The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-11-19
OUR LONDON CABLE LETTER.
VENEZUELA HAS BEEN THE
CHIEF TOPIC OF DISCUSSION
THE PAST WEEK.
FRAM'S SURPLUS STORES AUCT|0NED
Provisions of Nansen's Arctic Expedition
Brought Good Prices-John Hays
Hammond to Stay in England
Three Years.


the Associated Press 1.-The past week
has been brimful of political interest. In
addition to the Guild hall orations John
Morley, Sir John Gorst, Mr.. Henry
Asquith, Mr.. Joseph Chamberlain, the
Marquis of Lansdowne and Sir Michael
Hicks-Beac have delivered speeches of
considerable interest.
Venezuela naturally has been the chief
topic of discussion and the newspapers
have daily printed comments on the diff
ferent developments of the question.
The st. James Gazette incidentally
published letter suggesting that the
boundary dispute between Honduras and
Mexico be treated on the same lines as
the Venezuelan difficulty.
Mr.. Joseph Chamberlain, secretary of
state for the colonies, addressing a gath
ering last evening, described the fear Of
competition from Germany in England
as being ridiculous.
The remarks of the secretary of state
for war, the Marquis of Lansdowne, be-
fore meeting of conservatives at Bristol
have also attracted attention. He dilated
upon the necessity of increasing the OK
penditures for the army, which he as
serted must be put upon the same level
of efficiency as the navy. The war sec
the coming session of parliament the DIll
authorizing loan of f5,000,00O fer mill
tary needs would be passed.
The Marquis of Salisbury will go 70
Windsor on Monday to visit the queen.
The auction of the surplus stores of
the Arctic exploring steamer Fran, at
Christiana, on Monday last, attracted
and vegetables were eagerly bought as
mementos of DR.. Nansen's expedition.
Each article had label on it, reading:
Fran, 1S93-1S96," and fac smile Of
Nansen's autograph. Several of them
fetched many times their market value.
The proceeds were handed over to the
guaranteers of the expenses of the eX-
petition.
Mr.. John Dillon has written a letter
strongly opposing the scheme for creating
an agricultural department for Ireland
as advocated by Mr.. Horace Plunkett,
M. z. conservative, one of the con-
missioners of the contested districts of
Ireland, who sailed for America on
Tuesday last.
A meeting in favor of protection will
be held at st. James hall December 10.
l. 1t NJ. I1Ou. JduleS LOWlHeT, COu-
servative member of parliament for the
Isle of Thanet, division OUT Kent, will
preside. He is q former chief secretary
for Ireland and is an ardent prOtac-
ZIONIST.
Gen. Booth of the Salvation Army an
nounces from Melbourne, Australia, that
the army is to extend its operations to
the whole of the Malay peninsula.
kilograms from Egypt state that an
Anctrinn of he, %ol L.
British near Suakim. He was disguised
as dervish.
Naval Lieut.. De Gerlach the or
ganizer and leader of the protected
antarctic expedition, informs the Asso-
ciated press that he will start from
Antwerp on July Is to the steamer ia
Belgica: The expedition will be on the
same lines as Wandels' Arctic expedi-
ton and will take with it perfect set
together with three years provisions.
Mr.. John Hays Hammond, the Ameri-
can engineer, who was prominently con-
nected with the reform movement If
Johannesburg, called at the United
States embassy today and said that he
has now arranged to stay in England for
three years.
A member of the Prince of Wales party
at Sandringham says that before lunch
shot. He adds that the days total vas
5000 birds killed.
The death of Mrs. w. II. Vanderbilt
will not interfere with the gaieties at
Blenheim during the Princess of Wales
visit to the palace of Marlborough. The
only difference in the program will be
the substitution on one evening of con-
cert for ball.
Mrs, John w. Mackay, who has been
Ill in Paris, has gone to the south of
France to spend the winter there and IN
Italy.
The main attraction of the week for
society" was the hearing in the divorce
division of the high court of Justice be-
fore, Justice Sir Francis Jeune. o. G..
of the petition for judicial separation
of Mrs. Caroline Muriel Valentine le
Champion, daughter of Capt. Cunliffe of
shropshire, from her husband, Mr.. Le-
yictus lie Champion. The latter is n rela-
tive of the well known sportsman. Sir
Claude Champion de Crespigni Bart.
whose eldest son, Claude. a lieutenant
in the second life guards, was lie Cham
pion's best man.
1t appears from the testimony that the
principal cause of the rutpure between