, 1893-05-17

the Executive Council of the Labour party
on account of the rejection Of universal
suffrage by the Constituent Assembly, and
it has been accompanied by serious riots.
There was serious rioting last Thursday
night IN Brussels, and several sharp
collisions took place between the mob and the
police. Late ON Friday night q serious
collision took place between the gendarmes
and q large crowd who ha assembled with
the Wow of holding a meeting, summoned by
the Labour party, which was prohibited by the
Authorities. The mob threw a barricads across
one of the streets, and resisted the endeavours
of the police to dispense them. Since then
there have been no further disorders IN tho
capital, but the B~urgomAster, NJ. Bulls, who
had been energetic in his exertions to keep
order. was violently assaulted i'll the street on
Sunday morning by a party of men who had
just left a Socialist gathering, and he sus.
tanned serious injury.
The general strike proclaimed by the
Labour party continued TO spreld in tho
PROVINCES, where also scenes Of violence were
enacted. At Mons, on Monday. the strikers
came into violent conflict with the Civic
Guard at two points. The troops charged
the crowd, and several lpersons were
more OF less seriously injured. The stri-
kers retaliated by assailing the Guards with
bricks, and thersupon the latter fred u
volIey, four of the strikers being killed and
many wounded, three fatally. Numerous
arrests were made. Immediately after the
troops had fred upon the strikers the latter
lied, carrying with them their dead and
wounded. The number of Civic Guards
wounded is IA.
In consequence of q disturbance which
arose at the door of a factory at Borgerhout
near Antwerp, which the strikers were en-.
deavourlng TO prevent q number of free
labourers from entering, the Civic Guards
fired into the crowd. The vOlley killed four
persons and wounded 10. among the latter
being a woman Another incident which
caused great excitement at Antwerp was the
burning Of a large cotton warehouse with
its contents, the fire being the work Of
lncendiaries, A collision occurred at the
Antwerp petroleum docks between the
police and the dock Isbourers on strike.
who were mOlesting the men still remair-
ing at work. Some revolver shots were ex-
changed, and several arrests were effected by
the police.
The situation wore a very serious aspect
on Tuesday morning, for the strike was ex-
tending, and sharp collisions between tho
police and the strikers were reported from
different places in the provinces. The Con
stituent Assembly, however, in the course of
the afternoon, adopted, by 119 to IA votes,
NJ. Nyssen's proposals for universal suffrage
with the plural vote, and this decision
Immediately appeased the popular excite
ment. The Labour leaders accepted the
decision as q concession to their views, and
ordered the strike to cease, while declaring
their intention of continuing to agitate for
tho abolition of the plural vote. The situa-
ton on Wednesday was pacific, and the
strikers throughout the country were general
~ returning to work, i'll accordance with the
recommendation Of their leaders.
1t is worthy Of notice hat the King. who
would not put off a fashionable garden party
which he gave on Saturday at Lacken, on
Sunday threw open the Royal park and con
servatories there to all corners, il spites of re-
cent events. An Immense crowd awaited
themselves of the opportunity, and nor t'e
slightest act of damage is reported. Tho
Belgian people appreciates the confidence of
his Majesty IN it's loyalty, and it knows
besides that if the solution Of the Parliamen-
tary crisis rested only with him a settle
ment would already have been arrived at in
the direction Of a generous extension Of the
franchise.