The times., 1899-07-09


Defeat a Good African Bargain
London, July s.-The Salisbury Govern
ment is strengthening its position by its
foreign policy, while it weakens It by its
home policy. Its latest effort in this di-
rection is the tithe rent-charge bill. The
Fashoda incident, the Anglo Russian. and
Anglo German agreement. and the present
South African policy have given prestige
to the Government, but the money given
to land owners by the agricultural rating
act, and now the new bill by which
s435. 5.OO0 contributed by the taxpayers, is
taken from the public and given to the
clergy, undo the work done elsewhere,
ALLEVIATE the Liberal Unonists, and may
capsize the Government.
Already in the bye-election at Oldham
the Government has lost two seats mainly
owing to its continued giving or doles to
favored Tory parties. Winston Churchill,
one of the defeated candidates, made a
good impression and will win a seat else
where.
The Governments buying out of the
q
good bargain and good policy. The COM
pany has paid an average annual dividend
of 6 1-2 per cent, has added an immense
territory to the Empire, and has displayed
administrative diplomatic, and military
ability Of the highest order, free from all
suspicion of stockjobbing. 1t has rem
dered good service to the natives by re-
stricting the liquor traffic and refusing to
recognize slavery. 1t has talked less than
any corporate body in the Empire. and IL
the Colonial Office does as well it will have
to be congratulated.
Sir Michael Hicks Beach. the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, and Mr. Chamberlain
decided on an all-British cable in agree
| ment with Canada and Australasia A good
deal OF plain speaking rather ruffied the
monopolists, whose concealed profits and
| constant break-downs at critical juno
lures. although heavily subsidized, have
long been crying scandal.
The centenary of the last review of the
volunteers by King George ILL., in Hyde
Park, was celebrated today. Twenty
seven thousand men were on parade before
the Prince of Wales and Duke of Con-
naught. Perhaps this induced Lord
| Wemyss to introduce his bill in the House
| of Lords simplifying the ballot for the
| militia. The militia service is regarded a.
| voluntary, but legally Is matter of bal
| lot. The revival of the, old law suggested
would be the first step towards conscrip
| tion. The first reading only occurred last
| night. A return to the subject will be
| watched with interest. N The Liberals re-
gard the measure as premature. and also
are disposed to make capital out of the
shelving of the factory bill, a measure
| introduced to further protect workmen en-
gagged in dangerous trades. which has been
crowded out to make room for such par
tisan measure as the. tithes bill. 1t means
| further loss of Government votes.
The French drama Is followed with In
tense interest. With General Zurlinden,
the last of the old, 1Eang" goes. The
Dreyfus court-martial now stands the best
chance of being conducted regularly. Com
| petent judges see more danger in Paul
| Deroulede than in anything else. They
consider that he IS far from being merely
homicidai maniac and revolutionary, and
! think that he is playing a deeper game.
| There is no doubt that the continued stress
in the democratic choice OF a President in
spired him with the Belief that he himself
would be the choice Of a p.ebiscite. Strong
measures will be needed to suppress De-
roulede. No stake is too high for the game
which this man is playing.
The Car is disappointed over the poor
result of the Peace Conference, and it is
stated that the position OF Count Mura-
vieff has been severely shaken by its com
paratiye failure. Hopes, however, are still
entertained that an arbitration scheme
substantially identical with Sir Julian
| Pauncefote's, will be ultimately accepted
| by Germany.
| Some see in the Kaiser's visit to the
French training ship sop to Russia.
| Others consider that il payes the way for
| his visit TO the Paris Exhibition. Really
| 1t was the result of an impulse, one OF
many by which the Kaiser has aided Ger
man diplomacy, which, coinciding with the
| Dreyfus trial. takes the edge off the Kais-
er's denials of any connection with the
| prisoner.
| The visit of Archbishop Ireland to this
country is attracting notice. He is well
coined as a representative Christian stall
wart by all sects, who applaud his courage
| in dealing with Rome. The hope is ex-
pressed that he will persist in his efforts
to bring Rome into touch with the spirit
of the age despite all opposition.
The opera season is drawing TO 4 close
Puccini's "Boheme" was a great success,
mainly owing TO Nine. Melba, to whom the
| production was due. Her Mimi won unan-
imous applause. De Lara's "Messaline,"
next Thursday. will be the last novelty of
| the season. which has been one of the most
successful on record financially and artls-
tically
I Sarah Bernhardt has arranged to play
'Prelleas ct Melisande" on her next Lon
don visit
THE Gay Lord Quex" and "Robespierre'
are running to crowded houses, otherwise
| the theatres are doing little owing to the
heat.
The Author has published long letter
from Rudyard Kipling in relation to his
| difficulty with American publishers. He
| concludes his case thus: They have made
me responsible before public TO whom
do peculiarly owe my best and most honest
work for an egregious padded fake. and all
| these things they did. taking advantage Of
that public's interest in my illness when
lay at the point of death l do not see how
l can permit their action to pass without
challenge"
The price of Punch is to be raised to
six-pence, and its literary features are TO
have more scope. ,,,4
DR.. Lambert LACK Surgeon of the
Throat Hospital, has made an important
discovery in reference TO cancer. working
entirely on original lines. in opposition to
the germ theory. His experiments prove
the theory that cancer is always due to a
particular injury to what is known as the
basement membrane mucous membrane
and allied structurasss In this way he has
n produced cancer In some lower animals
His Investigations and 1results have been
examined by select committee of the
Pathological Society land declared prac-
tically conclusive. g., ri
Christie has just, sold a dejeuner service
of Napoleon I, which he always used in
his campaigns. TIE Service. which is oi
silver gilt. with classical ornaments, busts
and pedestals, has a. total weight of 32(