Pressure is being brought to ear upon the Municipal Council at Mareeilles to induce them to modify their absurdly severe regulations intended to prevent the introduction of the bubonic plague. Up to the present, however, the regulations remain in force, with the result that vessels from Bombay are abandoning Marseilles in favour of other ports. The passengers on the Yarra, who were not allowed to land at Marseilles, were conveyed, after several days' useless waiting, to Bordeaux, where they merely underwent a medical inspection and were permitted to land without further trouble within 24 hours of their arrival. The cargo is now being discharged. Three or four weeks ago this intelligence would have filled France with alarm, but now, thanks to a little reflection and the counter-excitement of the Cretan crisis, the French have almost forgotten the bubonic plague. The: only sufferers up to the present are the dock Inbourers and tradesmen of Marseilles. The hasty action of the Municipality is all the more regrettable in view of the tendency of several important lines to abandon Italian ports in favour of Marseilles.. The Clan,-Prince, and other lines are said to be contemplating this move, and as the im-Pee'0. Ca. have not, been carried' out, provements at Brindisi demanded by the
there is a prospect of the Indian mails Ueing conveyed next year vid. Marseilles instead of Brindisi. "The action of. the Municipality, however, is not encouraging to shipowners.
26th February,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.