Peace Conference.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume 29, Issue II, 3 August 1899, Page 3

Peace Confe rence.

The representatives of 16 States have signed the optional arbitration sohernd adopted at the Peace Conference. Th«, President of the Conference, ii delivering his closing speech, said that tht work achieved was sincere, practical and wise. The Conference had reconciled the opposing jjrinciples/ of sovet' eigmiy of individual Statea, and of international sovereignty. t The Pope, in a letter to the Confoip'■ence recommending the schema of arbitration, promised his support. ■ The question of the adhesion of th# Pope and the Transvaal to the Peaos Convention will be referred to the signatory Powers. • The London Standard states* that, owing to the firmness of Vies AdmifklSir John Fisher and Major-General Sir' John Ardfigh, naval aud military experts attached to the British delegation to the Peace Coufe.renee.' the work of, the Conference has not impaired Greaif Britain's < means of defence. Great Britain, it says, will not sign'' the Convention until ifaa law officers have examined the' texts. t

' The' bridge at Gloucester, connecting tbt Midi a,nd and- Gi eat Western iailw'ay-sta-lou-., ip, claimed to be the longest foofcbudg 3 on any line in England. It is 1900 feet long and 14 feet wide, and the longstf span is 136 feet. Sir Hany Atkinson, Sir .Tajiiis ffogej,and Hon. John Ballance, three of opr Pr«miars, died poor. , About }00 years ago the use of starch for stiffening the .frills round 'tha* neck was considered high' j reprehensible, if n<st, positively jsmful. , ' - ' The tatest gem in verdicts. It was recently found, by a southern jury :: — '* Th» juiy leturn the verdict as found dead*, and that he had no signs of violence on hi* body, but in a, natuial way, and not by anj violent means to the know ledge of the jufy,>. did die." Each member of th» Chinese cavilrj"^' ceives about 16s a' month, and out of this he is requhed to JEurmsh .fodder, for hi« ( hoise. In case of the death or disabili r' of the animal he must supply a new o>• at his own expanse. The Chinese cataliar is therefore, careful of his hoi?e. One interrupter got home on Mr Isitt srf the meeting in the Theatie JJoyal, Ne*r Plymouth, on. Tuesday night. "Thßi rev> lectuier meidentlv leferred to Pcatharat >n, and alluded to the three hoteis there, when someone remarked that the I *', weia; only two hos+elries-. " Pardon me,"- B»i I Nff Isitt, "I saw three." •' N>t ,ijj,vou wera sober,"- instantly retorted , i helpers sn i |t *,» the body of the hall, and thfe audjentw' laughted consume lly. ' ' Thb New Zetland Times consider Major Steward's Elective Execu£iy» Bill an '' academic subject that is awnualiy responsibla for a seriou* waafej of public tiinev"

per cent. I ventuie to say that a gre^jf many fpeople m the country will suipnscd to hear that the colony is givlar to high a late of inteiest fonts debenture^ If I lemember aught the debentuies \$ the Cheviot Estate weie at '6§ per cent 1 and th«re-i& not a pievious instance m which iho late has been as high as 3}* When we can bon o\v naoney m the London in^iket at a little ovei o per cent., it is smelj a waste oi money to give deben ' lines teAihig 3^ pei cent., <md it will ha\r 3.nothei eftect which is this, that the hnan ' Cieis on the London market will say that in New Zea'and we aie laibing suaji) titious loans ; that we aie bonowmg ia chiectiy, msteai ot going on the London aiaikefc, and thus it may get us a leputu lion foi sly bonowing which I hope we shall never deseive." The amount of deposits under the New Zealand Consols Act on March' 31st, 1899,, vas £355,925, made up as follows.— Under £IG, £10; o\ei £lO and under M'2o, £8C ; over JL2O and under £50', £540; ovei £50 and undei £100, £1700; over£loo and under £500, £20,680 , over! £500 and under £1000, £9,475; over" £1000 and under £1000,000, £208,435 - y over £100,000, £150,000.

The appeal of Hi T. Milford against tin; Eegibtiar of electois, lejection of hri claim to be emolleci as an elector, on the/ giound that he is a disqualified peuon' within the meaning of. the Coirupt Piac-, tices Act, will aome befoie the couit tlus"\veek. Mr Gully will appeal on behalf of { the Hepistiai, and Mi Muioid will aigiit' his own case. It will be lemembeied thfti Mi Milfoid'b nau'e stiuck olf the rollat the time ot his disqualification tbionglf the Mulvaney lettei. The Act piovidet that in the event ot the liegistiarietusinjj* to place a name on the roll, the applicant may bung the matter befoie a Magistulr for decision. The aigument will be heard) by Mi Haselden, S.M. \

CHAIUMEN 01? COMMITTEES. '; Fojlowmg aie the chaumen of vaiimn' sessional committees : — House committed,^ Mi J. Stevens , Libi'aiy, Sn 11. G. O'Eoike^ Punting Eepoils and Debates, Hon Majoij Stewaxd ; PinateEills, Mr A. 11. Gum-J ness ; Local Bills, Mr Gianam ; Labour! Bills, Mi Momson ; Public Petitions, A to! L, Mi Jojce: Public Petitions, M to U Mi Meiedith ; Petitions, classifications/ Mi Mobie; ltaji%\ays, Mi lannei ; Waati,' Lanas, Mi Pi. Thompson ; {statutes Be<f vision, Mr Monlgomeiy ; Conmieice Ex-J teusion, Mi McNab ; Native Allans, Mrj Hout-tin ; Gokifields, Mi Caincioss; A'gri-^ cultuie and Slock, Mi Lawiy. f ~

B\E-iii.C'i'lON. There -weie 2Jb infoiiual votes cast lit the lecent bye-election nt Wellington^ Some of the papeis had both naraa' ciossed out. while others left the nameil untouched. "" *

FORCIKO A DIVISION. A After the lefeult of the Division on th* | 3rd leading of the Land for Settlement! Act Amendment Bill on Satuiday iumn| ing, Mr Mills, Government whip, expianedf that he had voted against it because tirtj Opposition would not call for a ui\ifaioni« and that he had called out " the nous ka^iy it," go as to make eeitain a division vmuldi be taken, and theiefoie had to vole Jit thi\ diiection in which he had given his \oic<£j Mi Hauis quoted som? ancient (ic^i^ioad of spcnLeis of the House ot Connii(. i n3, lH| suppoit of a contention he laitfc^. £M| foicing of divisions was uixparliauitiJ'WJ-j Sir Maunce O'Eorke faaid the leiviiiQceaj quoted weie nieielj condemnatorj oi iWJ piactice of gentlemen giving then voict™ one way, and voting another, la tjjtfa case Mr Mills voted in the dnection '4m which he ga>e his voice. * 'JM Mr J. Hutcheson, M.H.E., is expeti*^ to take his seat in the House to-moi ioff. u j|