Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/474

 50 CHEONICLE. [aug.

11. The German Emperor, at the formal opening of the Dortmund and Ems Canal, declared that he was firmly determined to proceed with the construction of great waterways in the empire, and especially with the Rhine-Elbe project.

— The Spanish generals and officers concerned in the capitulation of Santiago, formally acquitted by court martial.

— The Presidents of the South American Republics met in con- ference at Rio de Janeiro to discuss the commercial bonds between their several countries.

— At Yokohama a square mile of houses, having a population of 500,000 inhabitants, destroyed by fire, but only three lives were reported as having been lost.

12. M. D^roulfcde and several members of the Orleanist party arrested on the charge of conspiracy against the Government.

— Ex-President Casimir-Perier and General Mercier gave evidence before the Rennes court martial, when the latter attempted to justify the Dreyfus proceedings.

— Several cases of bubonic plague reported from Oporto; the in- fection was said to have been brought in packages from Bombay.

13. FStea and a loan exhibition of pictures inaugurated at Antwerp in honour of the tercentenary of Vandyck. Included in the ceremonies was a grand historical procession representing the progress of art during nineteen centuries.

14. Maitre Labori, Dreyfus's leading counsel, shot in the back, and seriously wounded whilst on his way to attend the trial.

— The National Co-operative Festival opened at the Crystal Palace, when the inaugural address was delivered by Rev. Dr. Lorrimer of Boston, U.S.A.

— Sir John Bridge, chief magistrate at Bow Street, resigned, and Mr. F. Lushington appointed his successor.

— M. Jules Guerin, whose arrest had been ordered, barricaded himself with a dozen confederates in the offices of the Anti-Semitic League, and defied the police. He was proclaimed an outlaw.

15. An imperial order issued at St. Petersburg, directing that Ta- lien-wan be declared a free port after the completion of the railway connecting it with the Trans-Siberian line.

— Lieutenant-General Sir F. Forestier-Walker appointed to tbe chief command of the British troops in South Africa.

— The Lord Mayor of London issued an appeal for a public sub- scription for the relief of the sufferers by the hurricane in the West Indies, many thousands of people having been rendered homeless, and their crops destroyed.

16. The last of the test matches between England and the Australians played at Eennington Oval, resulting in a draw. Score: England, first innings, 578. Australia, first innings, 352 ; second innings (5 wickets)* 254. The only finished match was won by Australia.