The semi-weekly messenger., 1898-08-23
PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE BAT

TIE.
A belated dispatch from Manila, dat
ed August 9Th, explains that Governor
General August had not quite abdi-
Gated and. says:
The governor general only declined
to be responsible for the consequences
when he found that Spain was not
sending him help. He retained his po-
sition, but practically washed his
hands of the fighting. A Madrid dis
patch construes this as insurbordina-
ton and The Gazette will now publish
an order to supercede him.
It is rumOred that confidential in
structions have been given to his sue
cessor to resist to the utmost, hoping
to gain the worlds admiration and,
possibly, assistance in securing a IA
vOrable termination.
"A telegram arrived Sunday ordering
the Americans to proceed Immediately
to extremities, whereupOn General
Merritt and Admiral Dewey issued an
ultimatum, allowing forty-eight hours
for the removal of nom -cOmbatantS, but
declaring that they would begin the
bOmbardment earlier if the Spaniards
made an attack. The governor replied
Immediately, thanking the American
commanders for their humane senti-
ment, but saying they were useless
because he was surrounded with rebels
and had no place Of refuge for the
great number of sick and wounded and
women and children
THE governor thereupon convened
the consuls, begging them to use their
influence with the Americans to get
them to grant him time and facilities
for the removal Of the refugees, and
suggesting the use of the American
troopships, but he was unwilling to
allow them food from Manila. He
seemed Indifferent to the fate of the
900 natives.
The British consul made a powerful
appeal to the governor to surrender,
glorifying the heroism hitherto shown
by the Spanish, but demonstrating the
hopelessness of further resistance. The
other consuls endorsed his appeal with
the exception of the German consul,
who said that, as military officer, he
should not hesitate to assert that the
Spaniards had not done enough yet.
REBELS EFFORTS TO CAPTURE
THE CITY.
"The rebels made a final effort to
capture the city on Tuesday, but fail
ed. The Americans are preparing to
act to avoid trouble in entering the
town. There has been fighting for four
days and it is reported that twenty
Americans were killed and sixty
wounded. This fighting is purely pre-
I'm consequence of the American ul-
timatum the governor ordered the ar
tillery to cease shelling the enemy's
trenches and he suspended an officer
at Malate for diSObeying his orders.
There is still a little firing at night
"a Spanish commercial deputation
today waited upon the governor and
begged him to surrender, saying that
otherwise they would be utterly ruin
ed.
THE civil members of the council
of war favor a surrender, but the
military members do not care to en-
dOrse such a request. Officers tell me
they realize the futility of resisting
the Americans, who, with their supe-
rior guns. can keep at long range and
kill everybody without loss to them
selves with probably a dozen shells.
''The British consul promptly ar
ranged for four launches, under a
white flag, to remove British subjects,
and also for one launch for the Chi
nese. Swarms of Spanish and native
half-caste women and children are
begging to be provided with means Of
escape.
''It is believed that the American
gunners have been ordered to spare
the churches, owing to the fact that
thousands of persons have taken
refuge in them.
"The ex-governor is trying to secure
passage on German warship."