The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-28
A Prussian Ministerial Council Pre-
vious to the Kaiser's Trip
to England.
The Customs Alliance to Be Con-
summated as Soon as
Possible.
England Reported to Have Joined tho Par
ties to the Dreibund-Successor
tn Pope Leo.

LCopyright, 1891. New York Associated Press. !
BERLIN, June 27.-The ministerial council
which Emperor William held preliminary
to departure on his coming foreign tour,
disposed temporarily of several questions
relating to home and foreign politics of the
government. The ministers have received
instructions to accelerate negotiations for
the formation of central European GUS
toms union; to leave the proposed
commercial entente with Russia in
SUSPENSE to treat the anti grain
law agitation as nonresident unless
food riots occur, and to issue lottery certlii-
Gates amounting to 5000 900 marks to assist
in furtherino the enterprise of Maj. Wise
man in East Africa. Some proposals look
ing to the amelioration of the condition of
the poor in East Prussia were also dis
cussed at the council.
Touching the new zollverein, Swiss pa
pers who have French leanings enormously
state that the government at Berne has its
hands tied by the new tariff, being subject
to rearrangement by the coming confer
ence Of countries interested in the dreibund.
The zollverein, it seems likely, will expe-
dite the customs agreement with Belgium
and Holland, in which Luxembourg will
share. Regarding the grain laws agitation
does not lessen public ferment, and symp-
toms of a popular outbreak in consequence
of tho high price of provisions have mani
tested themselves at several places
within short distance of the
imperial palace. At Postdam, 400
women who were engaged in marketing,
becoming enraged at the price asked for po-
fatn 10 ypr oA
the market.
The Tageblatt tonight reports that
Miguel, minister of finance, in the course of
conversation with member of the reich
stag, stated that only the present critical
stage of the negotiations of commercial
pealing the grain laws.
Berlin papers to-day comment upon a
statement recently made by Flourens, ex-
minister of foreign affairs of France. Dur
ing the course of an interview, in which
the ex-minister admitted the existence of a
Franco-Russian alliance, Flourens adds
that the formation of the alliance is the
work of the czar himself. These state
ments appearing simultaneously with the
Bismarckian articles in the Hamburger
Nachriohten, enlarging upon the danger of
too close friendship with England as
offensive to Russia, have evoked indig-
nant replies from the semi official press in
spoken of as the ally of the dreibund. This
allusion represents the official belief that
within recent period Lord Salisbury has
become party to secret convention, COM
mitting his government, so long as it re-
mains in his power, to concerted action with
the dreibund.
The foreign office attaches considerable
Importance to the coming visit of the young
king of Servia 80 the czar, and to arrange
ments made to give the visit distinct politi-
cal significance.
References made to letters from Rome re-
garding the candidature of Cardinal La
Vigerie to the holy see have aroused the
antagonsm of Germans to the idea of a
French pope. The Kreuz Zeitung holds
that it is probable the successor to Leo
XIII. will be drawn from the Italian cardi-
nalate, and if the next pope be not Italian
the choice of the co1clave will be Cardinal
Gibbons, of the United States. against
whom neither national jealousies nor inter
nal clerical differences can operate.