Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-05
THE MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT
Another 100000 Pounds Will Soon Be Re-
qureJ.
The NILE EXPEDITION MOVES SLOWLY
Ten Thousand Indian Troops to Execute a
Flank Movement From the Red Sea.
Mr. Chamberlain Has Pro-
lection Scheme

London, April 4.-The appeal of France
and Russia to the Egyptian mixed tri-
bunal against the decision of majority
of the Egyptian debt commission to grant
100000 pounds for the expenses of the
Soudan expedition has been summary
disposed of by a majority of the members
of the tribunal declining to. admit that
the tribunal has any jurisdiction in the
matter. The Egyptian treasury has paid
the whole of the first draft of 100000
most of which has already been expend-
ed. Another 100000 will soon be re-
quired.
NJ Bourgeois, the French prime min
lister, is continuing his negotiations with
Lord Salisbury trying to get pledges linn
iting the demands that will be made on
the Egyptian treasury and is also trying
to get Information as to the plans of the
campaign in the Soudan. The Pail Mall
Gazette today asserts that an agreement
between France and Great Britain on
this question has been already obtained
Doubtless Lord Salisbury will readily
give assurances~of the intention of the
British government 10 limit the sphere
of operations was announced in parlia-
ment; that is to say that the advance of
the expedition would depend on the re-
sistance offered by the Dervishers. The
reason for his not hest tating to give these
assurances is that he foresees that the
time will come when an advance of the
Mahdists will give an opportune excuse
for the enlargement of the scope of the
war Even now, according to the Specta-
tor, the government contemplates send
ing to Suakim, on the Red sea, 10000
troops from India to break up the forces
of Osman Digna and to threaten the rear
of the DervisheS, who are fronting the
4.
That the design to advance from Suakim
or Berber is entertained is obvious from
the orders that have been issued for a
re-Survey to be made of that part of the
Berber railway that was constructed
during the last campaign, and the dis
patch of material to replace what is
found to be useless.
The progress of the Nile expedition is
not rapid. The main part of the expe-
dition is still at Assouan, from which
place the newspaper correspondents ac
companying the advance started early
on Thursday with the camels on the long
road ON the east bank of the Nile. The
Maxim batteries and cavalry are
being slowly transported by steamers to
Wady Halfa, from which place it will be
impossible to make general advance
before May. The rumors that Dervishes
are assembling before Suarda are unreli-
able. Colonel Hunter who is now in
command of the forces at Akasheh, in
telegraphing to Gen. Sir Herbert Kitch-
ener, the sirdar of the Egyptian army,
regarding the scarcity of fodder and
supplies at Akasheh, made no mention of
the enemy.
Mr.. Joseph Chamberlain, secretary of
state for the colonies, proposes to call
a colonial conference to discuss his
scheme for an imperial zolverein, as out
lined in his recent speech before the Can
adam club. Briefly put, his scheme con-
templates free trade between Great Brit
ain and her colonies and protection
against the rest of the world. The agents
concur in the belief that the holding of
such a conference is desirable, but the
probabil of a practical result being
reached is remote. Nobody interested
in the subject has yet devised scheme