Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-12-13
CABLE LETTER FROM LONDON
Lively Debates Are to Mark the
Session of Parliament.
TAUNTS FOR THE OPPOSITION
Richard Harding Davis Critl-
ciSed by Press.


COpyrlsnteui lNU Dy Inc Associhteu fress. !s
London. Eng. Dec. s.-The as
semhling of Parliament has supplied
much needed zest to life in England.
The mere handful of members known
as the Opposition started the attack on
the government with such united front
that the session, short as 1t will be,
promises to rival those famous debates
which marked the days when Mr. Glad
stone tried to force home rule through
the House. The spectacle of the entire
Liberal party concentrating every per-
sonal and political energy against one
mani keeps the nation keyed up to a
high pitch, awaiting the next move in
the dramatic encounter. Ii Mr.. Oham-
berlain comes through unscathed, it
will be nothing short Of marvellous.
No less interesting to the foreign
observer are signs OF the dawn of
unanimity among the Liberals. Sir
Henry Campbell -Bannerman's arraign-
ment OF the government, which is ad-
mitted to have been the best effort OF
his life, WINS almost identical with
| that of Lord Rosebery. Each OF these
SPEAKERS adopted the same tone, and
dwet on the same topics. Mr.. Balfour
and the Duke of Devonshire taunted
the Opposition leaders with their in
ability to speak for their party as q
whole, hut these uterances passed
uunoticed; and from the benches be-
hind Sir Henry Campbell -Banperman,
the constant hearty applause brtokened
the birth of better concord among his
followers. Only once during Campbell
Bannerman's speech was note OF
internal discord heard. 1t was when
he announced that the Liberals un-
reseryedly accepted the necessity for
the annexation of the Boer Republics.
Then, one solitary Liberal loudly
shouted: "No, no." Turning around,
Campbell Bannerman dismissed the
cbjector as being of no Importance,
with one of the mcst scathing retorta
ever dealt out by leader to q follower.
Some very frank opinions concerning
Richard Harding Davis have been
appearing In the English papers this
week. They we're called out by q letter
in the London Times, signed by a
representative body of ladies of various
pationalities resident at Pretoria
throughout the war, in which the
,emphatically repudiate Mr.. Davis
charges referring to Imprisoned British
officers behavior towards women.
The Daily News comments on the
| SuDJGCb uS lUllUWb. JOfbhnh MpbuuF,
have elapsed since Mr.. Davis nmaz-
ingly untruthful allegations were pub
lished; but the requisite contradiction.
though long delayed, has come to hapd
at last. Mr.. Davis presumably wrote
for the anti English section Of the
Americans, though we should hardly
! have expected to find-(the name of a
prominent American magazine is here
mentioned) used as vehicle for this
vulgar and cowardly abuse.
With reference to the American CON
tracts for bridges along the line of the
.. Uganda railroad, Sir Hairy Johnston,
.. the commissioner for Uganda, in a
! dispatch to the Foreign Office, declares
the railroad officials were compelled tc
send orders to America owing to the
,, British firms being unable to supply
their wants in reasonable time. The
orders comprise not only bridges, hui
locomotives and other rolling stock.
: "This and other troubles of the rail.
way committee, adds Sir Harry John
: ston, Sin placing orders in Gieat
Britain, are the outcome of the disas
trous engineers strike, which has done
2 SO much to cripple this class OF manu-
facture.'