The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-04-09
LATE NEWS.

| lar issue for local events and adver-
tisements. Our regular subscribers
and the public will appreciate this
| effort to keep abreast of the times ia
general and local intelligence.
The news is important in many re-
spects. The Central American war
appears to be developing into very
serious business, which may lead to
international complications outside
the Central American States. Eng
land has her hands full, however, and
1 does not care to interfere, although if
the report be true that an English
ship was fired on at Colon, active in-
tervention may become imperative.
The United States Government only
intends to use moral suasion, but
this will not go any great length in
lettering Barrios from pursuing his
policy of headstrong ambition.
Riel, the half-breed, is again on the
war path In Manitoba, and is backed
by Indians and half-castes like him
self. They are well armed, and num-
Der over two thousand men, but have
no artillery. 1t is a very serious
business for the colonists in the far
northwest, who are practically de-
fenseless. Considerable loss of life
and destruction of property have been
reported. The Dominion Govern
ment will be able to cope with this
rebellion, but we should not be sur
, prised to learn that the Irish Fenian
element in the United States has
taken advantage of it to create diver
sion which may prove advantageous
to the rebels. The only mistake
made about this Manitoba business
, was that Riel was not hanged in
1870, when Colonel Wolseley (now
Lord Wolseley) suppressed the Red
River revolt, of which Riel was the
leader
} Very serious fighting is reported
from Soudan, in the neighborhood of
! Suakim, between General Graham
forces and Osman Digma's. But for
a brilliant charge by the Irish lancers
the field would have been lost. The
Indian cavalry were routed, aud the
army was in retreat, when Irish
sabers changed the fortunes of the
, day, and converted disaster into a
/ dear-hought victory. It is very evil
dent that the British will have to
fight their way, inch by inch, through
the desert to Khartoun. The fight
in question has been disastrous in SO
far that it has paralysed the trans
port system, 1000 camels, besides
horses, having been slaughtered by
the Arabs. Lord Wolseley has gone
into summer quarters at Dongola,
and ordered the abandonment of
Korti, and the concentration of his
troops. The Mahdis adherents de-
clare that the retreat of the British
will be cut off, but as they do not
intend to retire to Cairo without
visiting Khartoum, this threat is an
idle one.
The French have sustained very
severe check in Tonquin, and are in
retreat from Langson, which they
occupied some time ago, to the Red
River delta, where they rely upon the
rising waters to prevent pursuit by
the Chinese. General Negrier's posi-
ton is very critical. He is seriously
wounded and demands reinforce
ments of 20, 900 men. The Anamites,
stimulated by this defeat, are again
in arms, their puppet King at Hue
having no power to check them and
| f,s 81,
In Formosa affairs are nearly as
bad. The coal mines at Kelupg, the
possession of which was the objective
point of Admiral Courbet's operations
there, have been destroyed by the Chi
nese, and the French are preparing
to evacuate the island and join the
forces in Tonquin. This will bring
up the French army to 10000 men of
all arms, and with the reinforce
ments asked for must cripple the mill
itary resources of the Republic.
Public Indignation was aroused in
France on receipt of this news, and
when Prime Minister Ferry asked
the Chamber of Deputies for further
credit for the Tonquin war, he was
met with storm of Kisses, and a.
prompt negative vote. The Ministry
resigned on the spot, and NJ. de Frey
/ cinet, the Radical leader, was sent
for by the President, and formed new
Ministry. The Chamber voted the
supplies refused to Ferry to his sue
cessor. This removes France from
the Anglo-Egyptian complications.
At the last moment favorable re-
ports appear to have been circulated
regarding q peaceful solution of the
Anglo-Russla affair, but England
was making vast preparations for
war, and the Queen had ordered the
permanent calling out of the militia
and reserves. The Governor General
of India has ordered the formation of
two army corps Of $4,000 men each,
to occupy an advanced position on
the Afghan line. The Duke of Edin-
burgh is to command one division.
/ The ships put In commission by the