PARTI CHRONICLE OF EVENTS IN 1899. JANUARY. 1. The Spanish Captain-General of Cuba formally delivered the control of the island into the hands of General Brooke, and the United States flag hoisted on the public buildings. The New Year honours included the elevation of Lord Cromer to the rank of viscount-four new peerages, four baronetcies, and numerous other distinctions. In Samoa severe fighting took place between the forces of Malietoa and Mataafa, the rival claimants to the throne, in which the latter were successful. Malietoa, who had been recognised by the Chief Justice, took refuge on a British ship. Mataafa was supported by the Germans. 2. A farewell dinner given to the Earl of Elgin at Calcutta by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce, at which the retiring Viceroy reviewed the financial policy of his Governorship. - Mr. T. T. Bucknill, Q.C., M.P., appointed judge of the High Court in the room of Sir H. Hawkins resigned. A gale which raged for three days with little intermission over Western Europe, accompanied by rain, snow and thunder, did enormous damage to property on land and sea, especially in the English Channel, and on the Welsh coast. 3. A duel took place at Buda-Pesth between Baron Banffy, the Hungarian Premier, and Herr Horansky, the leader of the Opposition. Four shots were exchanged at twenty paces, but without result. Thirty Danes expelled from North Schleswig by order of the German Government, in consequence of their employers having attended a meeting addressed by the Danish deputy to the Reichsrath, Herr Hanssen. The German Imperial Cabinet issued an order substituting German words in lieu of corresponding foreign terms hitherto in use in the Army, which had existed since the time of Frederick the Great, when the Prussian troops were largely officered by foreigners, and the word of command given in French. A 4. The question of the French shore rights in Newfoundland warmly discussed in the Paris press, but in no hostile or unfriendly spirit. The Hungarian Ministry, having failed to obtain a hearing for the discussion of their administrative measures, advised the Emperor-King to levy the taxes by royal rescript. - A collision took place off the North Cornish coast between the French steamer Du Guesclin, 973 tons, and the Glasgow steamer Rossshire, 1,262 tons. Both vessels had to be abandoned, and eleven of the French crew were drowned. 5. The Federal Council of the German Empire decided not to interfere at once in the Lippe-Detmold question, though declaring its competence to do so when necessary. The Court of Arbitration, presided over by the King of Saxony, had awarded the regency and ultimate succession to the Lippe-Biesterfeld family, to the exclusion of Prince Adolph of Lippe-Schaumburg, the German Emperor's brother-in-law. Lord Cromer and Lord Kitchener held a reception at Omdurman, which was attended by a large number of Soudanese sheikhs and notables. Lord Cromer declared that the country would not be ruled from either Cairo or London, but by the Sirdar, and under him a few English officers, who would see that justice was administered on Moslem principles. Lord Cromer subsequently laid the foundationstone of the Gordon Memorial College. 6. A huge boiler, which was being tested at Messrs. Hewett's works, at Barking, suddenly exploded, wrecking the surrounding buildings, and killing nine workmen, and seriously injuring about twenty others. Lord Curzon of Kedleston formally assumed the office and state of Governor-General at Calcutta, and Lord Elgin left Government House. A parliamentary paper dealing with British grievances in Madagascar, and the diplomatic correspondence relating thereto, issued by the Foreign Office. The American minister at Pekin formally protested against the proposed extension of the French quarter at Shanghai, but urged an international agreement for the enlargement of existing settlements. The Chinese Government consequently refused to accede to the French demand. 7. M. Quesnay de Beaurepaire resigned his position as president of one of the chambers of the Court of Cassation, and almost at once published a statement impugning the impartiality of the Court charged with investigating the Dreyfus case. - Two Germans, attempting to cross in snow-shoes the Süsten Pass from Guttanen to Wasen, buried by an avalanche on the Uri side. - Caskieben House, Aberdeenshire, the residence of Mr. Pirie, M.P., and Stanground Manor House, Peterborough, with their contents destroyed by fire. 9. The German Empress attended a meeting held at the house of the Chancellor, Prince Hohenlohe, to extend the number of the sanatoria for consumptives, of which twenty already existed in Germany. A collision occurred on the Lehigh Valley railroad between a coal train and an excursion bound for New York. Twelve persons were killed, and upwards of fifteen injured. The Filippinos under Aquinaldo refused to recognise the American Government's right to occupy the islands, and fortified Iloilo and other towns to resist any attempt at their occupation by the United States troops. 10. The Miners' Federation of Great Britain, attended by fifty-five delegates, representing 408,650 workmen, met at Edinburgh under the presidency of Mr. Pickard, M.P. A requisition from the South Wales and Monmouthshire miners to join the federation was unanimously agreed to. 11. Mr. Joseph H. Choate, leader of the United States bar, nominated ambassador to Great Britain. - A new planet, to which the name of Eros was given, originally discovered by Herr Witt, localised, and its orbit determined by Mr. S. C. Chandler, of Boston, U.S.A., from photographs taken at Arequipa. It was announced that under Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild's will his splendid unique art-collection of plate, enamels, bijouterie, arms, manuscripts, etc., valued at 300,000l., had been bequeathed to the trustees of the British Museum. A papal letter issued granting a constitution to St. Bede's College at Rome, founded by Cardinal Vaughan, mainly for English converts. 12. Admiral Tirpitz, the German Naval Minister, informed the Budget Committee of the Reichstag that the Government had no intention of proposing a new Navy scheme. The most violent and destructive gale known for many years raged for several hours over England and Ireland. The railway embankment near Penmaenmawr on the Chester and Holyhead line was washed away, and a luggage train ran into the sea; both enginedriver and fireman were drowned. In West Clare a train was blown off the line-Kildysart Hotel was struck by lightning, and burnt to the ground. The Channel steamers were unable to cross, and the telegraph service with the continent interrupted. Numerous fatal casualties occurred, and enormous damage was done to property by wind and rain. In the Chamber of Deputies after a violent discussion arising out of M. de Beaurepaire's frivolous charges against the Court of Cassation, the Chamber, by 423 to 124 votes, passed to the order of the day. 13. M. Witte, the Russian Finance Minister, submitted his Budget to the Czar, showing an estimated expenditure of 1,571,732,646 roubles, including 109,073,413 to be devoted entirely to railway development. The extraordinary expenditure-by which a deficit on the year would be occasioned--was to be met out of accumulations of the surplus of previous years. The Army Estimates showed an increase of 34,000,000 roubles, and the Navy of 16,000,000. 13. Prince George of Greece, the High Commissioner of Crete, presided at the inaugural meeting of the commission appointed to draw up the Constitution. 14. The White Star liner Oceanic, the largest vessel in the world, successfully launched at Messrs. Harland & Wolff's yard, Belfast. - Count Muravieff, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, addressed a second circular to the European Cabinets, stating that notwithstanding recent events the convocation of the Peace Congress was still desirable. - At Rome important discoveries made during the excavations of the Forum, and a marble receptacle, at once claimed (without authority) to be the tomb of Romulus unearthed. It was discovered in front of the "Curia." 16. An appeal issued by the French Socialists to the "English proletariat," in which to capitalists in both countries was ascribed the effort to bring the two peoples into collision. A French newspaper, Le Matin, opened a patriotic subscription to provide the French Navy with a submarine vessel of the type of the Gustave Zédé, of which the remarkable performances under water had been recently reported. The eruption of Vesuvius attained great proportions, one stream of lava flowing down the observatory side and another towards the lower railway station. The coffin of Christopher Columbus transferred from the cathedral at Havana, and previous to being deposited in the cathedral of Seville, was opened and found to contain about thirty bones and some ashes. 17. The results of the Local Government elections in Ireland occasioned great surprise, the Labour representatives gaining a large number of seats in Dublin, Limerick, Cork, and other large towns. The Unionists lost many seats throughout the country. Mr. John Morley, M.P., addressing his constituents at Brechin, stated that he intended no longer to take an active or responsible part in the counsels of the heads of the Liberal party. Herr Carl Jacobsen, a brewer of Copenhagen, informed the municipal authorities of his intention to present his art collection, valued at 5,000,000 kroner, to the city. 18. The Prussian Estimates for 1899, as laid before the Diet, balanced with a revenue and expenditure of 2,326,327,348 marks, showing an increase of 138,769,964 over the Estimates of the previous year. - Major Esterhazy, having received a safe conduct guaranteeing him from arrest, arrived in Paris from Rotterdam. 18. At Johannesburg an indoor meeting of the South African League to protest against the arrest of two of its members, broken up by a band of Dutch and Hollanders, the police making no attempt to preserve order. 19. The Bank of England reduced its rate of discount from 4 to 3 per cent.; the reserve standing at 22,102,9057., or 443 per cent. of the liabilities, and the stock of bullion at 31,968,5051. An agreement laying down the principles on which the Soudan would be administered signed at Cairo by Lord Cromer and the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs. The flags of the two countries were to be used everywhere in the Soudan except at Suakim. The Hamburg-American liner Alesia, 5,476 tons, bound from Hamburg to New York, towed into Queenstown, having been twentythree days out, and disabled by the heavy weather. 20. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York issued an intimation that before any final decision upon the interpretation of the Rubrics the matter should be argued openly before the bishop of the diocese, either personally or by counsel. - A railway collision took place on the South Eastern Railway near Strood, when a special train conveying the members of a pantomime company was run into by a goods train and much shaken. Upwards of 2,000 of the Russian Dukhoborsky sect, followed a week later by as many more, arrived at Halifax, N.S., where hospitality and grants of land had been offered them by the Dominion Government. 21. A severe south-westerly gale, accompanied by heavy rain, and lasting with little intermission for three days, spread over the greater part of the kingdom, doing enormous damage to property and cattle. Several shocks of earthquake occurred in the Peloponnese, Corinth, Nauplia and Ryparissia suffering seriously. The United States General Miller landed on Guimaral Island (Philippines), six miles from Iloilo, unopposed by the natives. 23. Mr. J. Stuart, M.P., on his installation as Lord Rector of St. Andrews University, delivered his inaugural address on the needful changes in academic teaching. Two war ships, the Collingwood battle-ship, and the Curaçoa training cruiser, came into collision in Plymouth harbour, the latter being seriously damaged. In the French Chamber a debate took place on the foreign policy of the Government, especially with regard to Great Britain, which was conducted with admirable temper by all who took part in it. Upwards of 60,000l. in bank notes stolen from a drawer in the counter of the head office of Parr's Bank, Bartholomew Lane, City. Of this 40,000l. in 1000l. notes were returned anonymously. 24. Under the will of Mr. Evan Llewellyn upwards of 20,000l. left to the metropolitan police courts for distribution among the poor. |