, 1891-05-23
mas % e O u 9 i.
spectator 25tA APRIL

w.
Lord Salisbury must be almost at his wits
end to protect the Portuguese. The Govern
ment of Lisbon is, it is understood, fairly
satisfied with the revised treaty laid before it,
and fleft to itself would sign it, and begin
organising in Africa; but the Ministers are
afraid to lay it before Parliament, lest the
Republicans of Lisbon and Oporto should
make it an excuse either for q rising or an
attack on the British residents. To use COM
pulsion towards them would probably upset
the Monarchy, and, as Madrid is not prepared
to look on if that happens, would bring on
European complications. At the same time.
the Portuguese agents abroad, who are furious
with baf1ed hopes, are 80 violent that they
hardly leave the British Government an altern.
alive. Holding that Manica has been unfairly
rushed by the South African Company
which is probably true-they cannot bear to-
see emigrants going up to Manica by the
Pungwe, though that is allowed by the modus
UiUendi, and have forcibly stopped two British
steamers. The Government will, of course,
demand reparation, which the Portuguese say
they are ready to grant and meanwhile Cape
Colony is growing angry, and threatens to-
take the law into its own hands. In the old
days this occurred repeatedly, the European
States looking ON while their agents fought,
and it was not a bad way of securing the
survival of the ~fttest; but under present
etiquettes it would hardly do. We fear it
will be necessary to bring matters to a head
by taking a material guarantee but meanwhile
Lord Salisbury's decision, announced on
Thursday, to send an armed squadron to the
mouth Of the Pungws, is moderate and may
be e~ffectual.
uakhor - go OOIu1 11fOo fiOO h0a knoAA
averted in South Africa. A great Buuhbrr
of Beers in tue Transvaal are dissatisfied
with heir position in the midst OF English
immigrants, and Ave thousand Of them
resolved to "trek" in u body to Mash
OAKLAND, aud there form u Republic. They
accordingly opened negotiations with tue
Portu gueSe, who claim the east side Ut
the plateau, and began to make pTepara-
tons for their march. Fortunately, the
project got wind, and Sir a.. Loeb, High
Commissioners in South Africa. was authO
riset to inform Mr.. Kruger, the President
of the Transvaal, that the movement would
be regarded as IN act Vt hostility to the
Queen, and to demand a strict tulhlment
of the Swaziland Convention, The Presi~
dent. who is supposed not to be Favourable
to q moven1enC which threatens. to carry
AWAY so many of his Dutch supporters,
Immediately replied that he had "damped"
the trek, aud that his Government would
fulfil ali it's obligations. It Is possible
that tho Beers may disregard his procla.
nation but if they do, they will be driven
back by force and the Dutch Republic
will be unable to take up their cause.
With the English hostile aud their own
Government neutral. they would be at.
tackled on the march by natives who are
profoundly. sensible of the difference be-
tween the treatment which Beers met0
out to blacks, aud that which the English
at least try to make customary ana
legal.
A great scene was enacted IN the A0eIS
OH Thursday, the Peers assembling IN
large numbers to hear Sir W.. Whiteway:s
pramiar nf NAwfnnnlland plead :ktIlhR