The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-02-02
FROM EUROPE.


movements during inc week Inc ice DFiugc
of the Danube enabled the Russians to get up
abundant supplies, with which, though the
bridge is now broken they can push forward
towards Constantinople, as they are evidently
doing in great force, without embarrassment,
The Russian movement towards Gallipoli has
probably been arrested out Of Difference to Eng
land, but the army is being concentrated at
AleXandrianoplc in such overwhelming mass
that any attempt to impede the march thence
to Constantinople would be useless.
The Turkish army under Suleiman paSha
is at Karoa on the Egean, embarking as rap
idly as possible for Constanlnoplc.
The S'cryians, Moncnegrins and RoUman-
iuns are pushing military operations with
great vigor against Widin, Scutari and Silis-
tra
Ofc,urse the attention of all Europe is now
absorbed in the question Of peace, and the ma
ton most deeply involved in its solution, out
side of Russia and Turkey themselves, is Eng
land. \ week AGO, England having waited
for over a week for an answer from Russia as
to the terms Of peace the Car proposed to Of
fer the Turk and getting no reply, but learn
inc that Russian army was marching to Gal
lpol to take possession of the Dardanelles,
England hastily ordered Its fleet at Besika bay
to proceed to Gallipoli. This order, coupled
with the notice in parliament that a credit of
$50 100000 would be asked by the ministry
for war purposes, looked as if England had
really taken the overt step and inaugurated
hostilitics against Russia. The excitement
throughout the country, as well as all Europe,
for that matter, was immediate and intense.
But this was greatly quoted next day by the
announcement in parliament that the long
looked for answer from Russia had arrived,
and that the Russian terms were such as would
not necessarily compel interference by Eng
land to protect her interests, and that therefore
the sailing Of the fleet to Gallipoli had been
countemanded The terms Russia says she
is prepared to offer Turkey are substantially
as follows:
Fjrst-Autonomy for Bulgaria boundaries
not defincd) under a governor to be appointed
according to the stipulations of the CONSTANT
nODlt NDUltItuCt, lllt hiSlI lliillNiiN i'iNN'
to be withdrawn to certain localities to be de-
termined upon.
!sccoad-The independence of Roumania,
with compensation for territory near the mouths
of the Danube which she will make over to
Russia.
THtm-Local autonomy for Bosnia and
Herzegovina, and the independence OF Serbia,
with territorial rectificatiOn (This "rectitica-
ton" of the Serbian frontier may mean the
transfer of Little Zwornik to Serbia, but in
Difference to Austria and the other powers the
question is left quite OPEN
F6ulth-A ACKNOWLEDGEMENT for Montenegro
on the basis of the status Q,to post JeIlum, sub
iect to the approval of the powers.
F'th-The cession OF Batoum and payment
of indemnity in money, territory or some
equivalent, to be determined upon.
Finally, the Sultan to undertake to consider
how to protect Russian interests in the passage
of the Dardanelles.
In commenting on these terms Sir Stafford
Northcote in parliament SAID they were UNI
doubleday sweeping''-that they were not
such as had been agreed upon by the Constan-
tinoplc conference, and must necessarily raise
many difficult questions which Russia is I'M
derstood to allow the European powers to have
IA share IN solving. Ifnot, the question of Il
collision between at least England and Russia
was far from settled and Austria is well un
derstood to be in full sympathy with England.
As preliminary to settling the terms Of peace
between Russia and Turkey, however it was
understood that an armistice was to be agreed
upon, and though the Turkish delegates have
loo, =, communication with tho Grand DIXIE
Nicholas over two weeks, no information can
be received as to the signing Of the armistice.
1t is now believed that Russia proposes topro-
cecd at once with her negotiations with Tur-
key without the previous formality of an arm
isticc. 1t is certain the Russian terms have
been laid before the Turkish parliament, and
that the porte is quite ready and anxious to
conclude Il peace on the basis proposed.
Meantime the debate in the British parlia-
ment on voting the credit'of S300O0,O0O was
postponed To Thursday evening, Sir Stafford
Northcotc stating that the ministry asked II
more as a vote of confidence than for military
purposes. The announcement of course array
ed the whole liberal party against il, and on
Thursday evening, when the matter came up,
Mr. Forster opened the debate by proposing
an amendment that the house sees no reason
for adding to the peoples burdens by voting
additional supplies" Mr. Cross replied to
Forster; Mr. Bright supported the amendment
and then the debate was adiournmed 10 next
day.
General Foreign News.
ENGIANp.--ln the commons, on Tuesday,
Lowthcr. under secretary of the colonial de
partmcnt, read dispatch dated Cape Town,
South Africa, Jan. Sth, stating that the Garka
rebellion is spreading, and its suppression is