The age-herald., 1900-02-21
HEATED DEBATE IN HOUSE OF COMMONS Chamberlain Explains the Fa-
 nous Jameson Raid. COURTS AN INVESTIGATION He Ridiculed Grounds for New Inquiry and Stated That Cecil Rhodes
 Was Charged With
 Two Ofenses
COURTS AN INVESTIGATION

| mons today was crowded when MT. David l Alfred Thomas, liberal moved the reopen l ing of the inquiry into the Jameson raid. l Among those in the diplomatic gallery was 1 United States Ambassador Choate | MT. Thomas discaimed any personal ani-
 mostly against MT. Chamberlain, the sec-
 retary of state for colonies, but said the in- | conclusive nature of the first inquiry had
 created widespread dissatisfaction which
 had deepened the indignation at the conduct l of certain members disclosed. He also spoke
 of the press and the continental newspa- pers impugning the impartiality of the com
 mittee. He said it was in the interests of l the nation and the character and reputa- 1 ton of the house of commons. and MT. 1 Chamberlain that there should be a full 1 and searching inquiry Mir Thomas further l asserted that the previous inquiry was | farce and that the fresh facts adduced in
 the correspondence published by the Inde- | pendence Belben were strong grounds for l fresh inquiry.
 MT. Samuel Thomas Evans, liberal, sec | onded the motion. Continuing, MT. Evans | said 1t was a question whether the author
 of the raid had sufficient power or infiu- 1 ence to prevent majority of the house or commons from having the opportunity of | getting a committee of inquiry appointed. l Here MT. Chamberlain interjected: l "I don't understand what the members 1 mean by the last sentence"
 | Mir. Evans replied that he thought every | one else in the house understood that the suggestion was that there were influences | which might be worked to prevent the gov | ernment from asking for the re-appoint- 1 ment of committed
 | ..What Infiuences?" 1 Ministerial cries of What infiuences?" l followed this remark.
 | MT Evans, proceeding, said that If the l investigations of the committee had been
 more exhaustive it might have arrived at | 0 different conclusion. The conduct of MT. l Chamberlain previous to the inquiry, ac- 1 ccrding to the speaker, aroused suspicious 1 of complicfty and ought to be explained, | as ought also MT. ChamDerlain's extra l ordinary declarations after the inquiry that l MT. Rhodes personal honor was not af- | fected" He also said that letter since | published showed that there was something l to withhold.
 l MT. Chamberlain, amid profound atten- 1 tion, said there was absolutely nothing in l what had happened since 1897 which cou.d l possibly be raised as ground for second | inquiry. He then proceeded to review the | whole history of the committee and re- l peated his previous declarations, especially l referring to the Hawksiey telesrams He l riGiculed the grounds advanced for new 1 inquiry, and explained that MT. Rhodes l was charged with two distinct offences. l He was accused, first, of conspiring to bring about the raid on which he was l found guilty and condemned in the strong l est terms by the committee. The colonial l secretary blamed him as severely as any, l body. The other charge was that he acted | upon sord.d motives, with the object of | promoting speculation and raising the l value of his property. This a5om- | inab.e charge, which should not have been
 made and of which MT. Rhodes was abso- | lutely guiltless.
 The Precious DocumcIts
 Another ground upon which an inquiry
 was asked account of precious l collections of documents published by 1 the Independent Beige, and which had | been offered by safe to various London 1 papers, which would not touch them with l tongs," and at last, he added. they found l customer in friend of the boers," who | ccntrived to transmit them, to Dr. Leyds, l WHO paid or promised to pay G100, and 1 they were then communicated to the h. | dependent Beige"
 There was nothing in these documents 1 from first to last the colonial secretary | said, and they afforded non ground for | charges against the colonial office.
 .If this matter had not been complicated
 by political questions and personal ami | mosities, no man in this house would have 1 said there was shadow of ground for
 such an inquiry. The object of these per | sonal attacks is to prevent me from partic-
 ipating in the Transvaal settlement" | MT. Chamberlain further declared, as to
 the telegrams exchanged between MT.
 Rhodes and his agent that they were sent
 to him confidentialy, and he returned
 them saying he had no objection 10 their | publication. Since June 6, 1896, he had not
 seen the telegrams which were produced | and examined by the committee. As to
 the letters, MT. Chamberlain said they were
 stolen from MT. Hawksley's desk. and Dr.
 Leyds offered to pay 100 pounds for them. | They contained nothing unknown to the | committee.
 Mr. Chamberlain confessed that at one
 time he felt bitterly against such insinua- | tions, which those repeating them did not
 dare to assert what they believed should
 be brought against me after twenty-four
 years of membership in the house of com | mons'
 Continuing, he said he was not hopeful
 that anything he or the house should say
 wouold silence his foreign critics but no
 one In Great-Britain for whose good opin-
 ion he cared would be affected by the | charges.
 The manner of conducting the business of | the committee and the closing of the in
 quiry, he declared, were both carried out
 as suggested by Sir William Harcourt,
 who certainly did not desire to shield any
 one in the colonial office.
 Once Felt Very Bitter
 MT Chamberlain further said that the | honorable members opposite did not want l an inquiry. '.They want an execution," he
 added. Let them do their worst. am l perfectly ready. l rely upon The good | of h4eti a,d
 country. The attack will recoi upon those
 who made it.
 At the conclusion of his remarks Mr.
 Chamberlain was heartily cheered by the | ministerialists.
 Sir William Vernon Harcourt, who was | an active member of the parliamentary | committee which Inquired into the Jameson
 raid, followed, and MT. Chamberlain said:
 "On the very face of tit, the foreign com- | miftees report did not find that there had | been full inquiry, as indeed there had not
 been. The suspicious against the colonial | office were not f!he wor1x of Fpo3ithnral ad-