The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-02-07
IN PARLIAMENT.

LONDON, Jan. 31.--In the House of
Lords, the most notable speeches were
those by Lord Salisbury and Lord
Rosenbury. Lord Salisbury, the Prem
Ter, sad
1--WE must join together aud exercise
all our powers in extricaiing ourselves
from a situation full of humiliation and
not free from danger. | will not say
the danger may not have easily been
exaggerated. Many a country has COM
menced a war with difficulties Of the
kind we experience. We have only to
| look at what the Northern States of
America went through at the BEGIN
ming of the Civil War to see how easv
1t would be to draw mistaken infer
ence from the reyerses we have met at
the outset. We have every ground to
think that il we set ourselves heartily
to work and exert all the uudoubted in.
struments OF the power we possess. we
shall bring the war 10 a satisfactory
conclusion. We have work which ap-
peals to US as subjects of the Queen
and it must throw in the shade all
thoughts OF party expediency."
Lord Roseberry, who followed Lord
Salisbury, spoke with great force and
earnestness. He asked why the
Premier made it so difficult for the
man-in -tbe-street to support his pol
icy. The past conduct Of the govern
ment would come up for investigation
some day, lie hoped, adding:
81 was appalled, at the nature and
style of Lord Salisbury's speech. We
have now 10000 men in South Africa,
yet we are with difficulty holding our
own. The attitude of foreign nations
is described as friendly. But that does
not strike me as being so amicable as
the word would imply. / deem it nec-
essary to know what the government is
going to do. That we should not shrink
from sending away vast masses of
troops, situated as we are in the center
OF universe by no means friendly to
US, without having a hint from the gov
eminent of the military measures it
proposes taking to face the disasters we
have met and the sacrifices we have
made, is one of the most extraordinary
features of the British constitution. I
agree with Lord Salisbury that the
country can carry this thing through in
spite of all the impedments of men and
methods that have shackled it in the
past, but l venture to say it will have
to be inspired by loitier tone and
truer patriotism than that shown by the
the prime minister"
In the House of Commons the liberal
leader, Sir Henry Campbell Banner
man rose to reply to the Queens speech
amidst cheers from the opposition
benches. Sir Henry seid he had sell
dom known 80 little to be said in such
a large number of words. The war
MO ~ Ill IL
members separated in October and it
was believed there were troops enough
in South Africa to rapidly clear the
Queens dominions, but their expecta-
tions had been sobered. Week after
week had seen checks, disappointment
and deplorable loss of life. In every
instance the advance of The British
troops had been stayed by large bodies
of the enemy, but the country had
again and again gone through greater
perils with courage and composure and
would not now depart from its high ira
ditions.
The government leader had little
that was satisfactory to say in reply to
Sir Henry's arraigpment. Lord Ed
mund Fitzmaurice moved this amend
ment to the address: "And we hum
bly, express our regret at the want of
foresight and judgment displayed by
Her Majestys advisers, as shown alike
in their conduct of African affairs since
1895 and in their preparation for the
war now proceeding"
Lord Fitzmaurice attacked Mr..
Chamberain's policy, especially his
failure to punish The raiders and the
retention of Mr.. Cecil Rhodes as a
member of the privy council, together
with Wtrtating and reckless methods
that plunged the country into war be-
fore any adequate preparations were
possible"