Huntsville gazette., 1885-05-16
FOREIGN NEWS,


An Exciting Time in the British Parlia-
ment-The Government Sustained-The
Afghan boundary Question-The Ad-
vance Upon Khartoum, in the Soudan, to
be Abandoned.
| LONDON, May 12.-In the House OF
Common last night the vote Of credit of
S55, ZOO, 900 for war purposes being under
consideration, Lord George Hamilton
| Conservative for Middlesex) brought up
the motion of which Sir Stafford North
cate gave notice on his behalf last Fri
day, that the House having shown its
readiness to vote supplies, will refuse
| to assent to the vote Of Ell, 900, 600
unless it has been informed of the Gov
ernment's present policy, and of the pur-
poses to which the grant is to be applied.
Lord Hamilton, in supporting his motion,
made bitter attack on the Government,
accusing them of ANONYMOUSLY running
away from the Soudan after having ac-
complished nothing except the murder
of 10000 natives; and after having
made concessions to Russia, which
amounted to complete surrender in
return for nothing but patched up and
short-lived peace. He demanded that
the House be placed in possession Of
the full correspondence in the Afghan
frontier controversy and that the Gov
ernment furnish definite statement Of
its future policy in treating that ques-
ton.
A remarkably effective reply to this
speech was made on behalf of the Cabinet
by Rt. Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, Pres-
dent of the Board of Trade and member
for Birmingham, who characterized Lord
Hamilton's language as valiant, but
devoid of sense, and worthy Of a
| rhetorician rather than of a states
man. eff the House desired
to call the Government to account"
continued Mr.. Chamberlain, "the mat
ter was in their own hands. Instead OF
discussing such weak and absurd motions
as that, they could simply refuse to grant
the supplies for which the Government
asked in order to carry out its policy"
Mr.. Henry Chaplin, Conservative men,
Der for Lincolnshire, supported the mo-
| ton, and dwelt upon the waste of blood
and treasure, and the infliction of ruin in
| the Soudan, which, he declared, had had
no other object than to save the seats OF
an imbecile ministry.
Lord Randolph Churchill, the Conserva-
tive, spoke in favor of the motion, but
was less bitter than usual in his
structures upon the Government He
claimed that the motion was
purposely. woIded so as to enable the
ministers to retire with grace and dignity
from a position which it would be i'm
possible for them to retain. He took oc-
casion to defend the Tories from the
charge that they were the war party.
The real war party, in spite of their claim
to desire peace, were the Liberals, who
sought vote of S55, 600, 900 for war pur-
poses.
Lord Harrington, Secretary OF State
for War, closed the debate with a forcible
and elegant speech in defense of the
Governments policy, and at tw enty min
utes past two O'Clock in the morning
vote was taken which resulted in ma
jority of thirty for the Government, the
motion of censure being defeated by 260
yeas to 290 nays.
THE NEW BOUNDARY.
SIMLA, May 11.-According to report
| in circulation here, the Ameer has bound
himself to insist upon a frontier passing
through three points, the names of
which the Government refuses to dis
close. Penjdeh, however, is not one Of
the places The Ameer desires the joint
| boundary commission to examine Oxus
| Valley also. Immediately upon the re-
| turn of the Ameer to Cabul he issued
orders that British officers should be al
| lowed to inspect the forts at Herat. The
Ameer has received detailed plans for
the defenses of Hcrat from the Indian
| Government.
| OSMAN DIGNA AT BERBER.
| DoNGoLA, May lit is reported that
| Osman Digna, with few followers, has
arrived at Berber, and that the Emir of
| Berber has gone to Khartoum to solicit
| reinforcements to oppose the British ad-
| yancing from Suakim.
ABANDONED THE PLAN.
| LONDON, May 11.-In the House of
| Commons this afternoon Lord Harting-
ton, Minister for War, stated that the
| Government had definitely decided to
abandon the plan of advance upon Khar-
toum. The British troops would be con-
centrated at Wady Halfa and Assouan.
| Suakim would not be evacuated until ar
rangements could be made to garrison
the place by troops of some civilized
power These changes in the original
plan would make it unnecessary to push
forward the railway from Suakim toward
Berber.