The times., 1897-05-30
THE TRANSVAAL RAID.
Prince of Wales Said 20 Have Had
Previous knowledge of II.

London, May 29.-Much speculation has
been INDUCED in as to who was going
TO get bit hardest in the Parliamentary
investigation of the British South Africa
Company. 1t was thought for long time
time that Colonial Secretary Chamberlain
had previous knowledge OF the intention
of DR.. jameson TO conduct the raid into
the Transvaal, and that the Investigation
would ruin him politically 1t appears
now, boweveT, that a parsonage much
higher than Mfr. Chamberlain has reason
to desire that the full story OF the
Transvaal trouble shall not be made
public.
The Prince OF Wales was at one time a
large holder OF the company shares, which
he subsequently sold. 1t is said that cable
dispatches are in existence that passed be-
tween Cecil Rhodes and what is known as
the Rhodes group in London, showing that
the prince knew that the raid was to be
made and that he made no attempt TO stop
this violation Of the territory of friendly
state. Had the raid been successful and
the TransVaal annexed, the shares of the
company would have Increased largely in
value.
At the time Mr.. Chamberlain was most
violent in his threats of what he would
do to the company because of the raid,
an agent of Rhodes went to him and
showed him the dispatches referred to,
saying:
III you destroy our charter these dis
patches shall become public and yon will
never be prime minister OF England If
you come to terms with us, the princes
name need never appear. The prince will
owe you a debt OF gratitude" The ques-
ton of abIogating the charter of the COM
paGy was Immediately thereafter deferred
until the end Of the investigation, which
may drag on for a year or two.
The value of court circulars i'll conveying
information to the public is shown by the
fact that last week the official court
chronicler at Brussels gave out the usual
information regarding the movements OF
King Leopold, who was said to have taken
his breakfast at such an hour, walked in
the park, etc, when, as matter of fact,
his majesty was in London. enjoying him
self in his own peculiar way.
The King is the most unconventional of
mOnarchs, and enjoys a joke as well as
those not born to his high estate. He
played joke on the Queen last week which
gave her quite shock. She made an Of
fetal visit TO Sheffield and was more than
surprised to see King Leopold who she
thought was miles away. standing in the
front line of the crowdof enthusiastic York
shire men who welcomed her to the city.
On Sunday he visited her at Balmoral,
travelling there as an ordinary passenger.
He thea went to Glasgow, where his yacht
was lying, and sailed for some unknown
destination
The bishop of Wakefield has written a
diamond jubilee hymn, entitled 20, King
of Kings,'' which will be Included here
after In the hymnal OF the Church of Eng
land The music is by Sir Arthur Sui
livan One of the four verses is:
oh, royal heart. with wide embrace,
For all her children yearning;
oh, happy realm, such mothers grace,
With loyal love returning.
Where Eneland's flag flies. wide unfurled,
All tyrant wrongs repelling,
God made the world better world
For mans brief earthly dwelling.
The attitude of the Irish Nationalists.
who have decided that they viii take
no part in the jubilee celebration, is
causing much irritation among the
Unionists and others Some OF the Irish
members Of the House Of Comons ap-
piled for seats from which to see the
jubilee procession, and this fact was
pointed out as an evidence OF their In
consistency. 1t transpires, however, that
they asked for the seats in order TO turn
them over to Unionist members, who
wished to get more places than they were
entitled to-