Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/434

 10 CHEONICLE. [fisb.

13. The report of the commission appointed to investigate the war abuses in the Cuban campaign, issued at Washington, whitewashing Mr. Alger, the Minister of War, and Commissary-General Eagan.

— In the Transvaal elections the Progressive candidates gained several seats from the old Conservatives.

14. Don Carlos addressed a letter to his followers in the Spanish Cortes forbidding them to take part in the vote on the Treaty of Peace with the United States.

— The Earl of Home created a Knight of the Thistle in succession to Lord Napier and Ettrick, deceased.

— The American Senate passed by 26 to 22 votes a resolution declaring that the United States had not annexed the Philippines, but would protect and govern the people until such time as they could govern themselves.

15. The Budget Committee of the Reichstag discussed the proposals contained in the Government Army Bill, proposing three new army corps and the reorganisation of the railway, field telegraph, and ballooning troops.

— The Transvaal Government called upon to take severe measures to prevent the introduction of the bubonic plague, the death of an Indian coolie recently arrived from Bombay having taken place under suspicious circumstances.

16. M. F61ix Faure, President of the French Republic, died suddenly at the Elys^e of an apoplectic seizure.

— The election for Londonderry caused by the resignation of Mr. E. F. V. Knox (N.), resulted in the return of Viscount Moore (N.) by 2343 against 2301 votes polled by Mr. E. Herdman (U.).

— The Prince of Wales presided at a meeting, held at Grosvenor House, of *the committee for the national memorial to Mr. Gladstone. It was announced that about 26,000/. had been subscribed or promised.

17. At a meeting of the Liberal party in the Hungarian Diet, Baron Banffy, the Premier, declared that the negotiations with the Opposition for putting an end to the parliamentary deadlock having failed, the Cabinet would tender its resignation.

— Lord Salisbury in the House of Peers, and Mr. A. J. Balfour in the Commons, expressed the sympathy of Great Britain with France on the loss of President Faure.

— The British political agent at Muscat formally protested against the cession of a coaling-station on the coast to the French.

— Toekoe Oemar, the Atchinese chief, who had been the chief opponent of the Dutch, defeated and killed.

18. The congress assembled at Versailles, at the first ballot elected M. Loubet, President of the Senate, to be President of the Republic in succession to M. Faure, by 483 votes to 279 given to M. M^line,.23 to M. Cavaignac, 10 to M. Deschanel, 8 to M. Charles Dupuy, 4 to Colonel Monteil, 2 to M. de Rochefort, and 1 each to M. de Mun, M. Tillaye and M. Baduel.