LATEST ITEMS.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 777, 16 February 1871, Page 2

LATEST ITEMS.

London, Jan. 13. Bourbaki passed Tuesday night driving the enemy from Villierexel and Lille. The army of the North has advanced beyond Boileau. The bombardment of Paris is heavy. Peace negotiations are pending at Versailles, and are to be discontinued at London. The preliminaries of a conference are that France surrender twenty ships, and a strip of territory, four miles broad, along the left bank of the Rhine, pay one thousand million thalers (£150,000,000), and destroy all forts within twenty miles of the frontier. The Prussians to guarantee two millions rations daily to Paris while the negotiations are pending.

It is doubtful if the London Conference upon the Black Sea question will meet.

The Prussians are reported likely to object to France being represented, charging the French Government with commissioning officers who have broken parole. Prussia also formally notifies that the Black Sea clause of the treaty of Paris having been already abrogated by the act of the Emperor, the Congress cannot have power to consider the circumstances.

England continues arming. The Minister of "War, in a speech at Oxford, said that the Government were determined to uphold the honor of England.

There were disturbances and soino fighting at a great meeting held in London on the 9th, and Gladstone's resignation was demanded. Tho Germans sank some English colliers at Eouen. Bismarck apologised immediately, offered indemnity, and pleaded necessity. The following are the changes in the Cabinet: —Shaw Lefeyre, Home Secretary ; Fortcseuc, President of Board of Trade ; Marquis of Hartington, Irish Secretary ; Lord Napier of Magdala, Commander-in-Chief.

Dr Livingston is safe at Mozambique, and is on hia way home. A colliery explosion took place at Rushan's mine, near Sheffield, at which there were 21 killed and 9 weunded ; another similar catastrophe occurred the same day near Newcastle, at which there were 20 killed and wounded.

The Dean of Canterbury has died suddenly.

The navigation of the Thames is obI structed.by ice. I

General Schewch has been appointed Uuited States Minister to England. Victor Emanuel has entered Rome. Genera! Prim was shot in his car* ; riage, while leaving the Cortes at night. He died the next morning. The assassins escaped. The assassination i reported to be part of a Re* pn'> ican conspiracy. Amttdeus made a triumphant entry into Madrid, and took the oath as king. COMMERCIAL. New Zealand sixes, 108 to 110> fives, 101; Trust aud Loan, to 6-|; Loud. Agency, 2-g to 3i ; Otago and Southland Investment, £ to i. A committee of the American Senate agreed, on the 11th, to report favorably on a bill to establish a line of American steamers from San Francisco to Australia, stopping at Honolulu and one or two ports, and to grant an annual subsidy not exceeding 500,000 dols. for 13 trips. On the 12th a bill was reported favorably upon by the committee, directing the Postmaster-General to con* tract with Webb, Halliday, and Co., carrying mails from San Francisco to Australia and New Zealand for the above subsidyLATEST SPECIAL. Private authentic advices show that 1 Mr Stewart, of Stewart, Collie and • Co., was on his way to New Zealand , respecting the contract entered into with Mr Neiison, meeting Mr Vogel at Honolulu. Stewart returned with ' him. Mr Neiison, it appears, exceeded his 3 powers in agreeing to run along the f New Zealand Coast, and in not in. eluding Australia in the contract, as ' the American subsidy will only be granted on that condition ; the coni tract has, therefore, been repudiated, j Hezekiah Hall has obtained the Honolulu subsidy for his line via Fiji, and his steamers will continue running, 3 calling at Fiji instead of Auckland for the present.