The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-03-13 00:00:00

THE ANNEXATION OF UPPER

OFFICIAL PROCLAMATION.

The following important proclamation was issued
at- Rangoon on Saturday by Mr. Bernard. This
merciful policy announced in it. will (the correspon-
dent of the 7'ini-s says) certainly have a most bene-
ficial effect in Upper Burmah. The insurgents and ,
dacoits have hitherto been induced to continue their
resistance by fear of being executed if they surren-
dered : Under the orders of his Excellency the
Viceroy and Governor-General of India, it is hereby
notified that the country of Upper Burmah has been
permanently added to the dominions of her Majesty
the Queen-Empress, and will henceforth be under the
direct control of British officers. No Burmese Prince
will ever again rule in Burmah. The Queen-Empress
of India is Sovereign throughout the whole country,
and all the people of Burmah are now her Majesty's
subjects. The welfare of the inhabitants of the
whole of Burmah is now a matter of solicitude
to the British Government—a strong and
powerful Government, which will respect the
customs, rights, privileges, and religious institutions
of all classes, and will effectually provide for the pro-
tection of life and property in this country, as in
other parts of the Empire. All priests, officials, and
private persons who loyally accept British rule, and
who assist the officers appointed by the Viceroy, will
receive support and encouragement; and all good
service done for the British Government will be duly
recognised and rewarded.
It is the firm intention of the Government to trample
out dacoity, rebellion, and all crimes of violence at
any cost. At the same time, it is not the desire of
the Government that persons who have been misled
by evil advisers should have no opportunity of for-
saking a career of crime and becoming peaceable
citizens. All persons who are stilt opposing the
British Government are hereby called upon to come
in and lay down their arms and return to a life of
order and industry. As an act of special grace aod
favour, under the authority of his Excellency the
Viceroy, all persons who have taken up arms against
the Government in Upper Burmah are assured that
if they voluntarily surrender themselves to any
British officer before the 30th of June, 1886, their lives
will be spared, n d they will be treated with such leniency
as their case permits. The only exceptions to this offer
of amnesty are the persons who were engaged in, or•
instigated, the murders of Messrs. Allen, Roberts, and
Moncur at Mingin and of Mr. Gray at Zyibin. Save
in the case of notorious leaders of dacoits, a free
pardon for all offences against the State committed
before the issue of this proclamation will be granted
to any person who voluntarily surrenders himself
before that date. All rebels and dacoits are hereby
solemnly warned that, if they do not avail themselves
of the clemency now offered, they will be pursued and
dealt with according to law. The friends and relatives
of persons suffering imprisonment for dacoity and
rebellion are invited to co-operate with the authorities
in restoring order. When disturbance shall have
ceased, dacoits and rebels now in prison may look for
some mitigation of their punishment. As long as
disturbances continue, no hope of release can be held
out to them. The Calcutta correspondent of the
Times says that it is believed there that the new pro-
vince of Upper Burmah will shortly be brought under
the operation of the Act of the 32 Victoria, whereby
it will become part of British India, but as what is
• known as a non-regulation province; all the proposed
laws for it being passed not by legislation, but by the
Governor-General in Council.

A Chicago man, who had been appointed receiver
for-a cm Lain firm, went to a lawyer, and asked—" Out
of about 20,000 dols. passing through his hands, how
much ought .11" receiver to kro4?'"` Veit,
.18,000 d 015.," waq the rePt9. ThErreceiver looked
disappointed, and the lawyer asked if he had
expected more. "Why, I can't possibly see what
business anyone else has with the other 2000 dols." he
replied,

bout

TWENTY ACRES FOR NOTHINfG•
Mr. Jesse Oollings's air of "three acres:and a
cow" is beaten by the new Homestead Bill whiCh has
been introduced into the Legislaturesof Ohio andlowa.
It gives to any citizen over 21 years of age, and the
head of a family, on satisfactory evidence that
neither be nor his family are owner of personal pro-
perty above the value of a thousand dollars, and that
he desires land for the purpose of residing upon and
cultivating it, a parcel of land, not to exceed tWenty
acres, to be his so long as he resides upon it and
cultivates it. The bill also contains a provision for
issuing bonds and purchasing land when necessary
to carry out the provisions of the Act. Anything,
says the Christian Union of New York, which will
have the tendency to draw working men froin the
overcrowded towns and cities into the country, and to
develop agricultural industry, is certainly to be
approved, and this bill, though it can only be re-
garded as experimental, looks like an experiment in
the right direction.