The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-17
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RHODES TELLS OF THE RAID.
JAMESON ON THE TRANsVAAL
FRONTIER ny HIS ORDERS.

The Invasion of the Boer Territory,
However, without His Authority.
jameson Under Orders TO Act
should Certain Events Arise in n
Movement Designed to obtain For
the UItInnders Their Constitutional
RIghts-OverthrOw of the Bocr
Government Not His object, lie
Says.
London. Feb. 16.-The parliamentary
committee recently appointed by the
House of Commons to inquire into the
causes and circumstances Of the troubles
in the Transvaal began its sittings to-.
day. The committee room was crowded
with privileged persons, among whom was
the Prince OF Wales, who showed great
interest in the proceedings.
Cecil Rhodes, formerly prime minister
Of the Cape Colony and the active direc-
tor of the British South African Company.
was sworn, and took the stand as the first
witness examined
MIR. Rhodes made a long statement, de-
falling the occurrences in British South
Africa and the Transvaal prior to the
raid, led by Dr. Jameson into the Boer
territory, and dwelt at some length upon
the general feeling of discomfort which
had arisen as a consequence of the COR
rupt management of the Transvaal gov
ernment and its refusal to c9ncede the
rights of the Uitanders. He was In sym
pathy with the Uitlanders in their griev-
ances and " assist a movement designed
to obtain for them their constitutional
rights he had placed on the TransvaaI
frontier, under the orders of DIR. jane
son, so q force force Of troops. with instructions
Rhodes admitted that he had not COM
municated to the directors OF the char
tered company a notice of all his actions,
which, however. were made iE perfect
good faith and under the influence of his
belief that 1t was the intention of tho
Transvaal government TO introduce into
the Boer republic the influence of a for
eign power.
AZ this point Sir william Harcourt In
terrupted Mr.. Rhodes and asked: WAS
your object 20 overthrow the Transvaal
government
Mr.. Rhodes replied that the overthrow
OF the government was not his object,
but merely to bring about a change. He
admitted the probability of his having
done wrong in placing DIR. Jameson with
his men on the frontier, but DR.. Jame-
sons invasion of the Transvaal, he was
responsible for as Dr. Jameson had gone
into the Boer territory without his
Witness was asked whether he had in
formed the British high commissioners in
South Africa, Sir Hercules Robinson (now
Lord Rosmcad) of his designs, and re-
Sir William Harcourt asked why he had
not informed the British high commis-
sioner, and Mr.. Rhodes answered: You
had better get the answer to that question
from Lord ROsmead"
Mr.. Rhodes would not say that the
measures he had taken had brought about
the revolution In the Transvaal. He ad-
mitted however that he had supplied
some OF the funds used I'm preparing and
carrying out DR.. Jamesons raids, but he
could not say who supplied the rest He
denied that he had pressed the Johannes
burgers into acts OF nsurrection. What
pressure there may have been was not
from the outside, but from within. 1t was
impossible he said, that the present state
of things In johannesburg and other
parts of the Transvaal should continue.
The people would not cease their agitation
until they obtained their civil rights.
The examination Of Mr.. Rhodes occupied
the entire sitting and the committee adj
journed until Friday.