Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-09
The HOUSE or COMMONS
Crowded to Hear the Debate on
the TranSvaaI Question.
JAMESON IN BACKGROUND
Sir William Harcourt Said the South African
Middle Was Piece of Stock Job
bng Imperialism.

London, May 8.-The house of commons
was crowded with members and the
press and strangers galleries were filled
with visitors today. upon the occasion of
the presentation of the colonial estf-
mates.
Sir William Harcourt, the leader of the
opposition, reminded the government
that an inquiry had been promised with
the object of ascertaining whether the
British South Africa company was in the
hands of fit and proper persons to be en-
trusted with the administration of the
affairs of the company's territory. Har-
court said that the trial of the members
of the Johannesburg reform committee
In Pretoria had disclosed important cir
cumstances, and the government now
owed the country an authoritative state
ment. In the present condition of af-
fairs, he said, he would confine his re-
marks to the position of the chartered
company, into which inquiry was abso-
lutely necessary, because it affected the
relations between Great Britain and the
South African republic and the relations
between the English and Dutch in South
Africa. In the light of the recent dis
closures the case of DIR. Jameson had
fallen directly into the background.
What the government had to consider
was the matter of instructions under
which DR.. Jameson had acted. From
the cipher kilograms which had been in
terpreted and published he declared 1t
was obvious that the whole affair had
been conducted between johannesburg
and Cape Town by the principal and re-
sponsible direction of the British South
Africa company. Sir William said that
the whole story was an ineXpressibIy re-
Voting, sordid and squalid picture of
stock jobbing Imperialism. He admitted
that Mr.. Chamberlain had been sur
rounded by difficulties and had shown
COlra and decision worthy Of
ton, but the question was, what was the
government going to do?
Mr. Chamberlain, colonial secretary
said that the deplorable result of jane
sons raid had been to jeopardize English
predomtnance in South Africa, and it had
also delayed the concord of the two races,
which was Englands main policy He
was convinced, he said, that there had
been faults on both sides, but until they
had got to the bottom of the matter the
government could not properly judge the
merits of the case. There had been fire.
quent Boer invasions, he said, not merely
into territory outside of the Transvaal
but also into British territory. Further
more the Beers had shown a great want
of consideration for the rights of the
Uitlanders.
Mr.. Chamberlain further said that a
harmonious settlement of the question of
the rights of the Uitlanders had long
been Mr.. Rhodes dearest object If he
could only have found a co-worxer in
President Kruger the results would have
been beneficient in promoting the fedora
ton of the South African states, wherein
local rights would have been fully re-
garded. Though recent events had sadly
interfered with these objects their ac-
complishment still remained the govern
ments chief aim. President Kruger'S re-
fusal to come to England at the govern
ment's request to modify the convention
of 1884 had ended the prospects of a pri-
vate conference upon the leading difficult
ties What then, he asked, ought to be
the right, step? 1t had been suggested
that the government ought to have sent
an ultimatum to President Kruger. This
would certainly have been rejected and
would have led to war. The government,
he declared, could not think of resorting
to war in order to enforce internal re-
forms in the Transvaal. This declaration
was received with cries of "hear," "h ear"
MFR. Chamberlain said that he had not
threatened President Kruger at all, but
had claimed the right to make friendly
representation President Kruger
promised to consider these representa-
tons and the government awaited the
fulfillment of his promise. In the mean
time he had asked Sir Hercules Robin
son, governor of Cape Colony, to come to
England, but the request for him to come
was not intended as a recall. In regard
to the chartered company he said he did
not dispute the authenticity of the cipher
kilograms which the Transvaal authori-
ties had published, although there were
as yet no legal proofs that they indicated
completely on the part of the directors of
the company. ("Hear! hear!o
But he continued, as regards the
actual invasion of the Transvaal, there
was reason to believe that Mr.. Rhodes
had expressed his disapproval and had
endeavored to stop the raid. Did the OPP
position, he asked, demand the punish
ment of Mr.. Rhodes? Whatever may
have been Mr.. Rhodes errors, he had
also rendered great services, which could
not be forgotten. Mr.. Rhodes was now
deprived of power for mischief, and the
directors of the chartered company had
shown their confidence in him by de-
ferring their acceptance of his resigna-
ton.
Considering the disturbed state of
Rhodesia and the influence of Mr.. Rhodes
in that territory, he did not blame the
directors for their show of confidence.
(Cheers.)
The government, he said, adhered to
their promise to make q searching in
quiry into the action of the chartered
company, but he held that such an in
quiry must not be opened until the judi
cial proceedings connected with the
Transvaal raid were ended.
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