NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 795, 30 March 1871, Page 3

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Jud <r ment was delivered on January g in the case of the bankers who participated in the subscription to tho French loan. Herr Oueterbock was sentenced to two years', Herr Kulp to nine months', Meyer and Goar to six, giid Leyita to three months' imprisonment in a fortress. The " London Gazette " of the 15th January contains a proclamation for giving currency to gold coins made at the Branch Mint, at Sydney, New South Wales, of the like designs of those approved for the corresponding coins of the currency of the United Kingdom. The proclamation provides that every sovereign shall have for the obverse the Queen's effigy, with the inscription, " Victoria D. G. Britannjar: Beg.; P.D." ; and for the reverse, the imago of St. George, armed, Bitting on horseback attacking the dragon with a sword, his spear having been broken in the encounter, and the date of the year, with a graining, on the edge of the coin. The Peninsular and Oriental Company have raised their rate of passage from London to the colonies as follows :—To Melbourne and Sydney, via Southampton, first class, £BS ; second, £SO; the rate to King George's hound being fired at £5 less. From Brindisi, the rates are £BO and £45, and £75 and £4O respectively. The " Echo du Nord " reproduces from the "Avenir du Luxembourg" the following statement from St. Petersburg: —" On January 15, the Emperor of Bussia gave a grand banquet at the Winter Palace, at which the Princes and Princesses of the Imperial family, the foreign Ambassadors, and the grand officers of the State •were present. At the end of the banquet, his Majesty was handed a telegram, and a few minutes afterwards Tose and pro Dosed the following toast: H I receive a telegram from my uncle, the King of Prussia, informing me that his armies have taken Mont Avion, whence they can effectually bombard the forts of Paris. I drink to Prussia, and to tho Emperor of Germany.' All the guests raised their glasses, with the the exception of the Czarowitz, who .br,oke his glass on the table, respectfully saluted the Emperor, gave his arm to the Czarina, and left the banqueting chamber, on thefollowingday he was ordered to keep his apartment during eight days. All Frenchmen of distinction residing in St. Petersburg, called and inscribed their names at the residence of the Czarowitz."

The late Mr Brassey's charity is said to have heen extensive as it was unobtrusive in its exercise, and welldirected in its application. A little before Messrs Peto and Betts' failure, Mr Brassey, having become aware that the firm was bard pressed, called upon Sir Morton, and offered, as simply as if it had been the most ordinary transaction, to lend him £IOO,OO0 —and not ■only so, but with the aid of Mr Lucas ■and two or three other friends, to raise the loan to half a million, if he received the assurance that the sum would entirely relieve the recipient from embarrassment. To the honour ■of all parties this offer was declined, on the ground that it would not be sufficient.

M. Thiers, on the occasion of his mission to Vienna and St. Petersburg, repeatedly alluded to the advantage of •offering the Crown of Francs to the King of Belgium. An attempt to follow up this idea has been recently made.

On the authority of the "Times" Prussian correspondent, we are told that, France being charged with wantonly drawing on the war, Germany, upou the conclusion ot peace, ■will possibly insist upon the line of the Meuse, instead of the line of the Moselle, as first asked. If this intention be carried out, the new line will extend from Givet, on the Belgian frontier, to Mezieres and Sedan ; from Sedan to Verdun and Pagny. The frontier will be formed by the Meuse, thence it will go due east as far as Toul, ■on the Moselle, and follow the course of the latter river as far as Epinal. From Epinal it will proceed southeast to the hills and protecting Belfort and Montbeliard. Such a frontier will render the invasion of Germany by the French yery difficult, but expose Paris to a siege after the loss of a single battle. Engineers have been sent to Sedan "with orders to strengthen and extend the fortification of the placeThe Court of Bankruptcy has registered a deed of arrangement under ■which the Duke of Newcastle covenants to pay a dividend of 5s in the pound to his creditors in satisfaction of their claims. The registrar, Mr Eoche said that the terms of the deed ijyere reasonable and calculated to benefit the creditors, being much more favourable for them than if the estate had been wound up in bankruptcy. An important discovery has just been made within the bounds of the •county of Dublin. On the west side w, the hill of Ballycorus, where the Mining Company of Ireland are working lead mines, a silver mine has been jound. It is expected that this will lead to very important results in the district.

We understand that the Marquis of korn has purchased the house No. 12, Moray-place, as his Edinburgh residence.

The public benefactions of Mr Cow*siee Jehaughier Readymoney, C.5.1., «t Bombay, during the last twentv-fivo years have exceeded £127,000, while his pnvare gifts have been proportionately