The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-05-14
SECRETARY CHAMBERLAIN EN-
PRESSED HIMSELF IN THE
HOUSE OF COMMONS.
GAME NEAR EULOG|Z|NG RHODES.
Secretary Said England Owed Much "a
Such Men rs Rhodes-A Pretoria
Paper Accuses Chamberlain of
Being in the Plot.

of interested people being due to the fact
that the vote ON the colonial estimates
was to be taken and that it was to be
made the occasion of an important eX-
change of questions and answers ON
South African affairs.
United States Ambassador Bayard was
among those present.
The Liberal leader, Sir William Yer
non Harcourt, asked the government to
make a statement regarding the trade in
the Transyaal. In so doing he said that
the opposition had heretofore unduly
pressed the government on this important
matter, but they thought the time had
| now arrived for the public to be Informed
| of the governments intention in the case.
The responsible directors of the British
Chartered South African company at
Cape Town and Johannesburg we're, he
said, the authors of the raid and DR..
Jameson was only their subordinate.
The government, the speaker claimed,
was responsible for the acts of the Char
| tered South African company before the
nation and the world. applause from
the opposition benchcs.)
| Continuing, Sir William Vernon Har-
court remarked that the partisans of the
company were trying to pass off on the
| credulity of the people that the raid was
an impulsive action to protect the people
of Johannesburg against outrage. But
he could not think of anything more re-
Voting than the low slang of the cipher
grams, which showed the true aspect of
the affair.
Sir William then proceeded to analyze
the kilograms exchanged between Cecil
Rhodes, Col. Rhodes, Rutherford Harris.
Alfred Bell, Lionel Philips DR.. jameson
and others, just previous to the invasion
of the territory of the South African re-
public.
Later the opposition leader culogized
the promptness, decision and courage of
the secretary of state for the colonies,
Mr.. Joseph Chamberlain, and dwelt upon
the course of the chartered company, de-
claring that it compromised Great Brit
AIMS reputation.
Sir William Vernon Harcourt also said
he did not believe Cecil Rhodes was actu-
ated by the desire of gain, but rather by
greed of power.
The speaker also remarked that he had
noticed with regret the deterioration of
the morals of the English press in dealing
with the subject.
Mr.. Chamberlain, replying to Sir Will |
liam Harcourt, said that while Cecil |
Rhodes recent actions are universally |
condemned, his past services must not be |
forgotten: but for Englishmen like |
Rhodes, English history would be much |
poorer and the British domnions would |
be much smaller. (Applause.)
Both the English and the Afrikanders |
of the Cape, continued Mr.. Chamberlain, |
thought Cecil Rhodes the greatest bcne- |
factor the colony had ever had. He was
powerless in future to do mischief, is not |
an armed man could be moved without |
the authority of the government officers,
and they were ready to give President
hruegcr any reasonable guarantee.
With the view of removing every
shadow of suspicion, the government had
refused to advise the Chartered company
relative to Mr.. Rhodes resignation But
in view of the disturbances in Rhodesia
and the impossbility of finding out the
opinion of the settlers, they thought it
fair that the directors should be given
time to consider the matter They
thought that Rhodes was in his proper
director or as Il shareholder and there
he was best alone with his mast.
After the judicial proceedings were
ended, the government, added Mr.. Cham
berlain, would review the situation in the
light of information obtained.
Mr. Chamberlain further said that the
government believed the proper course to
follow would be that joint committee
of both houses should inquire into the
whole situation including the admins
tration of the British Chartered South
Africa company. The policy of the gov
he explained, was to prevent alb
solutely the recurrence of the regrettable
proceedings, to continue by every legiti-
mate means the efforts to secure fair
and equal treatment for British subjects
in the Transvaal and to restore amity be-
tween the two races.
Mr.. Chamberlain further said that the
recent events had reopened the whole
of the great South African question. Sir
William Harcourt, he added, had dealt
with only one phase of the question. His
speech was a powerful Indictment. not
only of the chartered company, but of
the prisoners at Pretoria and the men
undergoing trial in England.
He (Mr. Chamberlain) could not relate
that part of the affair He said that
he believed there was but one feeling
in the house; namely, the sole abject to
get condemnation of the cryptogram
policy. They had indicated that this
could be obtained without further division.
But many interests We're at stake and
Developments were being anxiously and |
carefully watched by foreign nations.
Under these circumstances and in view
also of the situation of the prisoners at
Pretoria, there were many things which |
it was undesirable to mention ut present
and which might be settled in the future.
The speaker added: "The object of
our policy in South Africa is to preserve
our position as the paramount state and |
secondly to engender union and concert
between the two races there. The re-
cent raid has jeopardized the first and |
has delayed the second. The prospects
and happiness of South Africa are de-
pendent upon the realization of the same
state of things we attained in Canada. |
where two races, less closely allied than |
the English and the Dutch, work. fight |
and live side by side in perfect peace
and good WILL
Mr.. Chamberlain then proceeded to |
point out the Transvaal breaches of the |
treaty with England and said it was a |
case of suspicion on one side and there |
was cause for suspicion on the other |
side.
In conclusion Mr.. Chamberlain said il |
had been suggested that the government |
should have issued an ultmatum to Pres |
ident Kruger. But such an ultimatum |
would certainly have been rejected. |
which would have led to war. Of course,
he added, there might be contingencies |
IN which great power might have to |
face such an alternative. If some of |
these wild rumors attributing TO Pres
ident Kruger designs to break the Lon
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