The record-union., 1897-07-14
No Justification for the Action Taken by
Cecil Rhodes.
Utilized His Position and the
Great Interests He Controlled
to Assist and Support a Revo-
luton, and Not Only Deceived
the High Commissioner, but
Concealed His Views From the
Members of the Colonial Min
istry.

LONDON, July 13.-The Parliamen-
tartan South African Commission that
has been inquiring into the TransvaaI
raid has agreed upon its report The
Pail Mall Gazette will publish to-
morrow a summary of the conclusion
of the committee.
The report will express an emphatic
opinion that, whatever Justification
there might have been for action on the
part of the people of johannesburg.
there was none whatever for Cecil
Rhodes conduct in Substituting, or
ganizing and stimulating an armed .in-
surrection against the Government of
the Transvaal.
A heavy responsibility, according to-
the report remains with Rhodes, de-
spite the fact that at the last moment
DIR. Jameson invaded the TransvaaI
without Rhodes direct sanction.
The gravity of Rhodes transaction is
weightily expressed by the committee
who find that he seriously embar-
ralssed both the Imperial and Colonial
Governments; that the proceedings re-
suited in an astonishing breach of in
ternational comfy; that he utilized his
position and the great interests he con-
trolled to assist and support revolution
and deceived the High Commissioner,
.as we'll as concealed his views from the
members of the Colonial Ministry and
directors of the chartered company.
The cornmit ttee is of the opinion that
of the chartered company directors
who were examined, only Mr.. Belt and
Mr. Mcguire We're cOgniZant of the
plans of Rhodes, and as Belt was in
trusted with the money to promote
revolutionary movement, he must share
the full responsibility for the conse-
quences.
The report adds that Newton also
failed in his duty. but in a less degree.
The committee, in conclusion, unite
to condemn the raid, but at the same
time they express the opinion that noth-
ing Will be gained by proceeding with
the proposed extension of inquiry into
the administration of the chartered
company.
They declared Lord Rosemeade and
Mr.. Chamberlain and the Under Secre-
taries of the Colonial Office blameless,
ON the ground that there is no eVI-
dence that any of them was in any
sense cognizant of the plans for the
raid, but they pronounced Sir era
ham Bower, Imperial Secretary of the
High Commissioner, guilty of a grave
dereliction of duty, in that he failed
to decline to receive from Cecil Rhodes
confidential communications wholly i'm
compatible with the duty he owed as
High Commissioner.
A voluminous minority report, pre-
sented by Mr.. Labouchere, finds that
the plan for the raid was concocted by
Belt and Rhodes, and sought to be
carried out through Phillips, Ham
mond. Colonel Rhodes (Cech Rhodes
brothel) and Leonard. 1t was devised,
according to Mr. Labouchere, in order
that certain wealthy men might become
more wealthy Rhodes" continues his
report, may possibly have been in
f1uenced to a certain. extent Dy
vague and hazy idea of a vast African
federation under the British flag, in
which he would play the leading part,
hut he was also Influenced and is IN
fiuenced by financial considerations.
Mr.. I,abouchere does not consider that
certain high personages in the Board of
Directors of the chartered company did
their duty, while he hints that Rhodes
and Belt merit severe punishment Tor
a raid which is "one of the most dis
graceful episodes of our country's his
tory
The minority report concludes as
follows: I'VE regret that the alleged
completely of the Colonial Office has not
been probed to the bottom, in order the
more effectualy to remove any 1oea
that there may have been some PROOF
in the statements of certain witnesses
that the secret aims of Cecil Rhodes
were more or less clearly revealed to
Joseph Chamberlain"