St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-09-20
FOREIGN SUMMARY.

The bubonic plague has broken out at
Asuncion, capital Of Paraguay.
Nine men were suffocated as the result
of an explosion in coal mine at Redan,
Prussia.
The British association for the Ad-
vancement Of science has granted $1,000
towards the expense Of an Antarctic ex-
petition.
The Rome Tribuna says that Tomaso
Villa, president of the Italian commits
sion to the Paris exposition, has re-
signed, as a protest against the verdict
of the Rennes court-martial.
The King Of Italy has appointed the
italian ambassador at Washington,
Baron Fava, a senator of the kingdom
and member OF the upper branch Of the
Italian parliament
1t is supposed that the next move
contemplated by the Transvaal is an
appeal to the powers, begging them 10
recommend arbitration on the lines of
the conference at the Hague.
A marriage has been arranged between
Douglas W. Campbell only son Of the
late Lord Walter Campbell, third son o.
the Duke of Argyle, and Miss Aimee Lau-
renee, daughter Of the late John Lau
renee of New York.
A dispatch from Charles Town says the
widest rumors are current there, and
that great alarm Is felt owing to the I'M
protected state Of the town, especially
as Boer signalling is plainly visible on
the adjacent mountains.
At the Worcester (Eng) musical fes-
tival, Professor Parker of Yale univer-
sity conducted with pronounced sue
cess his oratorio 'Hosa Novissima." All
the London papers devote unusual space
to the presentation, sketching the COM
poser's career and bestowing high priase
upon his musicianshp.
The French Free Masons, composing
the assembly of 1899, adopted resou-
ton, in the name Of the Order of the
Grand Orient, declaring the anti-Semite
movement criminal and odious, and
pleading with the French government
for support against Clerical militarist,
imperial and monarchial conspiracies.
There was a serious disturbance in the
market square Of johannesburg on Sat-
urday afternoon. A meeting called by
labor agitator, named Balm, to condemn
British policy and to enroll volunteers
to fight for the Beers led to serious fights
with the police, lasting couple of hours.
Many persons were injured, among them
the recently notorious DR.. Matthews.
who laid a charge against a mounted
policeman. An immense crowd singing
Rule Britannia" accompanied him to
the police office.
According to dispatches from Pretoria,
Kruger's reply to Chamberlain's latest
note is a defiant refusal to accept the
British proposals Moreover, 1t Is in
effect an arraignment of Chamberlain
methods of conducting the negotiations.
In diplomatic terms, Kruger charges the
British secretary with pursuing vacil-
lating policy. The Boer president takes
Chamberlain at his word by accepting
the proposal made in the British note
of Aug. %. The proposal provided for
a Joint commission to inquire into the
working of the seven-years' franchise
law. President Kruger now says he
"cannot understand why this proposal
was withdrawn and a new proposal SUD-
stituted." He says he never made any
offer of a five-years franchise and
quarter representation for the out
landers, and that the Transvaal con-
siders such a measure as unnecessary
and undesirable" He neatly upholds
his position on the question of suzerainty
by saying that the Transvaal had M
intention of needlessly raising the ques
tion of its political status" Finally, hi
saws. he accepts and desires arbitration
and adheres to the terms Of the Londoi
convention of 1884