Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-09-09

MEMBER SAID THAT THE BRIT
ISH MUST HAVE PATIENCE.
THE BURGHERS EXCITED OVER
MINERS REPLY.
LONDON, September 8-The cab
met council to-day attracted greater
public interest than any previous meet
ing of the ministers for several years.
A well-dressed crowd of people cordial
ly greeted the most prominent of the
thronged the precincts of the foreign
Office throughout the session, eagerly
scrutinizing the faces of those coming
and going in the hope of obtaining
glimmering of the outcome of the mo-
mentous event The war spirit was
evident on all sides, and the generals
were enthusiastically cheered as they
appeared the crowd evidently under
standing that they had been summoned
to be in readiness in the event of the
ministers wishing their advice
A crowd of 1000 to 5000 persons had
assembled at the Whitehall entrance
to Downing street, where the foreign
and colonial offices are situated Mr..
Chamberlain, secretary OF state for the
colonies, and the Earl Of Selborne, the
under-secretary, were the first arrivals
among the officials, and they were fol-
lowed by Field Marshal Lord Wolseley,
the commander-in-chief of the army;
Gen. Sir Redvers Butler, who, it is said,
will have the field command in the
event of war with the Transvaal,
and Gen. Sir Evelyn Wood, adjutant
general to the forces.
The arrival of Lord Salisbury, the
premier, was the signal for tremen-
dous cheering. Next came the Duke of
Deyonshire, the lord president of the
council; Rt. Hon. Henry Chaplin, the
board, and the Earl of Halsbury, the
lord high chancellor, who passed unno-
ticed AS showing the importance Of
the meeting of the council Under-Sec-
retaries Wyndham, of the war depart
ment, and Brodrick, of the foreign Of
fee, were summoned to attend. by l
o'clock all the cabinet ministers were
present.
The first indication of the possible
decision of the cabinet came from the
Stock Exchange, where the tone recov-
cred on the report that the ministers
had decided not TO send an ultimatum
to the government of the Transvaal, but
to insist that he Transvaal must agree
to a conference at Cape Town, but it
is too early yet to pretend to give this
as definite information of the action
contemplated, or taken.
The council was concluded at three
O'Clock and the ministers came out arm
in arm, laughing and chatting, greatly
contrasting with the manner in which
they went in. Lord Salisbury again re-
ceived an ovation.
Although the foreign Office has not
given out the statement, the general
impression was that no ultimatum
would be sent to the Transvaal at
present, and that a time limit was
placed for a conference at Cape Town.
The short duration of the council and
the early departure of the military men
summoned were taken as indication
that the situation is more pacific,
though, of course, this is only surmise.
The Rt Hon. Walter Long, president
of the Board OF Agriculture, when ask
ed if any conclusion had been reached,
replied All / can say is that we must
have patience"
The Times, in its second edition, to-
day published a dispatch from MAIZE
king, which said: .'Col BadenHowell
will review the troops at Ramathla-
bama tomorrow Large numbers of
Beers are moving about the border near
there. There is uneasiness over the
number of Transyaal Dutch here. 1t is
feared they might join the invaders in
case of a raid
The correspondent Of the Times at
Newcastle, Natal, says: There would
be little surprise here if the Beers as
sumed the aggressive Immediately. It
is matter of establishment that so few
British troops are in the country, espe-
cially on the western border"
A special dispatch received here to-
day from Ladysmith, Natal, says that
the British troops there are actively
engaged in manoeuvres over the hilly
country subsequent to parade of the
forces. Continuing. the dispatch says:
with the transportation AMI equip
ment the finest ever seen in South Afri-
ca, and the health of the men excellent,
everything is ready for war. All the
advices confirm the presence Of a large
number of armed Beers on the border
They are described as being bellicose,
and it is rumored that they have COM
pleted arrangements to poison all pools
and springs that might supply the in
xadiuO force with uaror Unrest 70