Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-27
WAR ALMOST INEVITABLE
SIR LUMSDEN REPORTED AT
Tackled BY RUSSIANS.

Occupy II erat Before Russia Can DS
SO-Immense Quantities of Rifles anC
War Munitions Ordered in Readines,
"A Panic on Change Imminent.
LONDON, March 26.-The Queen has
sent a message to the House of Commons
calling out the British reserves anC
British militia for permanent service. In
accordance with the message the WaI
Office called out the army reserves and
militia.
Preparations for war continue with
great activity. Orders have been sent to
Portsmouth to put the steel dispatch YES
sci Mercury, 10 guns, in readiness for i'm
mediate service. 1t is stated that the ar
mOr-plated turret ships Devastation and
Colossus and the corvette Bacchante, to-
gether with the troop ship Orontes, are
also under preparation for sea. Orders
have likewise been sent to the armorers
throughout the kingdom to return immedi.
ately to the Tower of London all the Martl-
ni-Henry rifles which they have in stock.
The object of having them sent to the
Tower is that they may be inspected. after
which they will be dispatched to India.
Fourteen thousand rifles, now at Ports
mouth, will be forwarded to India to-mOr-
row. Orders have also been received at
Portsmouth, directing that the composite
sloOp CormOrant should be made ready
for sea.
10000 TROOPS.
Reports are current at Aldershot tha
orders have been received there prOvid-
ing for the raising of 10. 900 troops for In
dia. One battery OF horse artillery will
proceed from WOOlwich to India imme-
diatelv. The government of Burmah is
sending thousand camels to India to be
employed in the transport service or from
tier OF Afghanistan by Gen. Stewart, the
British commander.
Premier Gladstone stated in the House
of Commons this afternoon that the Rus
slams have advanced no nearer to Penjdeh
than Pul-i-khatun, which, he says, is 81
miles distant from Penjdeh. Gen. Alik-
hanff has established a post of TurcO-
mans at Pul-i-Xhatun.
The Duke of Connaught has obtained
leave to remain in India in the event OF
the failure OF the Anglo-Russian negotia-
tions concerning Atghanistan.
TO FIGHT ON THE BLACK SEA.
In political circles at COnstantinOple it
is thought that, in the event of war be-
tween Russia and England, fighting will
not be confined to the Afghan frontier,
but will extend to the Black sea. 1t is
TumOred that Great Britain has already
sounded the Porte in regard to obtaining
permission to pass the Dardanelles in
case of war. The prolonged stay in Lon
don OF Hassar Fehmi Pasha, the Turkish
Envoy, is attributed to belief that the
Afghan troubles are more likely than the
Egyptian question to affect under certain
conditions the alliance between Turkey
and England.
After official hours to-day foreign funds
became flattene1, owing TO the calling out
of the reserves and militia. Consols and
Russian, Turkish and Egyptian securi-
ties were the principal sufferers by the
decline. The Paris bourse was fiat.
Rentes closed at the lowest figure Of the
day owing to the Tonquin defeat.
FLEET FOR THE BALTIC.
In the House of Commons Sir Henry
Drummond Wolf Conservative asked
whether in view of the fact that ice was
vanishing in the Baltic sea the British
Government was prepared to send thither
an adequate fleet.
Sir Thomas Brassey, Secretary of the
Admiralty, declined to answer such ques-
tions. Cheers. Mr.. Brassey also said
that the Admiralty was not aware that
the British man-Of-War Canada had been
fred upon at Carthagena, as stated in a
Sunday cable dispatch.
been ordered to prepare for active ser.
vice.
The government is considering the pro-
posals which Russia has made to Turkey
in regard to forming an alliance.
The Standard is still hopeful of peace.
1t says that Russia's finances are unable
to bear the strain of war; that no power
except Germany is able or willing to
supply a loan to Russia, and that it is
f,r1 hnA IL
do so.
THE EXCITEMENT INCREASED.
The calling out of the reserves and mill
tia has increased the excitement over the
Anglo Russian dispute, especially in mill
tary circles. Orders for thousands OF
Martini-Henry rifles and revOlvers have
been sent to Birmingham. The arms are
to be shipppd to Bombay as rapidly as
completed. The factories at Birmingham
are working night and day. The Queens
message, calling out the reserves and
militia, is as follows:
The present state of public affairs and the
extent of the demand on Her Majesty's mill
itary forces for the protection of the interests
of the empire having constituted, in the Opin e
Ion OF Her Majesty, a case of great emer-
gency, Her Majesty has deemed it proper to
provide additional means for military SER
wee. She has, there ore, thought it right to
commune tte to the House of Commons that
she IS about to cause the reserve forces and
such proportion Of the militia as might be
deemed necessary to be called out for perma-
nent service.
The Marquis of Harrington will call
attention to the message in the House OF
Commons on Monday.
NEWS FROM RUSSIA.
A special Cabinet council was held this
afternoon at Windsor Castle by command
of the Queen. just as the Ministers were
leaving the Castle a messenger arrived
from the Foreign Office bringing dis.
patches for Lord Granville from Sir Ed
ward Thornton, the British Minister to
Russia, and Lord Dufferin, Viceroy OF
India. The Ministers returned to the
Castle and a second council was held.
RUSSIAN BONDS DIsASTROUsLY Low.
The fact that the Queen had sent a mes.
sage to Parliament was not known until
after the official close of the Stock Ex.
change, and when the news was received
most of the operators had gone, Business
during the day was steady with a tenden-
cy to, lower prices. When news of the
message came a rush was made by the
remaining dealers to sell consols and Rus
sian bonds. The former fell to 969l, the
lowest point touched since 1873, when an
AnglO-Russian war was threatened. Rus
sian bonds were offered at 921S, with no
buyers. Large selling orders were re-
ceived from Berlin. 1t is feared that there
will be panic tomorrow.
RUMoRs OF RUSSIAN ATTACK.
Orders have been sent to Chatham to
supply Immediately 5000, 900 cartridges.
A wild rumor is aflOat that some Russian
troops have attacked a portion of Sir
Peter Lumsden's party, and killed two of
his men.
AN INDIAN WAR LOAN.
The Council of India has been author
lied to raise a credit for 91.5O0.0O0 on
account of the Indian Treasury for war
purposes. Earl Dutferin, Viceroy of India.
will give the Ameer of Afghanistan a
grant which he demands to pay the
Afghan troops and allay the discOntent of
the tribal leaders. The Ameer promises
to place $4,000 troops on the frontier and
in the forts at Balkh, Penjdeh and Herat.
Preparations which are now being
made at Rawul, Piudi and Quetta
indicate that an early advance will
be made via Quetta and Sidi with the OBJ
ject of reaching Herat before the Rus
SLAMS. Baron de Stal, the Russian AM
bassadOr, has informed Earl Granville
that he expects important dispatches
from st. Petersburg on Saturday. Ali
Ria Pasha yesterday left COnstantinopIe
on a mission from the Sultan to Prince
Bismarck with reference to the Russian
proposals for RussO-Turkish alliance.
MILD VIEW.
LONDON, March q, A. M.-The
House OF Lords will discuss the Queens
message to-day. The Ddtgy NeaCS, in an
editorial this morning, says: sSThe Queens
message does not imply that peace is less
hopeful. 1t simply means that England
will not shrink from the responsibilities
to remove an impression abroad that
England is reluctant to engage in war,