The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-30
ANNUAL BUDGET SPEECH.
THE GOVERNMENT ATTACKED FOR
THE WARLIkE TALK OF
HICkS-BEACH.
CHAMBERLAIN TART IN HIS REPLY
england Proposes That the Trans
VaaI Shall Keep to the Terms of
the London Convention.


Beach, read the budget statement in
the house of commons today The bal
anced account for 1S96-37 shows the rev.
enue to be f103, $4,000 and The exDendi-
lures f1O1, ATT 900, leaving a surplus oc /.
t2,473,OOO ($12, S65,00O). The chancellor.
who was heartily cheered, added that
the national debt had been reduced
f7,5S4,000 during the year, and that the
total value Of British trade iuring the
last financial year was f73S coo 900, an
increase of 5 per cent He dWelt upon
the increased prosperity shown by this,
more than by the beer drunk and The
tobacco consumed. The increase in the
income tax revenue exceeded the esti-
mate by nearly Is, 900. The chancel-
lor added that a careful estimate was
made in 1895, and that they Were bound
to make an equally careful one in 1897.
Especially because a war cloud has
just broken out, and no one is able to
say how long it will last or how far it
will extend"
The receipts from the income tax are
larger than ever before This being
jubilee year." the chancellor further
said, 1T is interesting to compare the
finances of 1867 with those Of last
year. Then the revenue was f52. 500, 900
and now it Is f1O3, 200, 600 Then IL per
cent Of the revenue was derived from
taxes on commodities; now only "A FER
cent Of the revenue is derived from
such taxes. Then the total OF foreign
trade was 25,000,000; now it is f73S,-
OOO,OOO. Our monarchy was never so
valuable to the country as now. We
were the best and cheapest monarchy
in the world in 1867, when 1t cost the
nation 1884, 900; now it costs the ration
tl85,OOO, 600. The total expenditures for
the current year are estimated at f101,-
1O4,OO and the revenue is estiml ted at
tlO3 100000 showing an apparent sur
plus of over 1850, 900, but In view Of
the Increase in the strength Ct foreign
navies, the government int IN Is t. add
a million to the naval estimates already
presented.
We had also to consider very care
fully our position as he paramount
power in South Africa, and decided to
make material increase in the i'm
perial garrison in that colony. These
measures were not tal;en in an agrees
sive spirit. We intend to fulfill our
obligations and expect Others to do the
same. For this purpose we want fcOl.-
600. The sum Of 1850, 900 viii be devoted
to postal and telegraph reforms. The
remainder Of the surplus will be de-
voted to education in Ireland and Scot
land, and for the entertainment of the
colonial and foreign guess during the
jubilee celebrations"
Sir William Harcourt accused Mr..
Chamberlain Of trying to arouse a war
feeling and Of using, In all his recent
statements "eXasperating language, cal.
culated to excite feelings Of radical
hatred in South Africa, which how
ever, thank God, have failed" Con-
tinuing, he said the policy Of the secre-
tary of state for the colonies, tending
to produce radical war; was defeated
by the good sense and feeling Of the
ICople Of Cape Colony, and lie pointed
TO the adoption Of the recent conciIia-
tory motion in the parliament of Cane
Colony as being a condemnation of
this war policy, adding that he was
happy to say the peaceful policy was
supported by the government Of Care
Colony.
The budget Of Sir Michael Hicks
Beach will probably prove popular.
Although there is no reduction in tax
alton, numerous postal reforms have =
been promised, reforms, long and
urgently needed, which will be a real
boon to the community. All such i'm
mediate interests. however, are COM
pletely overshadowed by the excited
debate on the South African situation.
Sir William HarcOurt's sudden and
vehement attack caused a tumult on
the Tory side of the house and tho
government front bench fell at once
into an animated colloquy. Mr. Bal
four sent to bring Mr.. Chamberlain
into the house, When the colonial Sec
rotary arrived he was furious and did
nothing to conceal his rage Sir Will
liam Harcourt was saying, as Mr..
Chamberlain entered the chamber, II
have said this was a war plot. | repeat
it in his presence, This was war plot;
a war plot that missed fire." Mr..
Chamberlain snatched up a piece Of
paper and Mr.. BaIfour and Mr. Gosch-
en-, first lord Of the admiralty, rapidly
told him what had passed. while he
made notes Of Harcourt's phrases The
excitement Of the house was maintain
ed at white heat with cheers and
counter cheers throughout both speech
es. Mr.. Balfour did his best to calm
matters and promised to give a day
for discussion Of the proposed grant
at the earliest possible date The
house then emptied into the lobby to
discuss the scene. -
The secretary Of state for the colonies,
Joseph Chamberlain, here entered the
house and amid cheers Sir William
Harcourt said: "In the presence Of ,
Mr.. Chamberlain. I repeat that it was
defeat Of an utterly unjustifiabIe at
tempt to excite i'll feeling"
Replying, Mr.. Cham berlain said: "The
question between US and the TransvaaI
Is not interference in the International
affairs of the Transvaal, nor an attack
on the London convention upon our
part, but breaches of the convention
upon the part Of the Transvaal and
we are calling upon them in friendly
terms to give US satisfaction"
Sir William Harcourt here inter-
rupted Mr.. Chamberlain by remark
ing: you are asking for f2OO, OOO."
What nonsense" exclaimed Mr..
Chamberlain, holly. I'VE ask for f2OO.-
900 when everybody knows the Trans
vaal is asking for a million and for
hundreds and hundreds and thousands.
The Transvaal has been arrning to an
extent absolutely unjustiiable by any
ordinary policy of defense"
PRETORIA, April 29.-The Transvaal