Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-07-29
FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

SPsculations Concerning the New Admin
istration - The Present Quiescent Attf-
tude of the Irfsh-AlIeged Rottenness I'm
the War DEPARTMENTAL Investigation
Denied by the War Secretary - OmciaI
Babes.
LONDON, July 22.--The Queen has &C.
cepted Gladstone's resignation, as usual,
| without the slightest hesitation and with
out even extending to him the usual in
Vltation to advise her as to his successor.
The Marquis of Salisbury will arrive at
Osborn, from Royal, in Auvergne, either
tonight or tomorrow morning. The
Duke OF Argyll and Mr.. Goschen are the
| only so-called Liberals who will in
any event, take office with the Tories.
About the new Cabinet it is almost
too early to forecast, but l under
stand that Wolseley may 60 to Ireland to
| take command of the troops. Lord Ash
bourne is as likely as anybody to be Chief
! Secretary. Sir Richard Webster will be
Attorney General again. Sail Sbury'S
difficulties in forming a cabinet will be
necessarily very great, because there are
so few able men among the Conserva-
tive leaders in the Commons. have had
conversation with T. Z. O'Connor, rep
resenting the Irish party, in which he
opOhC IOliO"S aUOuI the
owe regard it with perfect equanimity.
L would call special attention to the fact
that the attitude of Journalism of the
Irish people is exactly the same in all
parts of the world, namely, one of perfect
tranquility, even on the part of the most
violent IriSh-American organs. Such
concurrence OF opinion among independ-
ent authorities must be accepted as
representative of very deep and well
founded convictions. Unless there
should be a violent outbreak of crime
in Ireland, of which there is not the
smallest prospect, l am glad to say that
six months or year will probably wit
ness turn in opinion, which will give
Gladstone such majority as will enable
him to carry out his purpose. The pres
ent election has been disastrous to the
Liberal UnioniStS, the future elections
Will be more disastrous still. In the first
place, the tie between them and the To-
ries will then be broken down; in the
second place, every day proves more
concluslvely the fact that there is no
standing ground between coercion
and the Home-Rule scheme which
Gladstone proposes; that if Salisbury
should introduce a measure of coercion
it would be opposed, as there is not the
smallest excuse for such a measure.
Tranquility reins everywhere throughout
Ireland, except in the North. As to the
reports of intimidation, they are false.
There is far more Intimidation by the
Primrose League. Let me assure you
again." said Mr.. O'Connnor, Gas we have
most perfect confidence in the future, we
feel most securely that GladStone's pol
icy is destined to achieve glorious tri-
umph, perhaps at an earlier date, too,
than most people imagine"
THE BRITISH WAR DEPARTMENT.
LONDON, July 23.-The War Office an.
nounces that, in consequence of an article
published IN the Times of the 10th inst,
charging the officials of the Ordnance
Department with corruption, Generals
Campbell, Reilly and Anderson, success
sively chiefs of that department for the
past eleven years, demand an inquiry be-
fore competent tribunal, and that
Mr.. Campbell Bannerman, War Secre-
tary, refused to grant an inquiry, because
the charges were vague and were not
supported by any statements of facts.
"Such tribunal" the Secretary says,
"must be empowered to examine wit
ness under oath, and such power can
only be granted by royal commission or
by act of Parliament. In order to secure
such commission, prima-facie evidence
is necessary. In this case none has
power to institute an inquiry. When
charges are made rejecting on the honor
of officers and gentlemen belonging to
public department., they ought to be sup
ported by definite statements enabling
the test of inquiry to be made. Nothing
has occurred to weaken my belief in the
integrity of the officers of the depart
ment."
The Times article referred to in the
statement of the War Office declared that
it had long been manifest that the War
Department was incompetent and that
now it was said to be openly corrupt.
'tThe department." said the Times, is
composed of military men without me-
chanical, chemical or metallurgical knowl-
edge; of men who are babies in the hands
of their subordinates, some of whom are
shareholders in private gunnery COM
pany. If England should become involved
in war tomorrow she would be COM
PEELED to become a suppliant to Krupp to
supply means of defending her national
existence. Colonel Hope has offered to
prove wholesale corruption against the
department. in supplying guns which
burst, rifle cartridges which jam, bayo-
nets which bend, swords which will not
cut. Others have offered to prove fraud
and perjury against high officials of the
department, who are said to carry on
quite thrilling industry in buying con-
demned stores at one depot and selling
them to another as new stores. 1t is a
common belief in garrison towns that
nothing is salable to the War Office ex-
cept by bribery. The action of the War
Office in refusing to hear evidence is I'M
fair and evasiye. 1t is to be hoped that
the new Parliament will eXtlnguish the
scandal and correct this shameful ineili
ciency."
Four New Railroads for Mexico.