The record-union., 1896-04-26
Arthur BalfOur, Now Lord Of the Treasury,
Likely to be His Successor.
Healyites Have Seeded From the
nti-Parnelites.
Despite Official Reports That Queen
Victoria is Enjoying Good Health,
1t is Said That Her FeebleneSS Has
SO Increased That She Will Give
Up Her Intention of Holding a
Drawing-ROom in May.


LONDON, April 25.-Though George
N. Curzon, Parliamentary Secretary of
the Foreign Office declared in the House
of Commons Thursday that the negotia-
tions concerning Venezuela are still pro-
/ ceeding, it is fact that a delay has oc-
CURED. The cable dispatches to the
Times" alleging that they had been
stopped altogether went too far. The
Foreign Office denies that it proposed a
cessation of negotiations, and attributes
the delay to unavoidable causes, which
inquiries indicate to be Lord Salisbury s
weakening health combined with a
great pressure of work
| According to the Speaker. the retire
ment of Lord Salisbury from official
life cannot be long delayed 1t specu-
lates on who his successor will be, and
makes a forecast that the Right Hon.
Arthur Balfour now First Lord of the
Treasury and Lord Salisbury's nephew,
will succeed him in the Premiership and
! be elevated to the peerage.
The secession of the Healyites from
the anti-Parnellites has now become
definite. The party whips have in
formed Mr. Healy and his friends that
they can no longer attend the meetings
of the followers of Mr.. Dillon, and that
they are at liberty to take independent
action in every way. There will now be
three Irish factions, each of which will
move separately amendments to all
I Irish questions. There will be no re-
liable cooperation among themselves
or with their Liberal allies The discord
Will assist the Government in placing
the Irish land bill among the last of the
important measures of the session. the
result of which will be the postpone
ment of consideration of the bill until
1891
Another important matter has sud
denly come to the front The PROPOSAL
! TO abolish the Irish Vice ROYALTY in
Ireland finds the Irish at loggerleads
| on the question Since Mr.. Davitt sug-
gested during the debate on the Irish
estimates on April 18th that the Vice
roy and his household be abolished and
their salaries allotted to the congestcd
| districts board, and the intimatior of
the Secretary for Ireland, Gerald Bal
TOUR, that the Government was willing
to consider the matter, several confer
ences nave been held between the Irish
peers and Irish Unionist members of
the House of Commons. These have led
| to an agreement for the holding OF a
| general convention early in May to
decide the question. The movem ant is
| approved by number of the English
members of the House of Commons
| Associated with the abolition OF the
| Vice-Royalty is a proposal to grant
enough money to establish a perma-
nent royal residence somewhere in Ire
| land, preferably in the country, and
! also to hold yearly drawing rooms in
| Dublin. The estimated cost will he
! t50,000 yearly. This will not be con-
ceded by Parliament unless there is
good assurance that the change will be
/ popular What proportion of the Ma
tionalist members approve the PROPOSAL
it is impossible in the meantime - as
certain. 1t is probable however that a
majority of them will oppose the rele-
/ cation of the Irish Government to a
Secretary of State. The Irish factions
stand as follows: Dllonites AZ, Healy-
| ties IS, Redmondites 13
Sir Graham John Bower. the Imperial
Secretary at Cape Town, will SAL to-
day on his return to South Africa. He
from Mr.. Chamberlain to the local
| Government AT the same time Sir
| Graham Bower is instructed to an
| nounce that the Imperial Government
| intends to increase the defenses and
! add to the garrison at Cape Town.
Major General Sir Frederick CARING
| ton, who was recently appointed to the
command of the campaign against the
70 70 1a1 ted C;r l,o.
| the voyage to the Cape.
1t is understood that the pleas of
guilty entered Thursday by the lead
ers of the johannesburg Reform Com
mittee. who were indicted at Pretoria
| for high treason and les majeste, re-
| suited from a secret arrangement, by
| which light sentences will be imposed
on them. President Krueger obtains a
double advantage from the admission
that has been made by Colonel Rhodes,
| one of the prisoners, who duplicates
| his brother, Cecil Rhodes, in the con-
| spiracy, and by his opportune display
of clemency it is reported here that the
Beers are certain to reap a money od-
vantage through the plea of the pris.
oners.
| Lord Cromer, the British diplomatic
agent in Egypt, has been summoned to
London in order to confer with Lord
| Salisbury, the Marquis of Lansdowne.
Secretary of State for War; Lord
| Wolseley, Commander-in-C Chief of the
| British army, and General Sir Redvers
| Butler, who will command the opera
| tions in the Soudan. Until the confer
| ences determine the exact proportions
| of the military operations in the au-
| tumn, neither the Foreign Office nor
| the War Office will take further meas
| ures for an advance into the Soudan.
! The expedition remains stationary at
| Wady Halfa and Akasheh. No press
! correspondents or other civilians are
allowed to go further south than Sarras
| The health of the troops is excellent,
! with the exception of mild enteric disor-
! ders.
| The plant for the construction of a
| railway from Abu Fatmeh, 112 miles
| southwark to Akasheh, forty miles from
Dongola, viii be sent out from London.
There is certain to be some fighting be-
| fore the line is laid. The Dervishes at
Abu Fatmeh have been reinforced, and
| are now estimated to number $500.
| OF these only $500 are armed with