MAIL ITEMS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2573, 8 January 1889, Page 2

MAIL ITEMS.

Mhs Langtuy, the English actress, has been offered £10,000 by a New York publisher t" write tier autobiography, and lias agreed to (lo so.

The plans of the U.S. battle-ship Texna having boon found defective in many essential particulars, work on the vessel was entirely abandoned on December !)th. The curious put. of the alFair is that the plans came fioin England, and were passed by a board of American naval officers as correct. On their recommendation, the Secretary of the Navy (Whitney) adopted them. Dr McGl.ynn, R.C., for some time Henry George's colleague in the lal if and antiland monopoly movement, lias answered Cardinal Simeoni (who offered hiin the pastorate of Middletown, Conn, if he would retract) in the following terms: —"I will, not condemn the. doctrines uttered by ;ne ; I will not co to Rome ; I have now no case whatever before your tribunal." Sir Charles Tupper, Canadian Minister to England, received a Murchison letter, similar to that addressed tn SaclcvilleWest. but was too wary to fall into the trap. He returned an evasive teply. The second session of the fiftieth U.S. Congress opened at noon, December 3rd, when the last message to be delivered by Grovor Cleveland was laid before it and read. It is a voluminous document, pronounced state-manlike by journals favour, alile to the President, and by those opposed to him, "the snarl of a beaten candidate." Speaking of the Sackvillo-West affair, lie says the dismissal of the British Minister was, on his part, "a painful but imperative duty." Beyood reasserting the trade doctrines which cost the President re-election, his message is a dry detail of commonplace matters.

The statement that Harrison, who will succeed Cleveland in the Presidency of the United States, will urge the annexation of Canada vigorously, has caused considerabl", excitement, in the New Dominion, and given the Liberal politicians of the country, most, of whom are annexationists, renewed hope of carrying their favourite measure. In the opinion of those who are well acquainted with the temper of the people of Canada, annexation will never be seriously entertained.

An English syndicate completed the purchase of all the leading cigar factories ill Havana on December 12th ; the last bought was Juan Zance's establishment for 80,000 (Jul. in gold. A monopoly of all the fine cigars for the Humpean market is thus formed, and the United States shut out coin plot ply. One thousand eight hundred Chinamen resident in Philadelphia, who, it is said, received orders from the Imperial Government to return home, refused to obey, being too well off where they were. It, was officially announced on December loth that tlio Pope never intended to leave Rome.

The Chicago "Times " of December 12th published a long article giving results of its investigation of child murders in tho city. It says" Horrible crimes are being perpetrated now daily, and no coroners' inquests aie held. Tho victims are so quietly disposed of that not a. ripple is caused in the social stream. Prominent physicians and well-known midwifes are engaged to commit murders, and they commit. them without any compunction of conscience."

Sir Morell Mackenzie resigned from the Collrge of Physicians, London, November 29th, having been censured from the violation of professional confidence in connection with the Emperor Frederick's illness.

The Spanish Cabinet has approved the Bill which grants the suffrage to all persons over 2o years of age who have had a residence of two years in the same place, except officers, soldiers, paupers and criminals.

Madame Bimlangcr denies that she has applied for a divorce. She has retired to a convent, with her youngest daughter,