The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-10-20
LEADER BALFOUR REPLIES
Answers Query Regarding AIIeg-
ed REASONABLE UtteranceS.
SYMPATHY EXPRESSED FOR BOERs
Redmond Others Said to Have
Made y : .sml speeches-Critics
Acc y of Being Neither
8 sSst Nor Honorable
%

were ly crowded today in the house
of con- N-ls in anticipation of a speech by
the secretary of state for the colonies,
Joseph Chamberlain, on the governments
policy in South Africa.
The first lord of the treasury and gov
ernment leader Arthur j. Balfour, prom-
ised to answer tomorrow question wheth-
er the government had decided upon
specific course of action with reference to
the recommendations of the international
committee respecting the future arrange-
ment of Samoa.
Mr.. Balfour, in reply to Interpolation
as to whether the governor of Cape Colony,
Sir Alfred Miner, would be allowed to dis
cuss the Schreiner ministry, to dissolve the
Cape legislature and temporarily to assume
full authority, said:
This question is apparently founded up
on newspaper reports for which, so far as
the imperial government is aware, there Is
no foundation"
Mr. Balfour announced that the present
sitting of parliament would be regarded as
a complete session, to be terminated by
propagation, and not adjourned until Feb.
ruary. i
Henry Seaton Carr, conservative, in ac-
cordance with notice given yesterday, ask
ed the first lord of the treasury whether
the government had directed to certain
speeches and letters by and emanatins
from the members of the Kilkenny and
East Claire, Messrs. Patrick O'Brden and
William Redmond, Parnellites, advocating
the cause of the Beers, attempting to sea
duce British soldiers and melting them ac4
lively to assist the enemies of the queen,
and what action, If any, the government
proposed ito take in the matter. Mr. Red
mond rose quickly and said that before the
first lord of the treasury replied he desired
to ask him whether it were not fact THAT
he (Mr. Redmond in suggesting a message
of sympathy to President Kruger, had only
followed the precedent set by Her Majes-
tvs grandson, the German emperor. loud
laughter)
Mr.. Balfour replied folows:
II was not aware that the honorable
member for East Claire framed himself
upon such an august model Laughter) l
may point out among the differences be-
tween himself and the emperor of Germany
that his Imperial Majesty is not Britisher
nor a member of this house.
have reason to doubt the accuracy of
the statements contained in theA question.
So far as my memory serves, support of a
similar character has invariably been of1
fered by the same quarters to those en-
gagged in hostilities with her majesty's gov
ernment quite irrespective of race creed
| or the theater of hostilities. L have no
| ground for thinking that such support was
ever regarded as important by those to
| whom it was proffered, and advise the
| house to take the same view now" (PealS
of laughtero
Mr. Chamberlain who was loudly cheer
ed on rising, began with a severe criticism
of the action of the opposition at the pre-
vious meeting of parliament Their states
ments he said, were calculated to encour-
age President Kruger's resistance and TO
embarrass the government In most dliIl-
cult and most critical functions.
Referring to Mr.. Stanhope's demond yess
terday for the production of his (Mr. Cnam-
berlain's) letters to Mr.. Hawksly, he SAID
he would gladly produce this If Sir William
Vernon Harcourt and John Morley, who
were members of the South African com-
mittee demanded 1t.
Mr.. Stanhopes criticism he characterized
as neither honest nor honorable.
The speaker, Mr.. William Court Gulley,
interviewed, saying that the language of the
colonial secretary was beyond parliamens
tary bounds" -
Mr.. Chamberlain retorted that it was i'm"
possible to adequately describe Mr. STAN
hcpe's accusation that he lMr. Chamber
lain and Sir Alfred Miner had fomented
war Dealing with the criticisms made
upon the South African League, he said
ne could not claim acquaintance with
single member of 1t. The league was one
of the poorese pecuniariy, but at the same
time the most representative organization
ever established.
With regard to the allegations respecting
his own associations with Cecil Rhodes, he
declared that from the time of the Jame-
son raid he had had no communication,
either direct or indirect, with Mr.. Rhodes
on any subject connected with the South
African policy. He had seen that gentle-
man with reference to the Cape to Cairo
railway project and with reference to
Rhodesia, but the conversations had never
touched upon the subjects now under dis
cussion and he would remind the house
that Mr.. Rhodes, although a millionaire
had gone to face danger at Kimberley.
CCheers).
Mr.. Chamberlain then proceeded to dis
cuss the question of racial animosity, deny
ing that this feeling, which, he said, was
based in South Africa on contempt would
be increased by hostilit4. He declared
that racial animosity had not been created
by anything the present government had
done, but that 1t existed before her ma
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