Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/467

 1899.] CHEONICLE. 43

17. The whole staff of correspondents representing American news- papers at Manilla forwarded through Hong-Kong a message protesting against the manner in which the press-censorship had been exercised by General Otis, and the state of affairs in the Philippines misrepresented.

— Sir James Vaughan, chief police magistrate at Bow Street, retired after thirty-five years' service on the bench.

18. The Transvaal Volksraad, after a long debate, agreed to further concessions on the franchise question — admitting foreigners as voters after seven years' residence, retrospective and prospective.

— A serious strike among the tramway drivers and conductors occurred at New York, arising out of a demand for shortened hours. Many conflicts with the police took place, and an attempt was made to blow up one of the lines by dynamite, by which several persons were injured. The strike only lasted four days.

— At the Hague Peace Conference the revision of arbitral judg- ments put forward by the United States delegate adopted unanimously as an amendment on the original Russian proposal, which proposed to make treaties of arbitration permanent.

— The Eastern Extension Telegraph Company offered to lay a cable from South Africa to Australia free of cost to the colonies.

— Mr. Rhodes received with great enthusiasm at Cape Town by the English party.

— Mr. Chambers, Chief Justice of Samoa, having left the island, the commissioners nominated the American Consul-General, Mr. Osborn, to be acting chief justice — the president of the council being a German.

19. Mr. Alger, the United States Secretary for War, resigned in con- sequence of the unpopularity of his administration.

— Mary Ann Ansell, convicted of the murder of her sister by means of a poisoned cake sent through the post, executed at St. Albans..

— The fourth test match between England and Australia played at Manchester, resulting in a draw. Score: England, first innings, 372; second (three wickets), 94. Australia, first innings, 176 ; second (seven wickets), 346, followed on and declared closed.

— The city and environs of Rome visited by a severe earthquake which did considerable damage, especially at Frascati, but caused no loss of life. Simultaneously Mount Etna showed great activity, and caused a panic among the neighbouring inhabitants.

20. The German Empress whilst climbing among the mountains in the neighbourhood of the Konigsree in the Bavarian Tyrol broke the small bone of her leg and sprained her ankle.

— Mr. Henniker Heaton, M.P., presented at the Guildhall with the freedom of the City of London in recognition of his services in pro- moting postal reforms and the Imperial Penny Postage.

— The Uitlander Council in Johannesburg called a public meeting to condemn the new franchise law, and to demand a more complete settlement of their claims.

— In the House of Commons the Tithe Rent Charge (Rates) Bill read a third time by 182 to 117 votes.