The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-26
CAPE CoLoNYS WAR CLOUDS
CHAMBERLAIN's POLICY A CONCIL-
IATORY ONE.


Reform Committee i'm COnsidera-
tiOn OF Their Pleading Guilty OF
High TreAsOn-The Pleas of Great
! Diplomatic Advantage to Presi-
! dent Kruger-The War in the Sou
! dan-InternaI Politics of the
United Kingdom.
| London, April 25.-Sir Graham John
| Bowfr, the imperial secretary at Cape
! Town, viii sail to-day on his return TO
| South Africa. He takes with him peaceful
| assurances from Mr. Chamberlain to the
/ local government. The agitation for the
dismissal of Sir Hercules Robinson, the
/ governor Of Cape Colony and British high
| commissioner to South Africa, has not the
support OF Mr.. Chamberlain. On the con-
trary, he concurs in Gov. Roblnson's eff
forts TO keep the Boer government sweet.
At the same time, Sir Graham Bower is
! instructed to announce that the imperial
government intends to increase the de-
fenses and add to the garrison at Cape
| Town. Maj. Gen. Sir Frederick Caring
ton, who was recently appointed to the
command Of the campaign against the
Matabeles, accompanies Sir Graham
Bower on the voyage to the Cape.
1t is understood that the pleas of guilty
|
johannesburg reform committee, who
were indicted at Pretoria for high treason
and Lese Majestic resulted from a secret
arrangement by which light sentences win
be imposed upon them. President Kruger
obtains double advantage from the ad-
mission that has been made by Col.
Rhodes one of the prisoners, who impli-
| Gates his brother, Cecil Rhodes, in the con-
spracy, and by his opportune display OF
clemency. 1t is reported here that the
Beers are certain to reap money advan-
tage through the plea Of the prisoners.
Advlces from Cape Colony are to the ef-
feet that it is the intention Of Mr.. Hof-
meyer, the Afrikander leader, to make
a motion in the legislature of Cape Col
Ony approving an offensive and defensive
alliance between the Orange Free State
and the Transvaal. He Will further de-
mand the withdrawal of the charter of the
| British South Africa Company. The
prospects of the British regime in South
Africa are not of the brightest.
Lord Conner, the British diplomatic
agent in Egypt, has been summoned to
London, in order to confer with Lord
| Salisbury, the Marquis of LansdOWne, sec
| retary of state for war; Gen. Lord Wolse
| ley, commander-in-chief of the British
army and Gen. Sir Redvers Butler, who
| VIII command the operations in the Sou
| dan. Until the conferences determine
the exact proportions otthe military oper-
| atlonS in the autumn, neither the foreign
or war office will take any measure for
an advance into the Soudan.
| The crisis in France gives the British
foreign office pause in the struggle with
| French and Russian diplomacy. The ex-
pedition remains stationary at Wady-
Halfa and Akesher. No press correspond
ents or other civilians are allowed to go
further south than Sarras
| The plant for the construction of rail-
way from Abu Fatmeh, 112 miles south
ward to Akasheh, forty miles from II, pom
is certain TO be some fighting before the
line is laid. The dervishes at Abu Fatmeh
| have been reinforced and are now esti-
] $40 these
$500 are armed with rifles. They are COM
manded by the Chief Emire Mohammed
Though George n. Curzon, parliament
| ary secretary of the foreign office, de-
clared in the House OF Commons Thurs
day that negotiations concerning Nene-
| zuela were still proceeding, 1t is fact
/ that "a delay has occurred. The cable
| dispatch to the Times alleging that they
| had been STONED altogether went too far
! The foreign office denies that 1t pro-
posed a cessation of the negotiations, and
| attributes the delay to unavoidable causes,
which inquiries indicate to be Lord Sails
bury's weakening health, combined with
a great pressure of work.
The government finds that the first Sc
rious detection in the ranks of its fol-
| lowers arises from the agricultural rates
bill introduced a few days ago in the
House of Commons, which measure pro-
vides for a radical change in the taxation
! on land. Besides a number of liberal
unionists, who have announced that they
will not support the bill, several con-
servative members, who represent urban
constituencies, are likely to vote with
the opposition. The minis sterialists say
| that the secessions will not exceed a
dozen. but the liberals expect that on this
bill the normal government majority will
| be reduced fully fifty votes.
The Irish nationalists will vote solidly
| against the measure. All this, however,
will not prevent the government from
securing majority when the Dill comes
| up on it's second reading Monday, but
the opposition to the proposals will COM
pei the government to accept amend
! hoe ha
mittee This will prove disappointing to
the tories, who hoped to have the bill
pushed through in the form IN which it
was originally introduced. Sir Henry
| Hartley Fowler liberal, some time presi-
dent of the local government board, and
| opposition by offering an amendment,
which will be tantamount to the reJec-
| ton of the bill.
tiee of an amendment that he will offer
| which will be more dangerous to the gov
ernment than that of Sir Henry Fowler,
for the reason that it will afford the un-
onists representing towns an excuse to
oppose the bill. Mr.. Whitey's amendment
will declare that it is desirable, before CIV
ing permanent relief to one class of prop
| erty to refer the whole question of rating
to royal commission
The Right Hon. Henry Chaplin, presi-
dent of the local government board, who
| introduced the measure. will try to coun-
teract this amendment by the transparent
| ly insncere promise that the question Of
I
| future.
The secession of the Healyites from the
| anti-Parnellites has now become definite.
The party whips have informed Mr.. Healy
| and his friends that they can no longer
attend the meeting of the followers Of Mr..
Dillon, and that they are a liberty to take
| independent action in every way. There
| will now be three Irish factions, each of
which will move separate amendments to
| all Irish questions. There will be no re-
| liable cooperation among themselves or
| with their liberal allies. The discord will
| assist the government in placing the Irish
land bin among the last of the important
/ measures of the session, the result Of
which will be the postponement Of the con-
sideration of the bin until 1897.
| Another important matter has suddenly
come 10 the front The proposal to abolish
the Irish viceroyalty in Ireland finds the
| Irish at loggerhead on the question. Since
Mr.. Davitt suggested during the debate on
the Irish estimates on April II that the
| viceroy and his household be abolished
and their salaries allotted TO the congested
! districts board, and the intimatiOn Of the
! chief secretary for ireland. Gerald Bal
four that the government was willing to
| consider the matter, several private con-
| ferences have been held between the Irish