The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-12-06

for the afternoon be postponed until
tomorrow.
Meanwhile the Spanish commission
ers had been preparing a list Of sub
jects for negotiation, supplemented by
suggestions counter to and amenda-
tory Of the subjects the Americans
submitted yesterday. This came to h
American commissioners today in
Spanish, rendering it even more desir-
able to postpone the joint session in
order to give time for translation and
consideration The translation is be-
ing made this evening and the subject
will be laid before the American com
miSSiOnerS tomorrow
Now that the first gush Of grief and
Chagrin has passed, the Spanish COM
missiOners are meeting the Americans
in a frank spirit that is helpful to an
early completion of the negotiations.
Midnight-FrOm information which
comes to the correspondent of the AS
ISOLATED Press from q we'll authenti-
Gated source late this evening, 1t seems
unlikely that the commissions will fin
ish their work as soon as had been
expected. 1t is probable that the ne
gOtiatiOns will last considerably lOngyr.
Madrid has instructed the Spanish
commissioners on three points to
which the Americans attach much inn
pOrtance. These are the ceSSiOn of an
island in the CarOlines, the granting of
religious freedom over the whole of
the CarOlines and the cessiOn of a
cable and cOaling station at Ceuta.
The Spanish government has instruct
ed Senior MOnterO Rios to grant none
of these and while Spain may ulti-
mately yield to them all, it is admit.
ted that the American commissioners
have no power 10 enforce their de-
mands on points not covered by the
protocol. Before Spain does yield, the
negotiations are likely to be prolonged
and the United States may have to
give substantial quid pro quo.
INSURGENTS OPPOSE PHILIP
PINE CESSION.
Madrid, December 1.-AdviceS from
the Philippine islands say the insur-
gents there have decided not to
recognize the cession of the islands to
the United States and that they will
resist to the last. 1t is also claimed
that the United States will require TO-
600 troops to put down the rebellion,
and it is alleged that the insurgents
hold 10000 Spanish prisoners, whom
they will force to serve against the
Americans.
The Philippine insurgents demand
Z, 900, 900 pesetas for the release of the
forty friars imprisoned since the COM
mencement of the war.
An official dispatch from General
Rios, the Spanish commander at Iloilo.
island of Panay. Philippine islands,
says the Spanish troops there have
made a successful sOrtie against the
enemy, inflicting heavy losses upon the
insurgents. The insurrection, it is add
ed, is spreading in the Visayas, and it
is asserted that the movement is not
directed against the Spaniards, but
against the Americans.
The premier, Senior Sagasta, denies
the report that General ROis is negO-
tiating with the insurgents for the sur
render Of Iloilo to them.
Manila. December 1.-The independ-
ent party of the F'ilippinOs is not dis
posed to accept the result of the de-
alterations of the peace commissioners
at Paris, judging from the tone of the
native press. The Independence pub
fishes a particularly bOmbastic leading
article to the effect that the Philip
pinos will decline to permit their homes
to be bought and sold like merchant
disc. 1t then repeats that he Philip
pines are ready to fight in defence of
their rights and asserts that the gov
eminent and people are unanimous in
claiming nothing less than ~independ-
ence. The paper also claims that the
Philippines have ~incOntestible claims
upon the island of Luzon, part of the
Visayas islands and the island of
Mindano by right of conquest. 1t con-
cedes that the Americans helped the
insurgents indirectly by blOckinginS
Manila" But, The l"ndependenc!a
lain that even without help the rev
olutonists must have ultimately won.
Finally. The Independence holds
that Spain cannot cede the Philip
pine archipelago, because it was new
err hers"
Two companies of Pennslyvanians
have been transferred to Corrigedor is
land.