The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-07-14 00:00:00

THE SECOND SUEZ CANAL

Mr. Childers read the heads of the provisional agreement
made with M. de Lesseps for the construction by the Suez
Canal Company of a second canal.
A discussion ensued, at the close of which the subject
dropped.
AFFAIRS IN MADAGASCAR.

Mr. Gladstone replying to Sir S. Northcote, said—We have
received within the Jest 24 hours telegraphic information

from Zanzibar and Madagascar with regard to occurrenees
in Madagascar, which is not complete, but of which I will
endeavour to state the substance. The House has. I be-
lieve, already been made aware, by my hon. friend the
Under Secretary (Lord 11 Fitzmaurice), that Tamatave was
occupied by the Fremh on the 16th of June. A state of
siege w.. 1 proci,imed there. Tho British Consul was, un-
happily, at the time v, ry ; and the information we
have received is to the effect that his illness was sei ieusly
aggravated by the political crisis. One instance of that
cri:is was that his secretary was arrested in his presence. In
these circumstances he received an order from the French
Admiral to quit the place within 24. hours. Before the 24
hours, seven hours before the expiration of the time, he
died. The French Admiral subsequently invited the British
to attend the funeral. They did attend in considerable
numbers; the officers and men of the Dryad Lnd several
French officers likewise attended the funeral. The French
Admiral stopped communications between the British
man-of-war and the shore. The captain was allowed,
but only allowed verbally, to protest against the
proceedings, and the flags of all the Foreign Consuls, as we
understand, have been hauled down. Besides that, Sir,
there is a portion of a telegram affecting another person,
which says that, in addition to the secretary of the Consul,
who, I have already said, has been arrested, one British
subjoct—a Mr. Shaw, who, I believe, is a missionary of the
L mdon Missionary Society—was arrested on the 16th
June, and remains in prison. The charge against him has
not been made public, but it is surmised or presumed to
be for correspondence with the enemy, using what would
be the French phrase under the circumstances. Inquiry
has been made with respect to him, but the only
answer received is, "The law must take its course."
Sir, in announcing these grave and painful occurrences, I
have only now to say that we wait for further information as
to the facts, and we wait also for those communications
from the Government of France which the case may require,
which we have intimated to the French Government that we
anticipate, and which it would have been our duty to wake
under similar circumstances. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. Gladstone moved—" That for the remainder of the
Session Orders of the day have precedence of Notices of
Motions on Tuesday, Government Orders having priority,
and that Government Orders have priority this day and on
each succeeding Wednesday."
After some conversation the motion was agreed to.
The consideration of the Corrupt Practices Bill in Com.
mittee was then resumed, the House adjourning at six
o'clock.