Home and Foreign News.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XXVII, Issue 1375, 3 September 1895, Page 3

Home and Foreign News.

LONDbN, AUgUSt JO. Hayward’s seed and grain warehouse at Hamppina’s wharf, Blackfriars, has been burned down. The premises were filled with grain and sugar. The damage is estimated at a quarter of a million. Nelson Bros.’ premises were injured. Two hundred firemen were on the scene, but were unable to prevent the destruction of the buildings. Owing to the fore wall at Ferguson’s house falling, Messrs Nelson Bros,* shed adjoining was destroyed. The letter sent to Baron Alphonse Rothschild contained fulminate of mercury between two pieces of cardboard, with a small detonator. The explosion took place directly a little force was used to withdraw the cardboard from the envelope. The letter was first sent to the house, but, the Baron being absent, his valet, thinking it an important communication, took it to Jacobsky, the Baron’s secretary. The letter is identical with one which was sent to M. Conslans in 1891. Jacobsky is in a serious condition, his injuries being of a more serious nature than at first appeared. J acobsky states that he thought the packet contained raoo tickets, otherwise he would have forwarded the letter unopened to Baron Rothschild. August 26..|) News has been received that the Mahomedan rebellion in the Province of Kouaa is spreading seriously. In the chess tournament Lasker and Tohigorin are leading with 12 points each. Pielsbury is third with 11J points. f The Times considers Mr Chamberlain’s new policy marks a fresh era in colonial history, and will prove of vital interest to British trade. During the Blackfriars fire- a black mass comprising many thousands of' rats crossed the Thames and were drowned, as they failed, to scale the , embankment. The fire did not affect Messrs nelson Bros.’ premises. The Navy Estimates amount to £18,701,000. The outlay on ship building is. placed at £5,393,642, and on armaments at £730,000. Mr Chamberlain is negotiating with a view to having the proposed union between Canada and Newfoundland remain in abeyance, as the former declines to assume the debt of the colony and Great Britain declines to assume the liability of a self-governing; colony. August 27. Owing to the outrage on Baron Rothschild the Scotland Yard officials' are watching noted Anarchists in London and foreign clubs in the south. Lord G; Hamilton, Secretary for India, states that the case of the Lancashire -cotton spinners would be referred to the Indian Government to obtain their views. Personally he .considered no excise duty could counterbalance the import duties on .English cotton goods. JBubear, the sculler, beat Perkins by a|length on the Thames course. The Russian authorities have ex- . polled the Jews from Yaldivostock. . The sadden presence of the British fleet at Mitylene and the Dardanelles has been followed by Chaker Pasha's departure for Armenia. Lord Salisbury’s warnings to the Turkish Ambassador have impressed the Sultan, and induced him to push on Armenian reforms. The Marquis of Lansdowne. the Secretary of War, has explained that the Government have accepted the main principles of War Office reform proposed by the Hartington Commission. Under the new War Office ments Viscount. Wolseley will be the general commander at Home and abroad. He will issue army orders, make periodical inspections here, be responsible for promotions and rewards, and act as chief adviser to the Secretary of War. Five officers will be appointed to the management of separate branches, and will together form a permanent consulting board. . It is proposed to form a War Office council, at-which, the Secretary of War preside. Viscount Wolseley and ■the parliamentary under-secretaries will be members of it. August 28. The Turkish troops are again com- ; mitting outrages on Armenian villages and the Erzeroum people are appealing to the, Powers for, assistance. The, Sultan op Turkey has vainly appealed to Prance and Russia to mitigate the stringent reforms demanded by Great Britain in Armenia. . , August 29. . Mr Chamberlain stated that he does liqt intend to alter the collection of native revenue. in Fiji. He . also considers it impossible at present to legislate with respect to trust funds. ‘ It is expected Parliament will prorogue on Thursday next. Shanghai, August 26. Four ringleaders in the Kucheng massacre have been executed. . The Chinese Government will now allow foreign consuls to assist in the inquiry re the Kucheng outrages. Already six Chinese have been convicted of murder, and fresh arrests are made daily, August 28. The attacks on missionaries at Wulu continue, and converts are brutally -whipped. Paris, August 26. News has been received that General Voyrous’s brigrade captured Andriba, in Madagascar, with a little resistance after a sharp artillery fire. A flying column is making preparations to dash on the capital. New York, August 26. Woodford, an American traveller, who has just returned from Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, declares that the French troops in that country are in a deplorable condition, and that they have no chance of reaching the capital this season. The Hovas, he says, are making, preparation for a desperate defence, and if the French .approach the capital are even prepared

to abandon the city, and convert it into a pestilential spot through the slaughter and decomposition of thousands of cattle. The neglect of the United States warship Castine to salute the French flag at Tamative irritated the military officers, who exhibited such an amount of discourtesy that nearly caused a quarrel between the parties. Subsequent apologies, however, led to the restoration of peaceful* relations. Vienna, August 29. The Czar’s present of munitions of war to Montenegro has created a profound sensation in Austria, and is regarded as a prelude to war in the spring. Constantinople, August 29. Jt is reported here that Great Britain, Russia, and France have invited the signatories to the Treaty of Berlin to appoint a commission to control the reforms demanded in Armenia. Brussels, August 28. In the Chamber of Representatives M. J. de Burlet, Minister of the Interior, iu reply to a question, denied that Belgium was about to resume control of the Congo. A union, he said, existed on condition that Belgium did not exercise sovereign rights. In the Chamber M. Lorand declared that the hanging of Stokes involved a serious difficulty with England. The whole of the Uruwiui region was in a disturbed coudition. The negroes were revolting against the cruelties of of, the Congo officials, and the loss of 70,000 lives had been involved. The Premier (M. de Burlet) contended that Congo was not annexed, and that Belgium was not responsible. St. Petersburg, August 28. The Czar has sent to Montenegro, as a present, a large quantity of guns, rifles, and war material. Sofia, August 28. The Bulgarian Government have decided to reduce the army by onehalf.