The herald., 1896-01-15
Votes to Increase the TransvaaI
Artillery Force
REFORMS TO BE DISCUSSED
Ia Later and CaImer Moments Early
Next Summer
Meantime Naval Preparations Are Pushed
Forward at Portsmouth and on the
Thames-CeciI Rhodes Dispatch
Associa ted Press Special Wire

Associate Press Special Wire
PRETORIA, Jan. 14.-The Volksraad met
today and authorized the government to
increase the state artillery force by four
hundred men. They also adopted govern
ment resolutions thanking the Orange Free
State for it's sisterly assistance and also
Sir Hercules Robinson, governor of Cape
Colony, and Sir Jacobus Dewet. British
agent at Pretoria, for the powerful support
they had given to the Transvaal govern
ment and for their efforts to prevent blood
shed.
A message was read to the Vollssraad
from President Kruger, to the effect he in
tends to discuss with the Raad, in later
and calmer moments, the causes which
led to the dastardly plot against the state
and government. He was firmly resolved,
the message said, to maintain the sacred
rights and interests of the republic and to
establish the same on hrmer and securer
foundation.
The brief sitting of the volksraad then
adjourned till May.
DIR. Jameson and the officers OF his raid
ing expedition and political prisoners,
numbering sixty, are still in the Jail here.
KINDNESS APPRECIATED
LONDON, Jan. 14.-The marquis of Sails
bury has telegraphed his thanks to Pre-
mer G. H. Reid of New South Wales, at
Sydney, in reply to telegram received
from him on Sunday in behalf of all the
Australian governments, assuring Lord
Salisbury of their loyal support and SYM
pathy in his determination to resent for
eign interference in matters of British
colonial concern, and congratuling him
upon the prompt and fearless measures
adopted in defense of the integrity of the
empire.
The Times says this morning that the
admiralty has invited the principal private
firms to tender bids for ten third class
cruisers, to be completed in one year. The
armament is to be wholly of quick firing
guns. 1t has also required all firms having
government contracts to give them prefer
ence over private orders.
NAVAL PREPARATIONS
PORTSMOUTH, Jan. 14.-The first-class
battleship Revenge, the flagship of the fly
ing squadron, carrying 732 officers and
men, Rear Admiral Alfred T, Dale in COM
mand; the first-class battleship Royal
Oak, 712 officers and men; the first-class
cruiser Gibralter, 544 officers and men,
and the torpedo catchers Handy,
Harland and Havoc, each carrying fifty
men, were commissioned at o'clock this
morning. The usual salutes were fired
and the scene was very effective. There
was an early morning parade of sailors
and marines alongside the vessels just pre-
pared for sea, the men being all in white
working rig. Both corps of marine wore
white foreign service helmets and were es-
corted into the yard by bands of music.
Tney were received with enthusiastic
cheers by the crowds gathered at every
available point. The reserves are under
orders to be ready to leave the harbor as
soon as possible and will await the arrival
of the other portion of the flying squadron
from Chatham and Davenport, consisting
of the first-class cruiser Theseus, the Sec
ond-class cruisers Charybdis and Hermo-
ME and three first-class torpedo catchers,
carrying over 2OO0 officers and men. All
the last-named vessels were also commits
stoned this morning. 1t is understood Adj
miral Dale is under orders to take the fly
ing squadron Saturday from Spithead to
Beerhaven, on the south coast of Ireland,
with sealed orders relative to fnture move
ments. The officers and men have all
prepared for long absence from England,
and in some quarters it is believed q tour
of the world is contemplated.
At Woolwich, below London, on the
Thames, the great arsenal, covering 100
acres of ground, is receiving constant ad-
the activity in all departments there is un-
abated. The torpedo factory is increasing
its output and the men in that department
are working many hours overtime. The
torpedoes, as fast as they are manufac-
tured, are dispatched to Portsmouth and
Dover. the former the principal naval sta
ton of England, with fortified harbor
that will float the whole of the English
navy. and the latter the chief port of COM
munication between England and the con-
tinent. The government intends, it is an
nounced, to have these we'll supplied with
torpedo boats and with torpedo destroyers.
HAMMoND's CASE
LONDON, Jan. 14.-Mr. Wiltze and other
friends of John Hays Hammond, the Amer
lean mining engineer, and member of the
reform committee at Johannesburg, under
arrest there on charge of high treason,
called upon the United States embassy to-
day. Wiltze had a long interview with
United State Ambassador Thomas +. Bay
ard. 1t is understood Wiltze declared that
the United States was inadequateiy repre-
sented in Transvaal, and urged another
appointment.
Secretary Olney's asking the govern
ment OF Great Britain to provide for the
protection of Americans in Transvaal were
communicated yesterday to the secretary
OF state for the colonies, Joseph Chamber
lain, who Immediately said: "We shall
be very glad to use our good offices in be-
half of the United States.'' Shortly after
wards brief formal note was received by
Bayard, in which Chamberlain in most
kindly terms repeated the assurance that
Great Britain will do whatever is possible
to protect Americans in Transvaal. 1t is
learned that official communications have
been sent to the United States embassy to-
day indicating much better state of af-
fairs regarding Venezuela.
The Belgian government, in addition to
the United States government, has asked
Great Britain to watch the interests of its
citizens in the Transvaal. In consequence
of these representations, Colonial secre-
tary Chamberlain has wired to the gover-
nor of Cape Colony, Sir Hercules Robinson,
expressing apprehensions that the numer-
GUS arrests made will disorgauize the Rand
Industries, inquiring what the prisoners are
accused of, whether bail will be allowed,
and what are the penalties for the mis-
deeds with which they are accused.
RHODES DISPATCH
The New York correspondent Of the
Times speaking of the improved relations
between Great Britain and the United
States says:
Cecil Rhones' dispatch to the World will
also have good effect Americans have
pretty generally assumed heretofore that
all the facts and arguments were on the
side of the Beers and that Jameson's raid
was nothing more than reckless attempt
10 upset the Boer republic and annex its