The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-04-30
FOREIGN NEWS.
DRIFT OF EVENTS IN THE OLD
WORLD-LATEST FROM THE
WAR SITUATION.
Russia Playing to Gain Time
Till the Volga is Clear
OF Ice.
The Only Condition Upon Which
the Czar VIII Agree
to Peace.
Rupture Between
France and Egypt About the
Newspaper Matter.
ENGLAND.
NORTHCoTE's SPEECH.

NoRTHCOTE's SPEECH.
LONDON, April e3.-Sir Stafford Northco. g.
conservative leader in the House. of Com :.
mons, made speech in this city last evening,
gramme as Indicated by Gladstone, in moving
a vote of credit last night. He sa d The reten-
ton of Egypt was. all-imr ortant. 1t was a
Guty which England owed to the people of In
dia, to MAINTAIN her p, oper position and pres
tige in Egypt, and esL Lec ally to keep the Suez
Canal always available for the transportation
OF British troops.
GREAT EXCITEMENT.
LONDON, April 23.-Great excitement was
caus in the Admiralty Office in whitehall, at
rear OF the basement Of thar building
The tremen and police were
promptly summoned and all the gates in the
Admiralty building closed. A special guard
was at once posted and no person allowed to
enter or depart, until a thorough examination
Couio De made. 1t is supposed the explosion
WeS caused by the premature discharge of a
prOjectile which had been sent to the ADMIRAL
ty Tor examination and exploded.
Inc explosion badly damaged the room
Wnere IL occurred and set IL on fire. The Off
clals soon extinguiShed the flames The cah-
met ministers were Immediately informed of
II ana were furnished all the facts in connec-
Clon tnereWlth. special messenger was dis
patched to the home office ard Sir VIM. Yer
non Harcourt, home secretary, notified. 1t
was wa at first reported the explosion was caused
eS 1ynsml6e l0f @ ana IL 1t w was the outcome Of
for the purpose of hampering war
preparations. A prominent Scotland Yard de-
tectlVe asserted the Nih lists of Lonuon sud-
denly become very patriotic IN conversations
on the controversy between England and Rus
Sla The employees Cf the Admiralty Office
nave nave peer peen working day and night for some
Glne past IN order TO hurry war preparations
for ooudan and for other ptrpoSes and any
disaster to the building at present would
crusory examination expressed doubt as to
whether 1t was caused by gas, gunpowder or
dynamite.
A NEW FEATURE OF THE MATTER.
LONDON. April 24.-The opinion is gaining
ground at Berlin that war will be declared be-
fore the end of the nth. 1t is rumored that
will succeed NJ. QeGiers in the event OF his
resignation, which appears to be likely. A
deputation OF d rviSches will soon be sent
from Cabul to the Court of Bekhara and to the
Khan of Khira, pointing outthe fact that war
between Russia and England W Il have re-
llglous, as well as a political character, which
Another deputation of Mohammedans will ask
for assistance and urge the Turcomans to
seize the chance OF freeing themselves from
THE CRISIS APPROACHING.
LONDON, April 24.-NIilitary preparations
continue unabated and the reverses are rapid
ly mobilZing. The barracks throughout the
hln.dom are preparing quarters for q DOssi-
belonging to the Government up to the present
have been unabls to supply all mands, but
numerous offers have been received from pri-
yate firms capable of efficient ork
The Standard says, ''the extreme tension in
the relations between England and Russia
continues but as yet, there has been no abso-
lutte dip omatic rupture; That is the least dis
qu1etIng way liz which the truth can be told :
The deadlock is not one whit the less serious.
The day passed without bringing crisis. 1t
Is S,I no longer question Of disputed frontier.
We believe negotiations on that subject are.
Tor the moment, set aside. Satisfaction for the
PenJdeh incident monOpoliZeS the whole re-
gara OF tne fS ministers ministers and ambassadors: The
mote appears the prospect of an agreement
In demanding satisfaction, England il simply
telling the mlschieyous fire-brands, who sael-
Ter themselves under the au' horitY of .he Gar,
| that if they persist in the old game, they Will
no longer play it with mpunity.
RUSSIAN PREPARATIONS.
| LONDON, April PA deta hme1t of engin-
eerS are engaged in blasting passage through
| the Ice to allow the iron clad, "Peter the
Great" to go from Cronstadt to the seaboard.
| The Russian staff has appointed a commits
| sion to supervise the transpurtiou of troops
and stores. tits reported that money is being
collected in various Russian cities for the
equipment OF privateers. French war CORES
| pendentS are awaiting orders in South
| ern Russia. Three new men of war have
been launched on the Black Sea- Sweden is
busy with military preparations. The Got
Kland Militia Is being modified
King Oscar has arrived at Stockholm and
| lids lelu OdUlueG COunCL.
| RUSsIA'S DECLARATION.
| LONDON, April A.-The POSTS correspon.
| dent at st. Petersburg telegraphs that
Russia has declared that MIR. Glad.
stones statement to the. House OF
| compromised the negotiation between England
and Russia, and impelled their success.
CoNsoLs.
| LONDON, April 21.-Consols opened e5$ fol
| Doth; soon afterWard rose to SO, but almost
1 RI
| Ties dull, opened lower, 852i; American secur.
| tiles stronger upon list and steady; feeling in
Exchanges more gloomy than at the close last
night.
for both accounts. 3 p. M, consols 50 9-16 fol
10th accounts.
OPINION OF THE GOVERNMENT.
LONDON April 21.-In the House of Lords Ear
Granville said the government had come tc
the conclr sion the position of affairs justified
putting the army and navy and the whole
| auxiliary forces of the nation in immediate
readiness for service, if required.
| KoMARoFF's MOVEMENTS.
l LONDON. a pril 81 -MeShid advices of Apri
y, says: The Russians are still at Aktapa
Gen. hOmarotf has gone to Sarakahs, and Gen
Alikhanoff to Yulatan. The Russians are com
pelllng the SarikS to construct military roaC
towards He at through Penjdeh. The AT
ghans evince great anxiety to learn The En-
glish intentions in regard to Afghanistan.
RUSSIANS ADVANCING.
BRUSSELS, April 21.-It is stated a cipher
dispatch was received from st. Petersburg las
night announcing fresh advance of the Rus
sian forces upon the Afghan country 1t Il
said there was a rumor current of disturbance
among the northern H1ndoostane agains
the British.
THE ATTACK ON PENJDEH.
LONDON, April 2i.-Aavlces from Iirpul
under date OF april 16 state that the result O
all inquiries show the attack on Penjueh b.
the Eussians was absolutely unprovoked
Capt; = Yates, l , who remained m at Penjdeh in OF
agreement of March 18th, had an interview
with the Russian staff the day previous to til
battle, at which he pointed ou
bank of the Kushk River since March it'll
Tue Russians complained OF the demeanor c
the Afghan troops and of the aggressive pre-,
aratlons apparent in their lines. Also tina
: the AtghanS had detained soma Tekke Tarc
man troopers employed az lulfkhisti in tn
Russian service. They further accused tn
i charge OF arrog ~nce. The facts were that Gel
koniar0ff had pushed 3,00D troops forward
a commanding p.sition before the Afshan
weaker outpOStS.
This led 10 the Russians alleging :rrogaIc
Y The russians evidently wanted 10 deal te
!, their waning prestige in the Turcoma
j country, and were Obliged to invest then
e selves with pretext to break the truce. TT
Il = titude OF the AfghanS was studiously mode
a., and there is no color to the pr
nse that their movements WEI
even irritating. They even allowe
the Russians to inspect their arrangements ;
n Pu ikhisti. u, Kon.ron's troops are r
/. ported to have withdrawn from Penjdeh afte
!, the battle. Their wthGrawa, however ws
}. mere ruSe by which they sacrificed notIIfr
e and which was calculated might moderate ii
d resentment th't waS certain to be show
s when the news reached England. In Ind
The effect Of the Afghan defeat IS already pai
q fully obvious.
a RUSSIA ORJECTs
g LONDON, April 2i,-ft is stated that Russ
declines L.l a;lhScrihn L, diatincf and defini