The Portland daily press., 1899-10-20


"Onr countrymsn have seen a magnin-
cent demonstration, not only o. loyalty,
but Of sympathy with the objects Of the
government on the parb Of TIE colonies.
have Dsen Rs anxious for peace as any
man, hut the governments hold that there
are considerations which ara even more
important than peace; and one of these
Is the maintsnarce Of equality between
the white races In South Africa. In their
endeavor to maint,in peace, the govern
ment have shown endless patience. 1t
was President Kruger who settled the
issue. He appealed to the God OF bat.
ties. II may do SO with reverence say
We accept that appeal, believing our quar-
rel just
MIR. Chamberlain, who had spoken two
hours and three-quarters. resumed his
seat amid loud and prolonged cheering.
Sir Edward Clarke, Conservative, said
that the more he had read the oorIeipon-
dencs the more convinced he had been
of plumbers In the negotiations and that
this lamsntahle war was unnecessary.
For any minister to assert that "Who
since 1884 have had suzerainty over the
Transvaal," Sir Edward declared was
certainly at variance with the facts and
breach of national faith. President
Kruger bad had much difficulty with his
volksraad and on many occasions had
shown himself moderate and an adyc-
cate OF peace. There was no ressSn why
the conditions which President Kruger
ATTACKED to the franchise proposals
should not have bean accepted, seeing
that suzerainty was dropped in 1884.
Did MIR. Cham berlsin, Sir Edward
asked, think his reply to this Transvaal
Of September SIN conciliatory.
Mr. Cham Enthusiastically"
Sir Edward Clarke--'Then think this
amendment proved to the hlls." (Radi-
cal oheers.)
brief discussion between MIR. Cham
berlain and Sir Edward ensuet respecting
the Interpretation that should he placsu
upon Mr.. Chamherlain's reply; the
colonial secretary maintaining that the
tenor of the reply was conciliatory, say
ing; "We could not accept all of Presi-
dent Kruger conditions, though we ao-
cepted Dine-tenths.
Sir Edward rejoined that Mr.. Cham
berlain's remarks made the matter more
and more sad. II this sort of thing had
been going on, the war was a crime
against civilization. 1t was very unfort-
innate that Parliament was not sitting
the first week in September, or the seven
year franchise would have been accepted
and there would have bfe1 no war.
MIR. Chamberlain's conduct of the cor
respondenoe, he characterized as most
clumsy. He had given 30 years. unswery-
ing support to his party, but, theirs was.
Sir edward continued, a deeper and truer
loyalty 10 party than biindly going with
IL In a division and In the lobby and
some day his friends would acquit him
OF disloyalty In having striyen to prevent
his country from suffering calamity
and his party from suffering reproach
for having embarked ON an unnecessary
war. Opposition cheers.)
Mr.. John Morley, Liberal, on rising TO
speak. was greeted with loud cheers by
the opposition. He said:
A very material change has come over
the spirit of the discussion since the brill
liant, eloquent, forcihle and unanswer-
able speech Of Sir Edward Clark, and
1t now seems rs II ws.are going to war,
not for the franchise, but for suaerainty,
Under the name of paramountcy we ara
going to impose upon the Transvsal obli-
cations which the government would not
for the life of them dars impose on any
self-governing colony.
Mr.. Cham berlain interposed: ssIf we
could imagine su6h a case ms a self-gov-
erning colony imposing upon q majority
of Its Inhabitants. such conditions as the
Beers imposed upon British subjsots,
we should interfere or ont the connec-
tion.''
Mr.. Morally oontended that in New
Foundland was a remarkable osss of
alienation of territory In favor of an In
diyidual, hut though that correspondent to
the position of affairs in the Transayal,
MIR. Chamberlain refused to interfere
MIR. Chamberlain said the cases were In
no way comparable.
A division was taken upon Mr.. STAN
hopes amendment to the address, disap-
proving the conduct of the negotiations
with the Transvaal and the amendment
was rejected by vote OF s6s to 1856. The
announcement of the vote was grestso
with loud opposition and Irish cheers.
The address was then unanimously
adopted.
The minority included Mr.. Merely. Sir
William Vernon Harcourt, MIR. Courtney,
MIR. Thomas Burt Sir James Thomas
Woodhouse, Sir Robert Threshis Reid.