound to obey her husband's special wishes. The death of another celebrated man took place at Paris on the 15th instant. The Baron James de Rothschild, who was of the same age, 76. He was the fifth and last surviving son of Meyer An3elm, tlxe founder of the house of Rothschild. He settled in Paris in 1812, and wa3 the heod of the financial establishment in that pity, with which his family is connected. The -amount of property left by him i 3 aboi\t twenty-five or twenty-six millions sterling. Ni Another* dreadful' colliery explosion took place on the morning of the 26th, in a coalpit at Hindly Green, near Wigan, Lancashire, by which fifty-eight persons were killed, and several others severely injured. The colliery ia known by tho name of the Orley mine. The mine h*d been examined early in the morning, and reported freo from danger; but just as tha men were commencing work after breakfast the explosion occurred. The ventilation of the pit was well managed, aa is proved by the fact that within six hours after the explosion, the whole of the workings had been thoroughly explored. In consequence of the miue being divided into two parts, the loss of life was not nearly so great as it might have been, aa on the other side about one hundred and fifty people were- at work, and these wero not aware of the explosion until about two hours after its occurrence. The earth Btill remains terribly unsettled. On the night of the 30th October, three shocks of earthquake were' felt ia this country, in the neighbourhood of Leamington, in Worcester, Taunton, and Glamorganshire. Tho shocks were not sufiiciont to do any damage, but there is no doubt aa to their occurrence. Early in this month the waters of tho Gulf of

Finland, at Cronstadt, became almost suddenly reduced, and on the follow irq * clay resumed their ordinary level. Fr< m , Japan comes the news of a severe sh< clc ■ of earthquake, early in October, at Hio^. Two shocks were felt at Bucharest— uno on the 13th instant, and the other on il-y 27th. On the 17 ih shocks were felt i.i different part 3of Cologne. v Shocks d j - tinue to be felt along the coaVts- xrf Cl.i'i and Peru, and some additional sho. Id have occurred at San Francisco, 'iio damage at San Francisco is greater th.i i was at first supposed, several streets beh>g in complete ruin 3, and others sunk se 1 . t - feet. From Mexico we learn that X\>'i / city of Alamos, in Sinsvtoa, and sevei; 1 I towns of Sonora and Lower California, Ik have been destroyed by tornados.. "Monui !> Vesuvius 13 in eruption in & most extensive scale, two new openings having bs - 1 formed. From India comes reports i i ■, - cyclone having occurred in tho Bay ••■ "~ Bengal, on the 13th instant, which" w..; * principally felt along the Arracan Co.« . Akyab suffered severely, and the ricj en - L >^ is much damaged. k jfl The signatures to the Convention r^H speefcing the American claims were affixtfT^| yesterday. All the questions in controversy will be handed over to & Commissk n composed of four members— tyro Engli&a and two American. Tho three ciiitx questions to be referred to arbitration are the San Juan Dispute, th«r "Naturalisation question, and the Alabama affair. Tho San. Juan dispute is about a small island of that name between Vancouver's Tslanri and the mainland, which, when tlu> boundary line wa3 settled, unfortunately escaped notice. With regard to this, it is understood that the Commissioners may call in the arbitration of the Swias Republic, and the other two moro important questions will ho submitted to the arbitration of tho King of Prussia — a choice which is felt to bj the best that could possibly be made ; so that now we may hope to clear up all cause of ill-feeling. between the two COUnferlß3. The creditors of the Panama, New Zealand, and Australian Royal Mail Company, who commence 1 proceedings in Chancery for •winding-np the Company, have determined to withdraw the petition, a conferenco with the joint committee recently appointed having, it is understood, s<iiicfled thorn as to the prospects of the undertaking under the new arrangements mad o. The Directors of the Otago and Southland Investment Company have declared an interim dividend of ten per "cent^j^^^ annum, free of income tax.. The bank rate of discount, j^^^^^H stood at two per cent, since tta^^^^^^H last year, was, on the ]3th x .a^^^^^^| two and a half per cent. Tt is"i^^^^^H since so low a .rate ' w.as 'main^^^^^^H such a length of 'tiras, -..' • It is announced, by ths -Crown Agcr.rs^ for the Colonies that the conversion cf the various loans of- the- Government cfJSew Zealand (General and Provir.ci /} into consolidated fivo per cents., is l>ein,.» continued on the terms previously pu'i- . lished. The total amount- still unconverted ia stated to bo' nnw &3- follows :—: — Fivo and six per cents of the General Government, L1>303,800 ; six, seven, eight, and ten per cents, of Provincial Govern- J ments, L 570,400 ; total, L 1,876,201, 876,201 ;J while the new five per cent, conso]^^/ which have taken the place, of the old securities, amount to L3,t)80;200. An International Conference, for pro- ' venting the use of certain explosive mis--/ ailes in war, has been sitting at St. Peter*- *j burg, and the results have just be3:t jj made public. The Powers which sign thtijm Convention relinquish, both in sea 3fl^H land warfare, tho use of explosive P*^^| jectiles weighing less than 400 grammcSl^B and filled with inflammable matter. Th^| obligation ia not binding upon any of th-^M contracting Powers when at war with <jH state which has not signed the -ConYej*^! tion. The protocol is signed by the Re-" I presentatives of Great Britain, Franca, jJ Prussia, Russia, Austria, Italy, Turkey^PT Portugal, Denmark, Belgium, Holland,-*-" Greece, Bavaria, Wurteruburg, S*edcr>, j and Persia. The object sought is tj pre - | vent the use of sheila from rifles, t::}-Jl wounds inflicted by which are most drea-,1 - " ful-; and the initiative in this hmna-io movement has been taken by Russia. . A Fenian demonstration took place on ,~ ■ Sunday, the 22nd, in Hyde Park— the anniversary of the execution of the Feni- .r an 3at Manchester. A procession was to start from Clerkenwell Green, but tho police prevented ita formation. T L\i<i meeting was held during a drizz'in^ shower, and certainly could not be co^- " sidered a success. . In France, some popular demonstrations have taken place on the graves of tho revolutionists- of 1848 and 1857, which took place at the o jmetery of M ontmartre ; ' and a siibscription w.as opened for erecting a monument over the grave of, one of them, a Mr. Baudin'.- Tiio list of subscriptions was published in some of tho newspapers, which were -thereupon seized by the Government, ' on . the ground th-it the publication of the list was an attempt to disturb the public peace. The proprietors have been fined in various amounts, *" and two of thorn are imprisoned in add;tion. Ife ia generally considered that tlu i is bad policy on 'the -part of the Govern- j ment. . • - Very little news of importance knfl come from Spain, aiid it iB uncertain ab,^H present what the future form of rGovern-^B ment will be. As an inafcaiiso of the wo^^H derful change that has taken place in Rii^H stronghold cf Roman Catholicism, it ma.^B be mentioned that one of tho •Libur.-iJH journals in Madrid ha 3 begun, publish in p^ Kenan's " Life of Jcsm " in its fauilleto,' ■ — the boldest popular book that has y^^| been levelled at Christianity. Quean iJMfI bella has taken up her permanent r«j^^H dence at Paris. f ' -- J^^H The Diet of Prussia was opened on tl^^H 4fch instant, by tho King in person. TWJ^H tone of his speech waa eminently peaeefal^H and is looked upon by tha Coniicoatal^B Powers aa generally reassuriny." Rournania is in great agitation^and ii^| is stated that the Turkish Governmental intend, in the spring, to station a Corp^M of Observation, IGO/KX) strong, on. thaW Danube. ; * ■ General Grant and Mr. Scliuylap 0- l&K. ■ have beeu elected President aacT^Vive- 1 President o£ the United States, hy £ U •^> 1 Some serious rio^ occurred?^ 1 Georgia during the elections,'. tl>e\n«)gr.l^^J attempting to -take poss-3ssuj3j|A£j|^H polling-places. ' . The insurrection in Cubais still spr^^^| ing, but it is expected tliK^che ener|^^H measures about to be taken; will soon^^H tiisguisii it, J^^^^^l