London, 13th June.
The European Congress has been formally opened. The first working sitting will be held on the 17th instant. Austria proposes to insist on the federation of Servia and Montenegro under the auspices of Austria, or the conclusion of a military convention.
The Secretary of State for the Colonies (Sir Hicks Beach) at a banquet, said that England intended to adhere to the tenor of Lord Salisbury's circular.
The Chefoo Convention has been ratified the difficulty with regard to certain clauses the Government hoped soon to surmount.
The ex-king of Hanover is dead.
15th June.
rumoured that Parliament will be dissolved in the Autumn.
Tue Conaress.
At Thursday's sitting of the house the dangerous proximity of the opposing Congress}, Karl Beaconsfield alluded to forces at Constantinople, but hoped the Russian troops would be withdrawn immediately.
By agreement between Count Schouvalof and Lord Salisbury, the Balkans are to divide Bulgaria; the north being independent and the south an autonomous province.
England consents to the cession of Batoum and Bessarabia, but takes Armenia under her special protection, to promote the control of the arrangements of Europe.
Russia surrenders Bayazid, The passage of the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus is to remain in star quo.
19th June.
-ThoConservative Journals condemn vehe~ mently the agreement between Count Shouvaloff and Lord Salisbury, while the Times completely approves it.
It is probable that the Turkish Plenipo-tentiones will withdraw from the Congress if autonomy is granted to Epirus and Thessaly, and Bosnia and Herzegovina surrendered, and the fortress abandoned.
(The realing of this passage is obscure in the telegram.)
The Lord President of the Council (Duke of Richmond) replying to a question, said that the agreement had been published surreptiously and was incomplete, and Sir Stafford Northcote appealed to the House to forego further details.
The Congress are discussing the admission of Greece to the deliberations.
The recovery of the Emperor of Germany The Kafirs are collapsing. is painful and protracted.
The strike (among Lancashire cotton operatives?) is at an end.
There seems now to be strong probability that the Long-vexed question of the extension of the Markham road to the Jessfield road will soon be satisfactorily settled. A letter on the subject is included in the Minutes of the Municipal Council meeting, given on another page. which, we are sure, will be read wish satisfaction by the community yeuerally.—The plans of the buildings for the new Hongkew Police Station have been approved of, and tenders are to be advertised for in the native newspaper.—Somo silver-refining operations having been carried on in Probst's Gardens, a report was submitted by the Health Officer respecting the unhealthiness of the process, and further stating that "the refuse fluid, containing sulphate of copper and other impurities, flowing into the Defence Creek, render the water unfit for domestic purposes." It was resolved to request the owners of the land to have the nuisance abated.
We feel sure that our readers generally will peruse with deep interest the letter from the Rev. W. Muirhead, respecting the state of affairs in the North, which we publish elsewhere, though they will doubtless be surprised at the unthinking opposition to the work of charity offered by the authorities of Honan.
'A further list of subscriptions to the China Famine Relief Fund, has been published. It includes a 16th donation from London, of Tls. 2,000, and brings up the total collected to date to Tls. 115,160.04. Asum of Tls. 996.59 has been returned
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.