Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/427

1899.] 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 300,000 £., 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.