Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/495

 1899.] CHRONICLE. 71

27. Eight new rooms and a sculpture hall added to the Tate Gallery, reserved for works of the modern British artists belonging to the National Gallery.

— A great outburst of French ill-will, combined with scurrilous attacks upon the Queen, appeared in a large number of French news- papers, and maintained with much virulence.

28. The German Emperor and Empress, after spending three days with the Prince and Princess of Wales, left Sandringham and em- barked at Port Victoria on board the imperial yacht for Flushing.

— The Valencia manufacturers, who had for months refused to pay the new taxes, agreed to do so provided the fines for their delay were remitted.

— Lord Methuen engaged the Boer forces at Modder River, and after ten hours' fighting without food or water, described as " one of the hardest and most trying fights in the annals of the British army," the Boers were driven from their position. Lord Methuen was slightly wounded.

29. A fire, occasioned by an electric spark, broke out in a store in the business portion of Philadelphia, and property estimated at $5,000,000 was destroyed, including Messrs. Lippincott's book warehouse.

— The United States publishing firm of Messrs. Harper Brothers, New York, assigned to Messrs. Morgan, by whom the business was to be in future carried on.

— Numerous arrests of members of the " Young Turkey" party took place at Constantinople, and under pretext of an expected revolu- tion strong repressive measures were adopted.

30. Bank rate of discount raised from 5 to 6 per cent., the reserve standing at 19,335,749/., or 4l± per cent, of the liabilities, and the coin and bullion at 31,130,6892.

— At the annual meeting of the Royal Society the medals of the year were awarded — the Copley medal to Lord Rayleigh, F.R.S. (physical science), the Davy medal to Mr. Edward Schunck, F.R.S. (investigations on madder, indigo, etc.), Royal Society medals to Professor G. F. Fitz- gerald, F.R.S. (optics, etc.), and Professor W. C. M«lntosh, F.R.S. (marine zoology).

— Mr. Chamberlain at Leicester made a speech referring to an Anglo-Teutonic understanding between Great Britain, Germany and the United States, and to the outrageous attacks upon the Queen by certain French newspapers. The speech was ill-received both in Berlin and Paris.

DECEMBER

1. The French Minister of War, General de Galliffet, submitted to the Chamber a bill transferring the direction of colonial troops from the Admiralty to the War Office, and extending the law of military conscription to the colonies, Algiers and Tunis excepted.