The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-28
KRUGER NOT TO VISIT LONDON.
THE BRITISH INVITATION TO BE
WITHDRAWN.


The Action the Result of the BOer
Presidents Diplomatic NOte-He
Claims 1t is OF Great Importance
That He should BE Present at the
Session of the VOII<sraad-Sir Will
lam Harcourt Calls Up the Vene-
zueIhn Matter.
London, April 27.-In the House of Com
mons to-day Joseph Chamberlain, secre-
tary Of state for the colonies, in reply to
questions on the subject stated that the
government had received by telegraph
the substance Of President Kruger's re-
ply to the governments invitation to visit
London to discuss Transvaal affairs. The
reply, he said, was long and could not
be fairly appreciated without referring
to the dispatch in extenso and to the pre-
ceding correspondence.
president Kruger, in the course Of his
reply to the British invitation to come to
England" continued Mr.. Chamberlain.
said that he felt confident that the En-
glish government would recognize the
difficulty of his position and that it ap-
peared to him to be a wise course not to
press the question Of his proceedings to
England any further at present, but to
leave the matter open, more especially
in view of the approach of the opening Of
the session of the volksraad, which it
was desirable that he should attend as
measures of great Importance were to be
considered. 1t was his confident hope
that by the exercise of patience and tact
on both sides a peaceful and satisfactory
solution of the questions at the issue could
be obtained"
Under the circumstances, Mr.. Chamber
lain added. the government reluctantly
withdrew their Invitation to President
Kruger and had cabled to Sir Hercules
Robinson, governor of the Cape Colony
instructing that as soon as Sir Graham
Bower, the imperial secretary at Cape
Town. should arrive there on his return
from England, he being now on the way
he (Robinson) should come to England
and receive instructions which would
guide him in the pursuit of future nego-
tiatiOns.
Mr. Chamberlain announced that the
whole correspondence would shortly be
published.
Sir William Harcourt, in accordance
with a notice given by him on April o.
asked the government what. if any, ar
rangements had been made to conclude
by arbitration a settlement of the differ
ences between the United States and
Great Britain in regard to Venezuela.
A. ]. Balfour, first lord of the treasury
said that the latest communications on
the subject which had been received from
the United States on Friday were now
the question of arbitration and the Ven
ezuelan dispute. To give further infor-
nation in the matter, he concluded, would
at the present time be ineXpedient.
Nj. Labouchere asked what amount of
cash belonged to the chartered South
African Company, and would the gov
ernment obtain security that the cash
would remain available to repay the gov
ernment for its outlay in defraying the
expense involved in suppressing the Mat
abele revolt.
Air Chamberlain replied that the compa-
ny had f5J0,0O0 cash. The government, he
added, did not propose to take the course
which Mr.. Laboucheres questions sug
gested, the chartered company having paid
the expenses Of cOntending against the re-
volt as they had been incurred.
Mr. Curzon. under foreign secretary,
said that the Russian ambassador had in
formed the government that the statement
made in the press that a secret treaty had
been concluded between Russia and China,
whereby the latter ceded large tracts of
territory to Russia, was devoid of the
slightest foundation.
Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, chancellor of
the eXchequer, in reply TO a question said
that the government declined to alter the
would be granted on the life premiums of
American insurance companies doing bus
mess I'm the United Kingdom.
Mr.. Balfour moved that the govern
ment control the whole time of the House
for the remainder of the session.
A long debate took place on the motion
of Mr.. BalfOur, after which a vote was
taken and the motion was adopted-266 to
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