Rhyl Record and Advertiser

GENERAL FOREIGN NEWS. I YUKON STEAMER SUNK. SIXTY-FIVE LIVES LOST. The Skagway steamer Islander, belonging to the Canadian Pacific Alaskan Line, struck an ice- berg near Juinau, Alaska, and foundered in 20 minutes. Sixty-five of the passengers and ennv were drowned, including the captain. One of the passengers declared that if the passengers had not been assured by the captain when the vessel struck that it was nothing serious everyone might have been saved, as many of the passengers remained below. The steamer was less than a mile from the shore at the time, and the water was perfectly calm. A number of bodies have been recovered. One hundred and seven of the passengers and crew were saved and brought to Victoria by the steamer Queen on Sunday night. A returning miner strapped 8,000 dollars in gold round his waist, but the weight of the money made the life- preserver topple over, and he was drowned. A million dollars in treasure went down with the ship,

BOULOGNE FAIR IN FLAMES. An alarming fire occurred at the great summer fair, which is held annually under the historic ramparts of Boulogne. Thirty-two booths were destroyed in half an hour, and damage done to the extent of £ 8,000. No lives were lost. The fire broke out in a booth for the sale of celluloid goods, but the cause has not yet been ascertained. Several persons were injured in attempting to stop the progress of the flames. The damage done is not covered by insurance. The municipal authorities at once proceeded to the scene of the fire, find took immediate measures to meet the first need. of the sufferers.

ANOTHER RIVAL TO SANTOS. After experimenting ten years with flying rnnchines, Mr. Gustave Whitehead, a mechanic, living at Bridgeport, Connecticut, claims to have constructed a perfect machine at last. His machine has passed through a successful test in the presence of witnesses. The ship has bat-like wings. It runs along the ground like an auto- mobile, and then rises, bird-like, into the air. It sailed a mile and a half at a height of iiOft.. and was steered among and around trees. Mr. White- head, who had been in Germany a few years, is now an assistant professor in the Smithsonian Institute.

A FRONTIER INCIDENT. Two companies of Ottoman troops, having crossed the Bulgarian frontier and occupied a place called Kutcheli, the ownership of which appears to be contested by the Porte. M. Kisitnoff, who is in charge of the Bulgarian Agency at Constantinople, have made representations to the Porte, energetically protesting against the viola- tion of the frontier, and demanding the recall OF the Turkish troops within a certain time.

MUTINOUS CREWE LOCKED UP. The crew of the steamship Wassau, of the new TYaneo-Canadian line, have mutinied at Montreal and declined to work the ship to sea. Their alle- gation is that the vessel is overloaded. The cap- tain called in the police, but the mutineers resisted arrest, and there was a sharp struggle. Finally they were overpowed and locked up. The vessel proceeded, manned by officers and some men of the steward's department.

CZAR TO VISIT FRANCE. The following semi-official communication has been issued:—M. Loubet having invited his Majesty the Emperor of Russia to be present at the close of the grand manoeuvres, which will take place at Rheims, the Emperor has graciously ac- cepted the invitation. Before landing at Dunkirk the Emperor, in company with the President, will be present at a review of the Northern Squadron, which will salute his Majesty on his arrival in French waters.

SERVIAN ELECTIONS. In the elections for the Senate sixteen of the successful candidates were supporters of the Gov- ernment and members of the Radical party. In the districts of Pirot and Valjevo second ballots will be neeftssary. According to the new Consti- tution each district and the town of Belgrade elects one senator. The remaining senators were nominated by the King on the day of the procloma- tion of the Constitution. Most of the Cabinet Ministers in office and the prominent leaders of the Radical party are nominated senators.

DISTURBANCES IN GALICIA. A despatch from Tlumnez says that on Saturday last the inhabitants of the village of Ottynia menaced with sticks and threw mud at the officials who took steps rendered necessary by an outbreak of swine fever. Two veterinary surgeons re- ceived severe injuries, and other officials were slightly hurt. Eleven arrests were made. Next day the mob gathered in front of the court of justice, and demanded tho liberation of the prisoners arrested. The military were called out, and dispersed the crowd, and there has been nr disturbance since.

DEADLY SERUM EXPERIMENTS, The Yellow Fever Board of Commissioners had assisted Dr. Caldas in his experiments at Havana I with yellow fever serum by furnishing him with mosquitos laden with fever germs. A Spaniard who volunteered to be inoculated by a mosquito bite developed the yellow fever and died within four days, while another volunteer is in a critical condition. Dr. Harvard, the Havana medical officer, has decided to put a stop to the experi- ments, as the mosquitos have proved far wort-, dangerous than was expected.

REVOLVER DUEL BETWEEN SCHOOL BOYS. A duel between two Hungarian schoolboys has just taken place with serious results. Ludwig Krusecz, 15 years old, a scholar of the Zborow Grammar School, was in love with a girl one year younger than himself, but had a rival in her affec- tions in his schoolfellow Nicholas Litka. a bov of 16. One day they quarrelled in the girl's presence and Litka struck the other in the face. Krusecz sent two seconds chosen from his schoolfellows with a challenge to his rival, and a duol with re- volvers in regular form took place. Krusecz was shot in the abdomen and is now lying between life and death.

A LAND OF ATROCITIES. A Vienna journal reports from Janina tli-t Albanian field constables have burnt the Custom House of Metsowa. The surveyor, his wife, and lour children found death in the flames. The per- petrators of the crime then fled. In the village of Ivruswo five Turkish sergeants broke into the house of Wallach Papsasanasio, felled him to the ground, and outraged his wife. Then they threw Papasanasio into prison. The wife killed herself for shame. In Horiza a band of Bulgarian robbers attacked six Turks, overwhelmed them, and cu' their heads off.

WELCOME RAIN IN INDIA. The India Office has issued the following tele- gram from the Viceroy, dated the 17th inst:— Good and general rain has continued, though the total amount is only three-quarters of the iioriiial ill Upper and Central India., and half the normal in Gujarat. Prospects are fair in Bengal. Bombay, Mad ras, and good elsewhere. The early rice harvest has relieved local distress in Assam. Prices are falling in Madras and Central Pro- vinces stationary elsewhere. The total number in receipt of relief is 529.000."

The German Crown Prince is going to Scotland, where he is to pay a series of short visits to dc SOME shooting J The WIFE The baby has been JABBERING away ( there for about an hour, and I can't NUDERSTAUD a THING she says. The Husband I've noticed, L DEAR, the little THING grows more like you every day. ] Quaintly talks like a man who has travelled all J over every country on earth." "ever WAS out of Boston -iii- his life, but he has t he finest pnvate col. lection of guide books in existence." Fond Mother Tommy, dear, what did you BUY with the money your grandpa gave you ? Tommy Au uubreakable engine. "And where is it NOVYJ>>» Oh, Jimmy Whittle smashed it." Mother: Where have you been, Lizzie? Daugh- ter Only out for a walk in the park. 4 6 Who with?" "No one." "Then explain how you callle home with a walking stick instead of your umbrella." Mr. W. S. Cain, at a public dinner one day, is said to have offered five shillings to any one who would make a uew pun on his name. Don't be in lIurry Caine (hurricane), but hand over the five bob." said a cuasfc IMMEDIATELY. .°- THB constitutional rights of the Britisn House of Commons are being frittered away. They are evidently to be superseded by n system of en bloc, which u "En Bloc." apparently to be the workin- principle of our legislative machinery. Freedom of speech and liberty of debate have almost passed away. Rights and privileges have been with- drawn, until the House of Commons is for many of its ancient purposes useless and help- less. Its control over the affairs of the nation- depends upon its control of the national purse. II Grievances before Supply" was something more than a handy phrase. It ex- pressed the vital condition of power. Thll King could no more govern without money than ordinary people could live without it. To refuse supplies was to starve the King into submission. With this power in their hands, the representatives of the people wera masters of the situation. No other authority in the State can vote moneys for national purposes except the House of Commons. Supply is a branch of business which none can touch but the elect of the people. Five years ago a rigid closure was contrived whereby large votes could be obtained without discussion. Early in the present session seventeen millions were voted in a singlet night, after the police had carried out a number of Irish members. At the end of the session this was improved upon. One hundred votes remained to be passed when it wanted but four days to the sacred Twelfth. The amount involved was almost uncountable millions. All these votes and all this money, with only two working days available, seemed to be impossible. It was at this point that en bloc came in. The votes, classified in seven divisions, were taken, each class in its own order. Mr. Balfour proposed to closure each class. There was practically no time for criticism or discussion. The votes could not be challenged singly, or debated separately. Ell bloc was the word, and the closure was the implement. Sixty-seven millions were votod in the course of two and a half hours. The controlling power is thus slipping away from the House of Commons. The House merely records the decisions of the Govern- ment. It is reduced to the position of an automatic register which shews how inucu money has been voted. r SINCE Lord Randolph Churchill invented Tory Democracy the Conservative party has made much pretence of favouring social Z, legislation. It usually employs Playing at some man to — as social Reform. reformer to the pa-ty. Fifteen to twenty years ago it was Lord Randolph himself later Mr. Chamberlain was taken on; and now Mr. Ritchie is entrusted with the oversight of social reform. He is a good man, with humane sympathies and a general desire to help things forward. This session he has done excellent work in connection with factory legislation. He pre- pared a useful bill, which by amendments introduced in Grand Committee was made yet more satisfactory. But a Tory reformer has his limitations. If these are not native to him they are imposed upon him. The Grand Committee, by an absolute majority, inserted a clause fixing stopping time on Saturdays at twelve noon instead of one in the afternoon. It was a slight recognition of the demand for larger leisure which has been put forward by the factory operatives. It was not a big demand, and, whilst it did not mean a great (leal to the employers, made a great difference to the operatives' half-holiday. Mr. Ritchie might have accepted the amendment with a good grace and have allowed it to remain. Instead of doing so ho asked the House of Commons to reverse tho decision of the Grand Committee. He permitted the Government whips to tell in the division, he appealed for a party vote and tried to make it a party question. He was defeated. Why Mr. Ritchie smothered his sympathies on this question we do not profess to know. But the Tory party will evidently not allow itself to be dragged into reforming excesses. It never permits its zeal in that direction to run away with it. When driven to make a stand it takes its stand on interest. It did so on this matter. The interests of capital and trade came up carrying petitions which pleaded the exigencies of industry in the near future. On this plea the Ministry rallied, and gave a vote which took no account Qf anything but whether profits Were likely to go down. Tiui physical well-being, the domestic comfort, and the social convenience of the workers counted for nothing in the balance. The desire for greater leisure is one of the signs of the times. This is a material age, and the fact that working men are prepared to sacrifice some- thing in the way of wages in order that they may have more of that enjoyment which time alone can command is something to be content with. The Government would have been wise to have encouraged this desire, and their inability to concede so great a boon at so small a sacrifice proves the incapacity of tha Tory party to deal with social reform, • IN January, 1900, the failure of our army system was made patent to all the world. In October of the same year the Government asked for a renewed majority What of the that they might reform it. Armv ? The country was told that they were the only people to deal with the matter effectively. The country accepted that view, and the Government got its majority. To its credit, the Government lost no time Karly in the session a measure of reform was Introduced, as it were, to the sound of the bugle. Between that time and this lies almost a whole Parliamentary session. It has not been a busy session. Half tho time the Government has sat twiddling its thumbs. The time of the House has been wasted over trifles. And Army Reform was lost sight of. The brilliant scheme of Lord Roberts had evidently got on to a shelf from which it can't get off. The scheme seemed to be no longer urgent. There was no energy or enthu- siasm behind it. Yet this measure was put before the country as being essential to our military salvation. Parliament was told that it represented .the final effort of the system of voluntary enlistment. If it failed there was nothing for it but conscription. After all these dramatic, almost tragic, appeals and frantic prophecies we seem likely to revert to the \Var Office, with its red-tape and unbusiness- like methods. But the fact is, it was an im- practicable bill. It enacted battalions, but lid not provide the men for them. In this, is 11l so itiany other things, the Government ias been tried and found wanting. Its 1Jcapacity has again been proved—in regard to •^business upon which it professed special iptitude. Real army reform stands over.

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