The record-union., 1899-10-20

Saying IL SlT T1eIlTy OdllpDtl1-Bdnn6r-
| men or Sir William Vernon Harcourt
desired to see the letter he would pro-
duce it with the greatest pleasure, as
| they were honorable members and hon
orable men. (Cries of Order" and
'Withdraw')
| Mr.. Stanhope again leaped to his feet
and called upon the Speaker to inter
vent
The Speaker rejoined that he did not
think what the Colonial Secretary said
| imputed dishonorable conduct to the
member for Burnley.
| Dealing with the criticisms made up
| on the South African League, he said
| he could not claim acquaintance with a.
single member of it. The league was
one of the poorest pecuniarily, but at
the same time most representative DO
| litical organizations ever established
| With regard to the accusations re-
garding his associations with Cecil
| Rhodes, he said at the time of the
Jameson raid he had no communica-
| ton, either direct or indirect, with Mr.
Rhodes on any subject connected with
the South African policy. He had seen
that gentleman with reference to the
Cape to Cairo railway project, and With
reference to Rhodesia, but the CONVEX
sations had never touched upon the
subjects now under discussion and he
would remind the House that Mr.
Rhodes, although a millionaire, had
gone to face danger at Kimberly
! (Cheers)
| Passing to the general question of the
South African policy, Mr.. Chamberlain
/ said that in the light of recent events
and of the utterance of President
Kruger, he had come to the conclusion
that war had always been Inevitable,
although it was only of late that he
had himself most reluctantly reached
this view. He had hoped for peace and
striven to maintain it, and up to a re-
cent date he had believed that peace
was possible. He had always been de-
| ternined to secure justice for the
Britishers in South Africa, and to
maintain the paramountcy of Great
Britain, but with these things assured,
he assured peace. Whenever there had
been a doubt as to President Krugers
motives, the Government had always
given him the benefit of the doubt
Turning to the principles involved in
the war, the Colonial Secretary went on
to say:
"If we maintain our existence as a.
great Power in South Africa, we are
bound to show that we are willing and
able to protect British subjects when
ever they have suffered injustice and
oppression. Great Britain must remain
the paramount Power in South Africa
do not mean paramount in the Ger
man and Portuguese possessions, but in
the two republics and the British Colo
nies. Everyone on both sides of the
House is determined to maintain these
great principles. The peace of South
Africa depends upon Great Britain, ac-
cepting responsibility in the Transvaal.
The Boer oligarchy has placed British
subjects in a position of inferiority and
what would have been the British posi-
tion if they had submitted to that in
feriority?"
Mr.. Chamberlain then proceeded to
fdiscuss the question of Radical anirnos-
tity, denying that this feeling, which he
said, was based in South Africa, on
contempt would be increased by hostili-
| ties. He declared that Radical ami
mostly had not been created by any
thing the present Government had
done, but that it existed before her
majesty's present advisers assumed re-
sponsibility. Sir Henry Campbell Ban
herman interposed with the remark:
What l wish to point out is that the
feeling of animosity will be increased q
hundred fold when the Dutch and En-
glish are slaughtering each other"
| Opposition cheers)
Mr.. Chamberlain retorted: 81 say
again that the Radical animosity which
has been the curse of South Africa is
based on contempt. Hate is bad
enough, but I would rather have a
mans hate than his contempt. There
will never be an end of Radical ami
mostly, nor will there ever be peace
in South Africa until both races have
| learned to respect each other"
Referring to the relations of the Beers
with the natives, Mr. Chamberlain said: :
There is one subject not dealt with
in the blue books. l mean the disgrace
full Boer treatment of the natives un-
worthy of civilized power In 1896
L actually sent a message to Sir Hercu-
les Robinson, for the Transvaal, re-
specting the treatment of the natives.
Then came the Jameson raid and our
South African officials decided that
they could not with propriety present
the message. The Beers, in their own
words, treked because they wanted to
wallop the niggers''
John Dillon cried, "That is not true"
This was followed by loud demands
for order, and the Speaker called upon
Mr.. Dillon to withdraw the remark
The latter responded: Il have not i'm
peached the veracity of the Colonial
Secretary"
The Speaker said: 81 hope such ex-
pressions will not occur again.
Proceeding to discuss the question of
supremacy Mr. Chamberlain said: THE
whole object of the Beers has been to
oust the Queen from her position as
suzerain. Now they have thrown off
the mask and declared themselves q
sovereign, Independent State Her
majesty's Government has had a sus-
picion amounting to the knowledge that
the mission of DR.. Leyds has been one
continual series of negotiations with
foreign Powers against the British
loud cheers.) The Transvaal and the
Free State have an ideal which is dan
gerous to Great Britain, and by the
continuous assertions of arms the
Transvaal had become by far the most
powerful military State in Africa. That
was danger, and we have escaped one
] of the greatest dangers we were ever
subjected to in Africa. The whole point
of difference between the opposition and
the Government is to the details Of the
negotiations
Justifying his conduct of affairs, Mr.
Chamberlain denied that the question
l