The following paragraphs are from our Indian exchanges London, 2nd: Februai Mr. Pritchard Morgan, M. P., speaking at Aberdare, advocates the utility of an understanding between Great Britain and Russia, and said that. public opinion in England at present was ripe for such a step.
In consequence of the closing of the Khyber for some six months, a good deal of material shipped from Europe' for. the Amir's foundries and workshops has had to be detained in India, It would have been too risky to have sent it up the Pass, though the Afridis would probably have allowed it to go through untouched, as they were anxious to conciliate Abdur Rahman, to whom they had appealed for assistance. As the Khyber is now held in'strength by our troops the goods can be forwarded in safety; and the Amir's agent at Peshawar will doubtless see that they are sent on at an early date.
In bidding adieu to a batch of time-expired men of the K. O. S. B.'s at Mamani on Wednesday, General Wes'macott passed a glowing eulogy upon thoregiment: "One of thefinestin the service," said the General, "which, though tried severely in the present, campaign by constant rearguard actions, by marches through ley col water follow directly by piquet duty on' bleak heights, and by all-night fighting without food or blankets, had never uttered a murmur or an unsoldierlike word."
The return of casualties during the eld operations on the frontier from June 10th 1897 to 24th January 1898, shows a total of 38 British officers killed, including those and TWrespectvely of these being regimental who died of wounds, and 87 wounded, 36
officers. Of native officers 6 have been killed and 36 wounded. The casualties among British non-commissioned officers and men amount to 105 killed, 385 wounded, and:4 snissing, all of these last being supposed to be dead. The number of native noncommissioned officers and. men: killed: and wounded amounts to $11 and 869 respectively, three more being reported as missing. The full casualties among all tanka, therefore, from the attack on the escort at Maizr to January 24th are 640 killed, 1,377 wounded, and 7 missing, and ta this melancholy total the losses in the Bara Valley last Saturday must now be added.
The Bombay Guzette says that owing to the existing stringency in the money market the Port Trustees as welles the Municipality are deferring the issue of the new loans contemplated for some time past, and extremely little business is being done in the bonds of either. The local authorities hope that by the time the new improve. ment scheme is passed the condition of the money market will have become normal, for if the present stringency remains the commencing capital: will.be raised under very unfavourable conditions, Many business men -express the
should be guaranteed by Government that loans raised by the new Board until public confidence in the scheme has been so firmly established by the work and management of the Trust as to render such a guarantee unnecessary. The adoption of this suggestion would only be to follow the precedent set in the case of the Port Trust, and it is urged that a Government guarantee would materially assist in the flotation of the earlier loans. bth February.
Prince Henry of Orleans,: speaking'atia Fbanquet in Paris, said that thanks
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.