The Portland daily press., 1875-04-13
F O r E IG N.
British ParIiamenf-RelatiOn of Ger.
NANNY and Belgium Under Discussion.

British ssarIiameut-Relatio of Ger
many and Belgium Under Discussion.
LONDON, April 12-In the House of Com
| mons to day Mr.. Lewis asked what course the
| government would take if the independence of
| Belgium was imperlled, in consequence OF her
| rejection of Prussia's demands.
| Mr.. Disraeli replied sthat there had been a
great misrepresentation and eXaggeratl0n IN
| this matter. The Prussian note to Belgium
| was not menace. 1t Was only remOnstrance.
| No reoinder had been made to BegiumS
| answer, and he believed the question was con-
| cluded. Germany had shown her cordially for
| England by communicating to her the cor
respondence In conclusion Disraeli declared
| that were Belgiums neutrality really threatened
| Her Majesty's Government were prepared to do
| their duty to the sovereign, and would not fear
| to meet Parliament.
| Steamer Sunk with Heavy Loss of Life.
The steamer Ocean sank the steamer Fusing
| at Shanghae in collision. The loss of life was
| heavy.
From Australia.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 12.-The steamship
| Mikado brings advices from Melbourne to
| March 18th, and Auckland March 18th. Inc
| steamer Helen McGregOr, on voyage from
| Grafton to Sydney struck reef, on which the
| steamerUrora was lost. She remained on the
| reef an hour, and then, floating off, sank in
| deep water. The passengers and crew We're
saved in the boats, except one boat load of
! eight persons who were lost:
boats of the steamer Gothenburg, lost in the
| Torres Straits, February 25th. Only % persons
were saved. All the other persons were lost
About so persons were lost
The drought has been succeeded by heavy
| floods in the coast districts On the Hunter
| river great damage has been done to crops. The
settlers were flooded out, and are being cared
| FOR by The government Hon. VIM Arnold,
| Speaker of the New South Wales Assembly,
was drowned while endeavoring to recover
tinp tu OF Maitland
| terson and Morpet the water stood several feet
deep in the streets, causing great destruction OF
| property. From the Clarence, Bellinger, Mac
| lay, Hastings and other rivers similar disasters
| are reported, but no loss OF life.
Agricultural intelligence from various por-
tions of the colonies is favorable, except in the
| flooded districts. The late rains have removed
the fears on account of drought Floods are
| also reported in Queensland, causing great loss
of property, much suffering and many lives.
The mining news throughout the colonies is
| satisfactory. From Auckland news has been
received that the new 100000 loan, bearing
| a per cent interest, has been taken by the
Rothschilds at 90.
France and the Centennial.
PARIS, April 12.-At a meeting of the
French commission on the United States GEN.
tennial exhibition, letter addressed to Minis
| ter Decazes and Say was read. 1t asks for q
| nomintiaon on the part of the government of
| centennial commission to officially promote the
| interests OF Uuo HT6uCu auu re-
quests that some of the principal master
| pieces of French art and industry in the pos
session of the government be sent to the exhibit
| ton at Philadelphia
Pope Alarmed ut sIie Power of Germany.
PARIS, April 12.-The l. Union says the Pope
has made representations through the Patriarch
of Venice to the Emperor of Austria that the
position of the church is becoming more and
more intolerable and that if the unreasonable
demands of Prussia are not resisted by tie
Catholic powers the latter will lose all their in
hueuce and become a subject to the German
government. which is endeavoring to bring the
whole German nationality under one sceptre.
The Emperor replying to this through the
Austrian ambassador at Rome oeplores the
struggle between Church and State and advises
prudence.
DestitutiOn i'm Cape Breton.
HALIFAX, April 12-Advices from Cape
Breton state that there is universal cry
throughout the island for proyender for cattle,
and the scarcity of human food is seriously
threatened. The severity of the winter prevent
ed mportations.
The track of the Prince Edwards Island
! Railroad is being cleared and the road will be
opened about the first of May.