The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-02-02
EUROPE.
A Nest Of Nihilists Broken UP in ST. Pet
erSburg.

A Nest OF Nih1llStS broken Up IN oG. FoL-
erSburg.
ST. PETERSBURG, Jan. 31.-The police Fri
day night made a descent upon a house on
Sapper street. On opening the door the police
were fred upon. They returned the fire and
arrested two men and two women. A fifth oc-
cupant named Deutch, al important political
criminal l1ag sought for by the police, shot
himself doed on the spot The police then
searched tie house and found a printing press
with large number of copies of the last issue
of the revolutionary journal, "The Will of the
People," also forged stamps and documents,
poison and explosives. The police superln-
tendent and his assistants having been wound
ed and who effected the capture at the risk OF
their lives, have been promoted and decorated
with the order of Vladimir. A judicial in
quiry into the circumstances has commenced.
Russian Robbers Sentenced.
Persons charged with the robbery of $780,
900 roubles from the government receivers Of
fee at Cherson, South Russia, last June, have
been tried by the court martial. Three Were
sentenced to fifteen years with hard labor, and
the woman who originated the robbery was
sentenced to life imprisonment with hard la
Dor.
Horrible Murders in Spain.
MADRID, Jan. 31.-A rich land owner near
Barcelona his wife, three daughters, q son
and two women servants were found murder
ed in their beds The deed was done with q
Ratchet The house was ranSacked. A swine
Expected Liberal Victory at Liverpool.
LONDON, Jan. 31.-The popular excitement
in Liverpool over the approaching election for
member of the House of Commons, to fill the
vacancy caused by the death of John Tarr in
creases daily. The Liberals are confident the
Home Rule vote, estimated at 10, 200, will give
them the victory. They also have the vote of
the temperance organizations and Lord Der
byS local influence
The Conservatives declare that the bargain
with the Home Rulers will ALLEVIATE many Lib
erals, and their candidate, Whitley, is a man
of great personal popularity. The contest is
yery keen. There will be similar contest
shortly at Southwark to fill a. vacancy in the
Commons caused by the death of John Locke.
Southwark has o Liberal majority of 500
| Birmingham plan, and the Liberal candidate
| will likely be a thorough-going radical.
The Irish Question Discussed.
| In a speech in Westminster last night Mr..
| Smith referred to one of Mr.. Parnells utter
! ances in America to the effect that Mr.. Glad
| stone, in his Midlothian campaign, admitted
| that public opinion in England must be acted
| on in his extraordinary manner in order to OBJ
| tain attention for Irish questions. Referring
| to Mr.. Gladstone saying that the Manchester
| murder and the Clerkenwell explosion had
| prepared the way for dlsestabllshment OF the
| Irish Church, Mr.. Smith said he deeply re-
| GREETED that a statesman of Mr. Gladstone's
| high position had put it in Mr.. ParnelPs pow
er to use the language quoted as an argument
| in favor of the illegal exercise OF force to Oh
| tain political objects. Mr.. Smith, referring to
| Mr.. Bright's proposals, called it sham reme-
| dy for the Irish land grievances and said :
"While it is our most earnest desire to benefit
ireland by every means in our power, we can
not adopt this medicine"
The Meeting OF Parliament.
NEW YORK. Feb. Gable specials from
| London say the Queens speech is expected to
recommend several important measures. The
proposal to abolish primogenture and facili-
| tate the sale of lands with the bill 10 permit
life tenants to dispose OF their interest Will I'M
doubtedly be brought forward, srelying on the
peers to reject the bill. The criminal code
will receive prominent place in the ministe-
| rial programme. An announcement is eX-
pected that the British forces will retire from
| Afgh nistan after crushing the military resist
| ance end recognizing some native ruler, but
retaining a sufficient frontier. The Irish menu
bers proclaim their intention to oppose an ad-
dress in reply to the Queens speech. The
ministry hopes to counterfeit this by sympa-
thetic declarations regarding Irish distress, &C
| companied by promises of substantial relief.
The Mansion House Fund.
DUBLIN, Feb. 1 AT meeting of the Man
sion House committee last night, Lord Mayor
| Gray presiding, it was announced that G33,-
600 had been received to date and G15,30O had
| been disbursed. The chairman complained OF
attacks made in America on the constitution
| of the committee and its mode of distribution
of funds entrusted to it and read letters fro!1
the Roman Catholic bishops of Galway and
Cloufert, expressing establishment at these at
| lacks and declaring that the Mansion House
| fund is being administered solely with the
view to the relief of the distress and that the
committee enjoys the public confidence
Archbishop Trench OF the Church of Ireland
was present at the meeting and joined in
| these expressions The committee had re-
| ceived $4,000 additional from Sydney, making
| total from Australian colonies of e21 600.
Assassination of the King of Belgium
Meditated.
NEW YORK, Feb. IAN intimation OF an
1 attempt about to be made to asSasSnate King
| Leopold of Belgium and other members Of the
royal family was received by the Belgian con-
sui in this city q few days ago. Two indiyi-
| duals, it is stated, left here for Havre on the
steamer Canada Jan. 21st, intending to use
| torpedoes charged with dynamite for the pu r
pose.
French Affairs.
| A cable special says fresh quarrel has
| broken out between Gambetta and Jules
| Simon This will pIobably be a coalition in
| the French Senate between the lukewarm
| Republicans and the reactionary members
| Grevy and Gambetta remain friends.
| The weather in France and Switzerland is
| cold. Blocks of ice are again floating down the
| Seine. Lake Zurich is entirely frozen over.
Leman is a mass of thick ice from Geneva to
| Carogue and SO are the three sister lakes OF
Neufchatet, Bieure and Moral.
Inc tone OF the past week at HarlS mas Deen
| decidedly martial. Five new generals of divf-
sion have been appointed and generals of
brigade. The staff has been recognized on
the principle that brains viii henceforth tell
| Promotion is to be effected by mixed system
of seionrity subject to selection. Army
chapancies are to be abolished aud the legion
| of honor to be more sparingly conferred. At
| no time since the empire has 50 much excite
| ment reigned at the war Office.
The Enlargement OF the German Army
The absorbing event upon the continent is
the proposed enlargement of the German
army. Austrian journals unanimously agree
that it is an intended menace to France. Rus
sian organs affect to believe that an attack
upon Poland is proposed, but the general
temper of French sentiment is Indifferent to
the movement in, Germany, and it is univer-
sally believed that Bismarck is making este H.
tatious preparations with view to brighten
his neighbors rather than meditating q scheme
of actual warfare.