The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-02-23 00:00:00

THE SURRENDER OF THE TURCO-
MM.

The St. Petersburg Official Gazette confirms the
news of the submission of all the Turkomans of Merv.
They have surrendered to General Komaroff, the
Governor of the Transcaspian. The following is
General Komaroff's telegram to the Emperor, dated
Askabad, the Ist inst., reporting the official accept-
ance of allegiance on the arrival of the Turcornan
deputies at the Russian headquarters :
"I have the pleasure of most humbly informing
your Imperial Majesty that to-day in Askabad the
Khans of four tribes of Mery Turcomans and 24
chosen delegates, one for every 2000 kibitkas or tents,
accepted unconditional allegiance to your Majfsty ;
confirming the same by solemn oath for themselves
and the whole people of Merv. According to the
Khans and delegates, the Turcomans of Mery come to
this decision from the conviction that they cannot
govern themselves, and that only the strong govern.
ment of your Majesty can induce and secure order and
prosperity among the I.—LIEUTENANT • GENERAL
KOMAEOFF."

In the HOUSE OY Comtfores Lord E. Fltzmaurice informed
Mr. Onslow that Sir Evelyn Baring had been instructed to
send General Gordon's proclamation home as soon as he
received the text of it. Replying to numerous questions by
Sir Stafford Northcote and others, Mr. Gleason° declined to
produce the summary of the proclamation, and expressed
his disbelief in the accuracy of the telegrams which had
been published. The key to the whole question, bethought
would be found to lie in the difference between slavery in
the Soudan and the slave trade.
' TIIE VOTE OF CENSURE REJECTED.
MURDER BY A LUNATIC, The adjourned debate ton the Vote of Censure Was re.
• turned by Mr. Ashmead-Bartlett, who denounced the miser-
At the Warwick Assizes, before Mr. Justice Denman, able policy of retreat adopted by the Government in regard
Thomas Clarke 33, stoker, was charged with the stiolotuhledS?)ueden, and alternativeinjileicreefedaro;ltlhea policy which
wilful murder of his wife, Emma Clarke, at Birming- M hdl the administra-
tion of Egyr:lquEnglish officials in friendly concurrence with
ham, on December 19, 1883. the Sultan, who was the sovereign of the country, and a
The prisoner, it appeared, was married to the European policy based upon a German alliance.
deceased, who was 22 years of age, on November II • Mr. Irouldsworth, in supporting Sir E. Northcote's motion,
last year, when they took up their residence with pointed out that the Government had accepted the dual
Mrs. Hart, the wife a mother. They were said to control without attempting to modify it. Re condemned
have lived on perfectly happy and friendly terms. On their endeavour to carry out a policy of non-intervention
Sunday, November 18, the prisoner, his wife, and which had deservedly failed.
mother-in•law had tea together. The mother•in•law Mr. T. P. O'Connor contended that the Government had
throughout been guilty of weakness and irresolution, had
said they were quite comfortable together. She had demoralised their own supporters, and had brought shame
occasion to leave the house for a short time, and two or and humiliation upon England and disaster upon Egypt.
hepriwncitihplehsawvlhnithwthheeny
three minutes after she left she heard screams of mut-
der, and on going back to the house met the prisoner they went. Cowanentto tEgypt,aunte d
abandoned Government t
running out. On entering the room she found her had professed at the general election. No doubt they were
daughter lying face downwards in the coal-place, • anxious to get out of Egypt, but the events which had been
covered with blood, and' a chopper lying near, with the inevitable outcome of their policy effectually prevented
blood and hair on it. The deceased, who was taken their doing so.
to the hospital, was suffering from three compound The debate was continued by Mr. Bruce
,and Mr. Ecroyd,
who supported the motion, and by Mr. M Coan, who advo-
fractures of the skull, from which she died on cated an English protectorate of Egypt.
December 19. Her deposition was not taken, the Mr. Chaplin. canvassing the various policies which had
doctors fearing the excitement might kill her. After been propounded, maintained that of a protectorate and a
the occurrence on November 18, the prisoner, who had declared determination to remain in Egypt until our work
run out of the house without his shoes, met a police, was done, No Government, he contended, was chargeable
Manlialf a mile from his house, threw his arms round with so much bloodgailtiness as the present, and the cent-
his neck, and said, "I have killed my wife," and posure with which the Prime Minister had permitted
fainted away. He was perfectly sober at the time. thousands of miserable creatures to perish within reach of
an English force was a test of the hypocrisy of his Bulgarian
When subsequently charged with the offence, the agitation. '
prisoner said, "All right, I know ; " and on another Mr. Goschen observed that it was patent to everybody that
-occasion, !Jam very sorry for what I have done; I the present policy of the Government was, must be, and
did notknor what I was doing." would be, different from what it had been in the put. Un—
,
Forthe defence, Mr,HugoYoungsubmitted that at the and the Government
foreseen events had forced their hand,
had accepted fully and frankly the situation. Sufficient
time the prisoner, was suffering from homicidal mania, account-had not been taken of the stupendous difficulties
.
nd was not responsible for his actions, and anumber o 4 a
ed:wha4speke to viirloui eccentrici- , which they had had tcryne,ounter, but at the Same time he
witnesses were -call conceded that an earlier recognition of their responsibilities
ties of conduct. It was also said that ten years ago he would have saved them many difficulties, that there-had
cut his own throat; and after his discaharge from the
hospital attempted to tear open the wound again. been too many polite actions, and an inclination to
• hurry forward the work whch they had undertaken for
, the sake of obtaining results which could be cited in a
T e learned Judge, having very carefully summed speech. It was necessary that stability should be
up the evidence, explaining the existing law under the secured In Egypt, and the European Powers looked
Trial of Lunatics, Act, 1883, the jury returned ft to. us to secure it, relying upon the pledges which the
special verdict in the terms of that Act, finding the - government had given. No more opportune moment could
prisoner guilty, but that he was not responsible at the '
time he committed the act by reason of his being sonance than the present, when they were
occur for asking thettlo'co•operate by untying our hands in
/ regard to Egyptian
Insane as not to be responsible in law, and he WU
- why he had o not the courage of his conviction', the right
gu to forward. Remarking that he had been asked
ordered to be detained during her Majesty's ' hon. gentleman replied that he Ind, but be had not the
pleasure, temerity to give a blank political cheque to Lord Salisbury.
Europe relied upon the pledges given by the present
Government; the Government stood by their pledges, and he
stood by the Government.
Mr. Gibson congratulated the Government upon getting
Mr. Gosehen's vote and the country upon obtaining the
tease= which he WI giveg ligaipst it. Eyen if the (19!_e_M.,
,

According to a telegram from Alexandria 9036
claims have been allowed up to the present by the
International Indemnity Commission, amounting in
the Aggregate to £3.710.000.
• --

• •"

fj:l;‘, .
-

ment now realised the position la Egypt, th3t was no reason
why thv House, representing the voice of the country,
should hesitate to declare what was obviously the tact, that
the disasters in the Soudan were largely, it not, as he con-
tended, almost entirely, due to the conduct of the Govern-
ment.

The Marquis of Hartington complained that in the debate
of the evening little reference had been made to the defence
of the Government, as set forth in the speeches of the
Prime Minister, and that no answer had been given to the
Prime Minister's charge against the Opposition that they
had no policy. The policy of non-intervention in the
Soudan, as laid down in the despatch of Lord Dufferin, was
thoroughly well known to the House and acquiesced in
throughout last session by all, including the Opposition,
and no exception had been taken to it. But it was a
right and wise policy, he contended, inasmuch as our
intervention in Egypt for clear and defined purposes in
no wa committed us to interference in the internal
affairs of the Soudan, where our intervention would
have committal us to indefinite responsibilities. The Minis-
terial policy was to maintain our garrisons until our reforms
in Egypt had been accomplished and sufficient stability had
been given to the Government to allow our military support
to be withdrawn. But the reformed Government which they
wished to set up was a native Government, though
assisted for a long time, perhaps permanently, by English
officials both military and civil. This, he contended, was a
safer and more acceptable policy than that which he under-
stood to be recommended by the Opposition of substituting
a singl control for the Dual, supported by a military occupa-
tion an: administered by Englishmen, not as a temporary ex-
pedient, but as a permanent arrangement. After defending the
abandonment of the Soudan as wise and inevitable he dealt with
the charge of not relieving the garrisons, contending that
we were under no obligation to attempt their relief, and
that the Government had every reason to believe that Baker
Pasha's expedition would be successful. To have sent an
expedition of British troops earlier would have been impos-
sible, and would have gravely compromised the success of
General Gordon's mission. Although he admitted that the
Opposition was not bound to formulate a policy, the House
would be more ready to adopt this resolution it they had
some more distinct understanding what that policy was.
Up to the present moment the only policy the Opposition
had propounded amounted to annexation, but their divided
councils showed that they had no decided policy, but were
as ready as ever to commit the country to undefined engage-
ments.

Sir Stafford Northcote remarked that the noble lord's
speech had opened up a new chapter in the history of the
Lresent Government, and the policy which he laid down was
on entirely different lines from those of the Prime Minister.
The policy of the Opposition WAS the same now as when
they were in office, and he had expounded it a dozen times.
was not to extend our territory but to give such an
efficient administration to Egypt as would enable her to
maintain herein with credit, and to maintain our road to
India. The present Government had spoiled this policy, and
the Opposition disclaimed all responsibility for the bombard-
ments, battles, and destruction which had signalized the
dealings of the present Government with Egypt. No answer
had been given to the charge made in his resolution, and,
whatever might be the result of the division, the debate
showed that the confidence of a large number of gentlemen
In the House and still larger number outside had been
shaken and that the future conduct of the Government in
Egypt would be closely watched.
Sir W. Lawson having withdrawn his amendment,the House
divided on the resolution, with the result of a majority c:
49 for the Government—viz., 262 for the resolution, and 311
against it. The announcement of the numbers was receirl...l
with much cheering on both sides.
The House adjourned at a quarter past two o'clock