The herald., 1896-01-05

and as master of its own procedure at all
times. At the conclusion of the conference
the commission retired to the diplomatic
room to hold its first preliminary meeting.
CANADA PREPARES
OTTAWA, Ont, Jan. 4.-The government
has decided upon a line of action for
strengthening the Canadian defense and
arming the militia force more satsfactori-
ly. Colonel Lake, quartermaster general,
has started for England to confer with the
imperial authorities on the subject and to
purchase guns, 1t being the intention of the
government to increase the field batteries
by two guns each.
Mr.. Oickey, minister of militia, will in
troduce bill to arm the forces with the
Lee-Malford rifles. Col. Powell, adjutant-
general of mill ia, has been retired and
will be succeeded by younger man.
ALL QUIET AT CARACAS
LONDON. Jan. IA dispatch to the
Times from Caracas says that all is quiet
there; that the excitement has greatly SUBJ
sided and 'here has not been an act of
violence TO British subjects.
The Times correspondent adds: ~ un-
derstand that any further communication
of the British government will be referred
to Washington before an answer is given"
The question of going abroad was dis
cussed informally by the commissioners
and the suggestion came from one of the
commissioners that it might be possible to
send the secretary abroad t. pursue such
lines of verfication as were desired. 1t
was felt, however, that the work had not
advanced sufficiently to permit any de-
finite talk on the subject. That Secretary
Olney especially wanted 70 impress on the
commission that the body was entirely in.
dependent of the state department was
shown when he was asked to name he Of
ficers, thus relieving the commission of
patronage. He declined, saying he pre-
ferred to have the commission choose its
own officers and quar- ers and direct all its
affairs without reliance on the state de-.
partment.
The call of the commissioners on the
president was entirely informal, and
brought out nothing beyond the usual
ereelng. The president refrained from
making any reference to the plans of the
commission.
Mr.. Coudert returned to New York and
Mr.. Gilman to Baltimore during the after.
noon.
Definite hours for the daily meetings of
the commission will be fixed, and when
this is done all the commissioners will take
up their residence here.
COMMITTEE CHOSEN
New York, Jan. 1.-THE following named
delegation has been appointed as the com.
mittee on the Venezuelan question by Alex
ander +. Orr, p esident of the chamber of
commerce, in pursuance of the resolution
adopted by that body on Thursday: Abram
$. Hewitt, Carl Schurz, John Bgelow,
Oscar S. Strauss, Chauncey M. Depew,
Seth Low, " iliam E. Dodge, John A.
Stewart, August Belmont, Morris X. Jes-
sup. Vernon H. Brown. Charles Stewart
Smith, Francis B. Thurber, A. f. Foster
higgins and Alexander f. Orr
VENEZUELAN GRATITUDE
New YORK, Jan. "A meeting was
held at Hardman Hall tonight of Venezue-
lans, resident in New York, to express
their gratitude to the government and the
people of the United States for their action
regarding the Venezuelan boundary dis
pute.
The proceedings were brief, the senti-
ment of the meeting being expressed in
the adoption of an address 10 President
Cleveland expressing gratitude at his po-
sition on the boundary question.