Newspaper Page Text
*-' * <? 7/ -<^sa 1
VOL. XXXIII. NO. 1.
COUNTRY POSTMASTERS i
ARE TOO POORLY PAID
Congressman Amos Cumming, of New
York, Has Taken Up the Fight in
Congress in Their Behalf.
By Jos: Ohl.
Washington. neo-mb'T 2*
Itt.iff <*.wre«.-o.»n*h-nv. .F- ’ 1 have moved
about over this «-*>untrj a k«*ml deal, and
in my opinion the poorest paid ot all
puhlh- ervaatx H the country postmas
ter."
S.. ,|“ k. Hop Ani-w C .' N« w
York, on.- of the leader* oil the ucmo
era:l.- rMe .f the house of repr-untn
tives. who Is* t.-kinr an active part in
th- . ff*»r t> iwlwe rongresn to make
•mo • hang* - In the ni* thud of ••onpen
.>•. i of
i h«* ■••un:r> |«>»tßui.lers t» whom he
ad ni ..«!•• reference. As is w* •< known.
Mr. Cuntniiii: one of Tammany's real
-•i i. i,. ighi*. <."on<r»-ssmen • »tn«- end
rnngn ->m- n c«». Inn in all th-* poHitcal
. . , « t 'lit N«-w Y.-rk <ry p*r»
• •lieallv th«rc is one man who Is undis
turiH-.1. For many vears a practical
printer *-jmhiK his living at the ease.
Amos Cummings’.-* sympathies are nau
rally with the people who work-fae js-o
--t !e who set small return for their labor.
Hr ka« taken «p the cause of the c wintry
j-.-ima-ler with no .dea “f vi-tk’*>g a j
political play, for there are no country
p«»stmas;« re n h*s district. and • :*n if
•.here were. they would all be zepuldie I.ls
tin*). - this administrate *n; hr is for them
because 11 ■ ia !• -v< < it high time to give
■MCe -it in:i.tl r :iii-n ”f lh«lr
work ai d their s-rvi--.and hr is for
them all over.
-Yrs." be a«lded. in talking with me
the O’her de J. "I believe they are too
poorlv paid, and • think when ihe facts
a, - at. Ito cetign •* the senate fcnd ,
will ;-gn w hme and will make 1
the changes s*ige a >i’ •? in the Mils •
have intrmhi*. d. These hills hare .he 1r-
-•m«W
hrs m,titly h« ld. i at there .s no lobby
sere in their l.ehnlf or anything of the
jnrt. The m asttres stand on their cwn
ni-rit«. Ti e -title fellows Sire nev.- able
t, be r« or. :• *«l by fob d-« mid .e-rl.aps
that s the rea-on why justice « so flow
•n getting around tlwir way. I aot v* ry
•-■,-ftil. how.oer. that .lie Is In-i I- d in
_v .. ... ,-t .ni »• .» and .hat .his
- will tltt b--r
Mr. CvtJitui/'-e* * Bills.
C.~. > f the-. :»•» . covers >he c*»mnensa
tlon «»f p- for is-'linsr money
• rd r» '•e otti-r for cotnpf •.sat:«.n for all
other service-*. Tie latter bill Is .h
--m< re compn-h* nslv e. taking in all the
»
masters ar*- inter, «t«-d in .t. for it affects
th. m .-. I. In addii.on ..» the pr. nt bowls
. f r a n iml-er f • •:!»: :.re pr>»
vhl- .i. the . Ts-• t of It all leins a «ii»sta:i
--: .->1 In. e..se i" mt- as iti..n all .-round.
Tn. : :si I- ,ins !•-. i-r >.i.lii'e that the
v in-.. -.«■ on of all pns'masters of .he
f urth • ■.-■■■- -'.ail iw bXed upon the IKisis
f .- i-•in--.••n u|-<n the nmi.uid of'p ist
age -I’t*!!' - -tamped envelopes. Je.Stal
• ard- ..-a i«a|wr and (a-ri.eb. al stamps
• anctb-l .oi matter actually maile-1 i.t
l.« ir . Ili--. s. and on p.n*tage du.- stamps
ac:•.: •• '■ atlixed and canceled th.-r»-..1. aim
..n matter mailed on r.n'w.iy postal «ars.
eteaniU ais ami with carriers and credited
t . their reS|-e.-tlvr .-111 •. and on amounts
I fro* w. ■ • • d , -ad print'd
U,.t r and twill. - -Id. at the pillow UK
rat.s: <>n th. lirst one hundred dollars
«.r !• - ■ per quarter. l'*» per centum: on
; •
<ent.im: on the next fc’»* or less per quar
ter. >• per c«-aium; and ott all greater
amount- 1“ entum; and in addition
to such • -mmi-'ions they shall be enti
tled t» all b*»x rents recelred at their
r.spective ..Ihe. s.
Th. re are three provisos a-ide.l to this
M ti»’> «-f the dll iffecting the regulation
vs .-'■mrw-nsarion. One of these is •"that
when t.ie vomtn :s«ions of any postmas.et
«.f this class shall reach hi the ng«r.«i?e i
for |wir quartern the sum of «!.••«• the i
auditor hail r. port -u« h fact to the post
ma.-t- r general. who shall assign th.
vfli •» to the proper ••-as* anc affix the
salary of the pootmast*r a* provided l>>
law.” This means that when sue i aggu- |
4,ate is reached the office is >o be . ••-
vanced to the third c ass.
The second proviso Is that in no «~i *
•bail there lie allowed to any postmastet
of this class as <omm.** : on an amount
greater than «S*» in any one of the lin-t
three-quarters of any fiscal year. ex« lu
rlve of money order fees* and in Ihe List (
quarter o f each lis- al year fin-re shall r*
allow' d su'h further sum as he m; > be
entitled to under the provisions ot this
act. not exceeding for the whole fiscal
year for such commissions the sum cf
il.oo. And it is further pro l d‘d that l.'.e
total compensation of any postmaster at
any fourth-class postoffice shall not be
less than sjo per annum.”
Allowances for Rent.
Allowances for the expense of rent, |
light and fuel at fourth-class pos‘.offi:-es ;
are pr..vid.*i in the bill as followM
When the yearly commissions of t..e
postmaster on the ab«»v.* basis sli-.l? fall
a year he is to tie allow *1 !!■» a
I
year.
When th' - • ommissions reach L‘» and ,
do not exceed Halt he is to be allowed Hi j
I When the commissions exceed 11"* 1 and
do no? ex**, ed JYA ?.>• r year.
When the commissions exceed S*"* and i
do n<>t .‘xci-cl s**, he gets J 73 per year for ,
th. s.. expenses.
When th • xeced s.'<'• a
year and <t» not exceed JW he gets |lol>
j»t year for expenses.
When the commissions .-xceed and
do not .-xceed he will get the maxi-
mum allowan.-e for expense, which 1s H-d
a y.-ar. All such allowances! to Im- allo.v
ed and credited or paid to the postmaster
at 111 - end of each fiscal year.
The basis <>n which clerk hire shall be
allowed in separating or distributing
i ..fhces under the terms of the Cummings .
bill be:
<hie mall jier week. s!•' per y.*ar, two
mails a week. three mails a w<-< k. $»•;
■one mail daily. |M per year: tw-> mails
daily. $!••• a year; three malls dally. sll® i
a year: four mails dal'.y. s2.l® a year: live
mat s daily. s»<» m-r year.
No More Boycotts.
A provision of th- bt'l which, if enacted i
, Into law. would put an end to boycotts of
' poatoffices. Is tht<:
-When letters or ..th-r mall matt.-r
shall l»e 1* iH.sited for mailing In any rail
road postal car or steamboat, or with a
1 star route carrier, at anv station or place
’ v. thin the delivery of a fourth class post- [
..ffi.-e the raitwt-v steamboat postal
«hik in -Inrsc: -r th.- < irri r. shall noti
:y the iwstma-ter of such potrtofftce of
! :ueh mailing and of th. amount of post
age indicated by the stamlM upon sit. h |
illitter Such notice shall Is- g|.v«-n u'x.n
jH-naltv postal cards of suitable form, to ,
, |h* pn-.« rib d and furnished by 'he post
' master g.-netal. such reports to Im- made
as of*en is the po-ttni tet g- n. 1;' -ha'
direct; and th- posta aster so notitie<i
shall be entitled to take «T dit hi his
quarterly r*i»orts as If stamps of the
value -o indicated in such reports had
be n .-anccl.-d at his office upon actual
mailing thereon."
For Issuing Money Orders.
Mr. Cummings’s other bill, providing
for the compensation of fourth class post- j
V-es''-..—•SXSSZ'-'SZ'-^ —
■ ■ ■ ■** »■ " 1 " ~ J
S3,GO?) New Orieans Cotton Receipts. $3,600 Z
j ’ 5
/ a rtv | - rrr C?T Constitution Subscribers for the ?
( /\ vPOIUUU OLJIn I LO I First Quarter of 1900. >
> The Atlant ’ Constitution Proposes to Distribute Among Its Subscribers $3,000 in Cash to Those Comply- ?
< with the Rules of This Contest Who Estimate Correctly the )
J KT COTTON IMOTUT O OMK TO TOO®. )
? > — — As Foil Hows:. —— K '
i Mtk&u ■ : taOTbr
ctl ROO OO Cash to the person estimating correctly the nmrber of bales ot hm vn’ r "to the of $l5O nearest estimate on 1
/ l vvj cotton received at New Orleans, within the dates mentioned, I)ales rece i vc d at New Orleans, 1. a., within v-e number of bales. /
P provided the estimate is received before February Ist, 1900. the dates mentioned. This prize, and ait the p
\ following, will be awarded without regard to . f
J • the exact receipts, going to the nearest esti- <tlOR in casl ‘ lor ’ bp HFI'H X
C . , . . | | { mites, whatever they may be: I NEARESI I.> I IMA IE on /
; d nnn nn Cash if the correct estimate be sent in during February, before in cash for the second the number of bales. \
/ -S) i March Ist, I‘XX). ip4uU nearest estimate on C
? the number of bales. for SIXTH 2
X. In cash for the 1 illKi r KFAkVXT on
ci cash if the correct estimate be sent in during March, before April SdlOU nearest estimate on number of biles ?
Ist, at which time the contest closes short. the number of bales. k
? ~ 27- -• • ' ,N CASH REPRESENTS OUR TOTAL LIABILITY HEREON. )
\ Yc'i wiil rsc,t? the prize for tlhie exact estimate is $11,500, and al! tlhe sex prizes f or Nearest Estimates add up another /
/ * ' $3,500, making the $3,000 Cash Offer. 2
J I ----- J
9 Statistics o? Former Years. z—Hit fit During January, Every Contestant Sends SI.OO for ?
( rorr. y THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION (
/ A« • niW* 10 your n<* <ive th* fallowing figures The day upon which we receive the e«t mate decide* the standing of the contestant. To those who p
f from the rtatmli. .of n.-ir l-rm.-r y-r-. have the lor,gert tlm. ogotnrt them the lorgeot reward, ore offered. Thow who wait unfit the time hM ala r .1 r _•_, g \
> Semnm New Ne. Or-e.,.. moat erpired wbl have n . ham-.-at on»-the emnllert enn... and Gets the Greatest of All Affiencan >
f Iteceil 1’ for «‘- n 7 l Crop e Newcmnerc for One Year. A
C of xpttr.. ~Vt": ' ?u’ r :il ’-aiue year Will It bo hit exactly? Yea. we think »*>■ It hue been douoin tlie only content »f P P C
{ 11 . 1 , -7 <C7 thia kißd weever ran before. Mr. K. T. Poole, then of Caple Mill., N. <. iu April. IH9O. Keep fht. in view and .end yoar estimate with yonr dollar /
1 1395-b-'-- 1-620.9/4 i.812.1b/ 7.15/.340 mimed th., exa.-t number ot bale** received atN”W Orleans, and ree-’ive.l from us :> check f or a velr’s .utweription k
/ 189fc7 ..1,936.537 2 102-470 8-757.9b4 f„. *!.<»<>(> that looked ju.t like this: C
P , oq7 o 7 in •»««; 7 C7s, 14,5 11.199.994 - »venrn subscription to THE WEEKI.V t'ONSIIII JION; A
< 189/ u 2-43- Jlo the< Mlmat’-lii’ist IH-sent in the Identic*l envelope that I J
C 1898 9 1-854-15 3 2.130.29 b 11.274 840 ■ , , / J . 1/ the money Unit pays for the »utwcrlptlon:iometling or A
v lb*ro 7 l / f . A It out hv accident or Otherwise, or not knowing of the < ontest X
5 '“t'neTnsmuli'.n market page ( «s. 1* «••< willv..u the FS prbT “-hTnT ’mm.v* tlm.‘; C
J you posted on the fig ire. without having to write any!* j /J / / 'T'-/ n, P Contest 'e-gan January Ist. 1900. VVebegnn to keep nn <
I about it. .... „«.<• \.7L ——— accurate account of subscriptions received with estimates.
C should there be only one correct estimate for th* * KjiJi, We n-cord the answers on the day received an I will allow no f
J numtsr of ••les. the'lyeup.n which we rr-Ive the ••’•tlniat Z/) y.P / . change whatever in t >em afterwards. Th* Contest dooes April 1
• will deci Ie which premium sum the party making It shall /// 'f/ , ~ l9t , litao. at which time we will pay out to the successful par- \
f entitled to. HM-eivml {tai the tun prize amount that has accrued In the Contest. 7
x MhonM thore he more than on I , 'j..’ | 1 A' » In aankHW »onr answers nmke your figures very pla'n k
/ them »ney ~ill Is-divi l-l t>y Iri non »vo .se Z' . /
t be the t>! Il mini’s .rr t gu •—•« r •.•■•.*< i. and a h s•_ - faftf'/itrf ■ Address all orderw land Inclose your estimate, subscription <
f p,:.'"* ToHmt '’no dd'Ys n°h 1. , “."^t M "a'.sw. ,r r H and money in the same envelope) to <
s ' THE CONSTITUTION. Atlanta, Ga.
Z the fl.'SS' price, and C one-third of tlie <•<«» prize. t - i^ *
ATLANTA. GA., MONDAY, JANUABY 1, 1900.
masters fnr I-ulng money orders, pro
vid* s the following rates:
'T'or orders for gums not exceeding V>, •"»
. »-nt; for orders for sums over f’> and not
. x-eedlnr s!'•. < cents, for orders for sums
ov.-r SIO ;>nd not exceeding 7 cents;
for ord rs for sums ov.-r I'JD and not ex- j
ccc.l r g A’>>. X cents; for orders for sums
ov< r s"*► and not exceeding sl®. !• cents;
for orders for sems ov.-r $W and not ex
ceeding L*', 10 cents; for orders for sums
ov.-r I’*• and not . x.-.-.-ding H®. 12 cents;
for ord-rs for sum ov.-r and not ex
e. .--ling J 73. 13 cents; tor orders for sums I
ov< r s7.’» and no; < xc« - ding 51'* 1 . 1-1 cents."
While th- s.' bills will find strong sup- ,
porters in both sides of congress, the of- |
ticials of th- iMJstoffl.-e department are ,
decidedly lukewarm. They have refused i
to recommend this 1< glslatlon tn any re- '
l>or s and in several instances have made
fl uncomfortable for postinasters who
hav. been active in the agitation fur
4ii< -< in nr. s. Still, the men inter, sp-d
ar.- not discouraged. They believe the ;
tills ar. jus; and right and they propose
to push th'-m as v gorously as they know
how.
-
DEWEY MUST FOLLOW MILES.
Army Officers Rank the Naval Men
at the White House.
Washington, UeeemlM-r 29.—The pro
graritne for the president's new year re
ception, issued today. Is accepted as set
tling all questions of precedence at ollieiai
receptions of the three brunches of the
military service, the army, the navy and |
th..- marine corps. According to the pro- ;
gramme the departments rank In the or
<l. r named, thus adhering to the . ustom I
I established many years ago of placing ]
them in line according to seniority of'
organization. When Major General Mlles, j
head of the army, and Admiral Dewey, '
tlie head of the nuvj, pay their respects j
to the president, as commanders-in-ehief
of the army and navy, on New Year's .
Pay, they will take their places In line I
I in the order named, one at the head of
the military branch and the other at the
head of the naval.
ORGANIZED TO EIGHT TRUSTS.
Travelers and Hotel Men Now Open
Headquarters.
New York. P eember 2!t.—Headquarters '
in New York of tlie Commercial rritvci
ers' and Hotel M--n's an.l-Trust Ix-Igue
w, r,» oj-ita-d today by William Hoge,
sccrediry and tr.,utur<*r of the league,
and from this tint- on Mr. Hog-- slid a|
vigor, us campaign Is to be urged among
tti.- different commercial travels™* asao
elatl.ms and also among organizations of
hotel men to organize them against the
trust:. The league was started in Au
g-.i--t. l <-t and .• in.-ntbrfrship of 12,0 M has
twen enrolled
Davis Starts Home.
San .loan de I’orto Rico, P- cember 29
Governoi Gen-rat Pavls and l-le.ji.-nant
Rattle. Ids aid-de-.-amp, sailed for the,
1- ted Sates Saturdav <.n the steamer
r-,iie< lx.met fol- Washing >n. <>id--rs
arrived tn re on Thursday ior th-- general (
to rc|w»rt ot Washington for consultation
with the secretary of war.
FRANCE IS ASKEUIO
FIX THE BOUNDS
Her Possessions Adjoining
Liberia Must Be Clearly
Set Forth.
GREAT BRITAIN WILL JOIN
European Republic May Be Request
ed To Show What Ground She
Claims in Liberia—What
Director Ponsonby
Says About It.
Ixrndon, pecemlu-r 29.—Tt has Im en learn- I
cd by a representative of the Associated ;
Press that the i'nited S'ates cruiser
Montgomery's visit to Liberia Is appar
ently tlie result of overtures made to
Washington by that republic. Though
tlie British government is in complete
Ignorance of the purpose of the Mont
gomery’s commission, the establishment
of a coaling station in Liberia by the
United States is regarded as scarcely
probable, as. It is asserted, no Liberian
port has any facilities for coaling. all .
of them being open and surfbound. I
The Asaiclated .Pres;- representative '
learns, however, that a far more impor
tant step is under consideration. It con
sists in a joint request of the I’nited
States and Great Britain upon France
to define fin- boumiary between the ter
ritory she < lalms and that claimed by ‘
Liberia. Th’s step is not yet decided
upon, but Greait Britain only awaits tliu I
Unlt.-d States assent to bee.-me a party ,
to such a request.
It is alleged that Franco for many
years has been encroaching on Liberia,
and it was only by a strenuous protect
of the I'nited States that she was pre
vented from appropriating a large slice
of Liberia in lsl'2.
According to the Hon. Arthur I’onson- ;
by. managing director of the Liberia Rub
ber syndicate, whl -h re -ently guaran- |
teed the interest of Llbei ir public debt, i
■the Montgomery « v> It .-.;>• pr< oal -y
prompted by a desire to dneertaln the
extent of French activity. Mr. Ponsonby
said to a representative of tlie Asso litc t |
Press:
•'Bishop Hartzell, while in Monrovia
this vear. strongly u-ged Ihe government
to In’tcrcs! the I’nited Stat.-s in preserv
ing the l->undarles. witli the result that
Liberia appointed a mission to Washing
-ton. I believe it has already made rep
resentations and presume Hie commander
of the Montgomery Investigated both
this and th.- possibility of a coaling sta
tion The latter Liberia would gladly >
t,. i ie I'nit.d S des. bur b. y-.n-l |
hooting h<-r flag upon it. it would be ot
little service.
•'Tbe feeling among British subjects
commercially interested In Liberia Is that
the republic's progress had better be
imib-r th** projection of cither Great Bril
aln or th** Unite*! States. But l-.iti. the
British gov.-rnm- til and tho-<- having In
terests there lielh ve that so long as 1,1-
l>erla can continue to struggle on in,
h< present condition, everything possl- '
bl.- should be done to support her."
Liberia decorated Mr. Ponsonby this'
week w ith'the Order of African Redemp- |
tlon In recognition of his services against
encroachments.
Naval Officers Reticent.
Washington, December 29.—A>though the
naval officials will make no statement re
spc’-tlng the cruise of the Montgomery to
West Africa, it is admitted that the ship i
was there In the early fall, returning to'
her station at Buenos Ayres about the j
Ist of last November. These dates in
■j- nis-iv-'s may be regarded as suffi- :
cient to dispel any impression that the I
cruise was in any manner connected with ■.
tin- war between the British and the
Boers. As to tlie real objects of the
cruise, it is believed that the navy de
partment had Its eye upon a possible coal
ing station on the west coast, as Is Indi
cated in the foregoing dispatch. Before
and during the civil war the United States ,
had no less than three coaling stations |
on that coast. They were practically 4
al.andoned when the West African station I
was dropiied from the list, but the ehlet
of the equipment bureau. Admiral Brad
ford. has strongly urged that they be
re-, stablishe.l so as to insure our naval
vessels a source <»f coal supply when
passing from the .-astern Atlantic states
around to ’lie Philippines and China in
the event the Suez canal should be close.i .
against them. Tlie Liberian government
alway s lias been willing and even anxious
that the station on its coast should be
k-pt if only as a manifestation of the
interest of the United Slates in the e01,,11V
~lIV it created and to protect it by our
moral influence against European aggr. s
sion The British conception of the ob
ject of tile Montgomery’s 'V* 1 , I
there’on- tnav be entirely within the line (
of probability, as Intended not only to ,
afford us a coaling station, but also ,
to exhibit to Other nations our natural ;
interest in the negro colony founded by
Americans.
NEVER THE SAME MENTALLY.
Congressman Boutelle May Recover
Physically, It Is-Said.
Boston. December 29.—T0 -all those who
inquired after the coimitlon of Congress
man Boutelle at tlie Melman asylum to
day. the reply was given that h e was
getting .long nicely and was improving
in strength. Dr. Daniel A. Robinson, the
phvsi.ian who came fr.m Bangor ,o iit
tend aim after lie was stricken at Young s
hotel, savs that "wi ile the congressman
may recover his physical health and
vigor, it is possible that he may never be
tin- same ,-i.uiii mentally.
GENERAL BROOKE IN FLORIDA.
Washington, December 2rt.—General t
Brooke, who arrived at St. Augustine, i
Fla., today from Cuba, is not coming .
north al once, but it Is expected will stop
at St. Augustine or some other convenient !
southern resort for some time in order to |
avoid a sudden climatic change.
tSHMimi
SEIZED BX EHGUBD
Steamer Bundesrath Cap
tured and Taken to Dur
ban as a Prize
GERMANY ACTS IN CASE
Cruiser Magicienne Took Charge of
the German Boat in North Del
agoa Bay and Will De
mand a Court of
Inquiry,
T.orenzo Marques, D.-lagoa Bay. Decem
ber 31).—The German steamer Bundesrath,
ix-ionglng to the German East African
line, has b—-n captured as a prize and
taken to Durban. The Bundesrath arriv- d
here from Mozambique.
The Bundesrath. of 1,31'1 tons, sailed
from Hamburg Novemb- r Bth. for Tai-ga.
East Africa.
The capture of the Bundesrath has in
creased tlie already strong anti-British
feeling here among the Hollander and
German section of the population.
Durban, December 29.—The British cruis
er Magicienne s< Iz.-d the German st. amer
Bundesrath in North Delagoa bay. She
will b.- brought before a p-!xe court.
GERMAN OFFICERS ABOARD.
London, December 3). —A representative
of the Associated I’ress has learned that
there were three German officers and
•twenty men, attired in khaki and Intend
ing to serve the Boers, on Imk t
’Bundesrath, which explain*, he-
R’-gardlrg traffic generally e
coast of Africa, tlie Brit is
officials say the British gov»-r
sires that till ordinary a ?
trade conducted by foreign i
suffer a- little restriction
OWNERS DEMAND 3.
Hamburg. December
ot tlie Get mail East A
celved news of the ar .al
( t..ail steamer Bundet ~n:an-
■ <i.-r of the port of D e ,i an ex-
! planation of the eat -•- seizure. It
lis declared here tha.. t re wa.s no con
ttaband of war on board, and when appll-
PT.I( E FIVE < IMS
*ati«>n was ma.i- t>» th*- fh-rrn n foreign
..til.es the latter immediate;', promt * d
interposition witli tlie British govern
ment .
The seizure of tit.- Band, rath wa re
f. ned to at a me. ting of m- r. hunts h< bl
her.- today. After a .-p«-* ch by Adolph
W.erman. pr.-sid* nt of tlie Hamburg
chamber of commerce, d.-alii.g with the
great progress of the German empire dur
ing ihe .-losing <■• !;! ury. H< rr Kiss-. -|Hak
' ing in behalf of the firms trading with
South Africa. whether Hi- . hi.til-.r
was doing ali that was m-.s-ssarj for the
protection <f G rman trade in that part
ot the world. Ih rman comm. ree. he as
serted. had aln .dy s-iff-r.-d detriment
through the war in South \friea, and now
•tews rani'- ” r th.- -eizure of a German
steamer by a British warship.
Herr W.x-rmann n plied that th** < ham
Ih r had already considered th qii- sfion of
r.-f>res,-ntatioti with the v' w «>f taking
ac.ion in the matter. The chamlwr, lie
continued, had been informed that the
steamship company owning the seized --
sei iiad telegraphed to Prince ||oh>-nlol • ,
ih> taqterial chancellor, asking f >r gov
ernment interi ntion, ami it wa ■. .ar 1
l that nothing whatever had b. • n dow by
the company which co-.ild in an. way b
regarded as a breach of neutrality.
NEGOTIATIONS HAVE OPENED
Right of England To Search the
Bundesrath Is Questioned by
the Berlin Papers.
Berlin. Dcc.-misr 31.—Regarding the
seizure by th*- British cruiser Migh.’nne
of the Bundesrat!., of 'he German E.i-t
African line, a high "tii' iai of th. Ger
man foreign office, who was interview--.I
by the .orrespon.lent of the Associated
Press today, said:
Silence mus*t be preserved at present
concerning tlie actual statu* of th-- ir -
go ialions which have !><•• n begun with
Great Britain a «>ut matter. Ac
prvpriate steps have been taken, of
which Germany must await the result.
The matter Is regarded by GeAiany as
of the utmost importance because se
riously itivo.ving the rights of neu
trals.
This afternoon the foreign secretary,
I Count von Buelow, conferred at the fur
j eign office with his official advisers and
then reported to the emp ror. A cabinet
meeting will consider the seizure.
I It is also asserted in governm nt circles
that the British right of search is eues
tioned and that in any event the Briti- i
right ty stop passengers, whether th. y in
tend to fight for the Doerr, or not, is
. str. iiuously disputed, as the vessel upon
, which they'were is neutral, an I the terri
i tory to which :h y were proceeding, name
ly, Delagoa I’, y. is also iivuiral.
Redress, it is asserted, will be in
sisted upon by Germany. The Ger
man press today unanimously con
demns British action in the Bundes
rath seizure, which is characterized
as an instance of gross insolence and
as “calculated again to illustrate tha
need of a powerful Germun navy to
render such overbearanee on the part
of England impossible in the fu
ture."
The National Zeitung strongly argues
that England had no right to interfere
with tin- Bundesrath and expresses tha
hope- tha: she ha* not adopted a flexible
theory regarding contraband.
Tin- Lok >1 surmls.s that there
must have been a serious quarrel between
the commanders of the Bundesrath and
th • Magicienne before* the latter officer
“ever asserted his prerogative carrying
I off the steamer” ami exj-n sses the hope
tha: Germany will "speedily enforce th
release of the vessel.” Even the moderate
Vossisehe Zeitung calls the proceedings
"characteristic English insolence" and
"i<is <t !c- ''whoie attitude of the Eng
lish be.ore Delagoa bay provokes a gen
eral protest.”
It is signiilcant that today tlie Germ m
Fiotterverien distributed in Berlin
copies of a strongly word d pamphie.
]H,i:iting o-at the n.-ed of a strong German
navy.
From a well informed authority it is
learned that preliminary negotiations have
been going on for some time between
Gr at Britain and Germany in London lor
the purpose of extending the s of he
treaty regarding the Portuguese .-••’••ni- .
but tlial the Asiatic colonies of i - - /!
are not comprised m the exten.-i i. pt -
German Cruisers Sail.
Berlin, Januarj 1. it is announced that
th'- German protected cruisers ('ond-r and
SehwallH.- arc now on the way to De a
goa bay.
BRITISH LOSS WAS HEAVY
Christmas Day the English Army
Paid for a Sortie.
b> irenzo M irqties. liro-m >< •• Ad
vices received here from Pretoria under
• 'ate of Wednesday. Decern la r 27th. s.
that an oitieial dispatch from M if.-king
announ.es that in tne sortie whi-h tlie
British m ule from that place De - nib- :
25th. attacking otic of the Boers’ farts
with cannon. Maxims and an armored
train so persistently that the fighting
raged tip to the walls of the fort, the
British lost I’-!' men killed ami wounded
while the Boer-- only lost two men killed
and seven wounded.
The dispatch a id-- that Captains Kirk
wood and Grenfell were captured by
Boer stouts noir Coicnso and were being
sent t’> Pretoria.
Ten unloaded shells insertin'.! “Tin- .-
son's gr.-< tings” hav.- been tired at La.ly
smith. Ten South African medical stu
dents f rom Edinburgh have arrived at
Pretoria from Delagoa Bay with live
tons of tni-iia-al stores.
A dispat’-h from the Boer camp at the
Modder river, dated Thursday, De< - mix r
28th. reports an artillery duel lasting an
hour. December 27th a British recon
noitering party made a sortie, but did
not c* me within the Boer rang.-. The
British December 2Xth commenced a
steady bombardment of the Boer position.
TWO CAPTAINS ARE KILLED.
Pretoria. Friday. December ■*>.—Thre,-
British prisoner- from Malapo report
that Captains Vernon ami Sanford, of
. Colonel Baden-Powell's staff, were killed
during th.- engagement in which L>r< *
Edward Ce-.-ii and Cavendish-Bentinck
i were wounded. The object of the sortie
| was to capture Boer cannon. Th* loues