The times., 1899-08-13
LONDON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
The TransvnaI Situation n Topic of
Much interest

Much Interest,
London, Aug. 12.-Parliament has risen
with the echo in its ears OF something very
like an informal ultimatum TO President
Kruger from the British Minister respon-
sibie for colonial affairs. Cannot be toll
Grated" is the phrase which Mr.. Chamber
| lain applied on Tuesday to the Boer pro-
ceedings, and while confirming the reports
of military re-enforeements to the Cape.
he added: I'VE have said we have put our
hand to the plow and will not draw back"
Yet many persons do not move from
the belief that peace will be main
tanned Mr. Chamberlain is, after all,
only Mr. Chamberlain, one Minister,
with a way of the somewhat bellicose
bagman about him. Behind him and
in front of him is the Cabinet, and the
Cabinet does not mean to have war in
South Africa or anywhere else if it can
possibly help it.
Indeed, the outlook at the present mo-
ment is fairly hopeful President Kruger
is thinking long before finally closing the
door upon Sir Alfred Miners proposal to
meet the Outlander grievances by an
fuse MIR. Chamberlain.s proposed joint en-
quiry into the effect of the new franchise
law, but there are some who believe that,
while doing so in dread of seeming TO as
sent to British suZerainty, he will accept
Sir Alfred Miners irreducible minimum,
that is, five years franchise qualification,
and so close the whole dispute.
Biblical texts seem to play no small part
in South African politics. Every one re-
members the famous text of the telegram of
Cecil Rhodes to DIR. Jameson, and this week
President Kruger has set English newspa-
per readers puzzling over his injunction TO
the Volksraad to read thoroughly Psalm
cxix, verse 81.
Turn away mine eyes from beholding
vanity and quicken thou me in thy way
"A hopeful sign declare the Milnerites.
mo more dilatory tactics"
mot bit of it., retorted the Laboucher-
ians. THE text Mr.. Kruger really meant
to emphasize is that psalm xix, verses
and 10)
50 The judgments of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether; more to be de-
sired are they than gold; yea, than much
fine gold "
The moral from the Boer point of view
is obvious.
Every day increases the contempt and
disgust with which Engiishmen are watch
comedy of Rennes. Their ideas OF Justice,
and especially their assumption OF an ac-
cused mans innocence until proved guilty,
are revolted by the spectacle OF this long
drawn-ou torture of one against whom no
little of evidence is even now produced ana
whose detention could alone be justified by
suspicion OF compiling the bordereau
which 1t is now accepted that Esterhazy
wrote The disclosure of the Times" that
the German military attaehe, Colonel
Schwarzkoppen. was the recipient not alone
of the bordereau, but of 160 stolen French
official documents, including the French
general plan of mobilization throws lurid
light upon the inner rottenness OF Euro
pean diplomacy and the shaky foundation
upon which its stupendous armaments are
based
Further interesting details have been re-
ceived Of Major Wellby's journey from
Southern Abyssinia by Lake Rudolf to So
bat and Omdurman. Wellby is now on his
way home. He corrects the public notion
that the Khalifa's former capital Is sort
of eesspool and declares that it is clean,
healthy place, and gives the greatest credit
to Anglo Egyptian officers who have eff
fected the transformation
After leaving settled Southern Abyssinia,
WeIIby's first object was to decide the vexed
question as TO the course of the ONO, which
he is quite satisfied is great river, flowing
into the northern end OF Lake Rudolf. After
reaching the lake he found, as did DR.. Don
aldson Smith that the country TO the east
OF the lake is entirely devoid Of water.
More than half of his animals died OF gian-
ders, so. on reaching the southern end OF the
lake, he struck eastward past the Telekis
volcano for miles, and then turned north
ward about midway between Lake Rudolf
and the Nile, through a fine country, we'll
timbered full OF game. It consists OF
succession of watered valleys, ranges OF
hills running north and south. One river,
called the Ruzzi, runs a long way south
into river marked Juba on the maps,
which is itself branch OF the Sobst-
At the junction Of the Juba and Sobat
Major Wellby came into contact with an
Anglo Egyptian force, post having been
established at Nasr. Wellby had with him
nine Somalis, five Sudanese, and thirty
Habessas-
Literary circles are not little fluttered
this week by the decision of Mr.. Justice
North that speaker, in this case Lord
Rosebery, has no right of property in his
own speech. In this case John Lane pub
lished, with Lord Rosebery's cooperation.
a volume of Lord Rosebery's speeches. The
text of some of them was taken from the
Times newspaper. The courts have for
hidden Lane to sell any further copies OF
the book, on the ground that its publica-
tion infringes the copyright of the Times"
reporter whose copyright was vested in
the Times proprietors. One deduction
is that the reported speech OF, say, Mr..
Meredith or Mr.. Kipling, however valuable
in reprinted form, belongs to the man
who undertakes the more or less mechan-
ical business of reporting 1t. One proposal
is that the difficulty be met by giving to
reports of speeches a copyright termina-
BILE within a certain number OF hours or
days, or by providing that a copyright ac-
CURED by reporting shall not be valid as
against the speaker himself or his au-
thoriZed publishers.
Those Industrious persons who busy
themselves with the assumption of other
persons change OF faith concocted this
week an elaborate tale that Mr.. Gladstone
died in the faith of Rome. The tale will
probably cross the Atlantic, and it may be
well, therefore, to state. on the authority
of the Rev. Stephen Gladstone, rector of
Hawarden, that Mr.. Gladstone died In his
.'unswerving and lifelong loyalty to the
Church of England" Circumstantial ac-
counts of the altar, crucifix, ETC., In the
death room are pure fiction. The opening
sentence of Mr.. Gladstone's will might
have made these sensation -mongers pause.
Mr.. Nansen is still engaged at his eoun-
try estate in his native land on his large
scientific work ON Polar exploration. He
probably will not undertake another north
Polar expedition, but is much interested In
south Polar exploration. Not impossibly
his next venture will be there. One sug-
gestion is that he should command Brit
ish expedition to the South Pole.
Rudyard Kipling is spending the summer
with his wife and little daughter deep in
the most secluded region of the Scottish
Highlands, namely Creieh Manse. which