The Washington weekly post., 1900-12-11
Bold Defense Against Accuse
tiOnS i'm Parliament.
HIS INTEREST IN WAR CONTRACTS
Admits Connection with Tive Of the Con-
that a Man OF His Reputation .houId 2s
Charged with Corruption House OF
Commons Takes the same View by q
Vote Of 269 10 I67-sen Makes Denial.

hadical, member for Carnarvon district
to-day in the House brought together a
series OF accusations against Mr.. Cham
berlain that had been figuring In the
newspapers, and moved that no member
OF the government ought TO have a direct
or indirect interest in concerns competing
for government contracts. He pointed
out that the secretary of state for the
colonies held $500 shares and other MEN,
bers of his family 81 ,O00 shares in the Bir-
mingham trust, which, in turn, was
shareowner in the Tubes, Limited making
f1O,OOc year out OF government con-
tracts. He asserted also that Mr. Cham
berlain and his relations neld shares
worth from e2SO.OO0 to ESQ 600 in EIliotts $
Metal Company, contractors 10 the ad-
miralty, and shares valued at ESQ, 900 in
KynOch's Dynamite Company, contract
ors to the war office. After enumerating
other companies in which the Chamber
lain family, ne asserted, had interests,
Mr.. George declared that he was not at
tacking the private character OF the min
lister, but had raised the matter because
this case might be used as a precedent
later to justify corruption"
After various speeches for and against
the resolution. Mr.. Chamberlain replied:
ECEsOuHt
1T is my personal honor that Is in
volved in this question" he said, "and 1
think it hard, after twenty-five years of
life in the full light of Parliament, to
have to stand up and explain that 1 am
not a scandalous thief. These attacks are
monstrous and absurd. / took no notice
of the charges during the election, al
though there had been a conspiracy OF
insinuatian. I had been charged with fat
tening on the profits of a war / had pro-
voked.
"Of all the companies mentioned. I
hold shares in two My relations intend
to take legal proceedings, and the pub
lie will see how these abomiuable charges
will be dealt with by the courts. My
relations are all business men. and have
had to make their own fortunes. l come
of a family which boasts nothing of dis
tinguished birth or inherited wealth, but
has an unbroken record Cor nearly two
centuries of unstained commercial in
tegrity. Never during the whole course
of my political career have L been asked
to use my influence to secure pecuniary
gain for myself or my relations"
Proceeding to explain his connection
with the two companies, Mr.. Chamberlain
twenty-three years ago. Its shares had
never been quoted on the stock exchange
The contract to build huts for Boer prls-
oners in Ceylon was given to the Colombo
Company on the responsibility of the 10
cal government, without any communi-
cation with himself.
"Such a Little One," He Pleads.
So far as the Birmingham trust was
concerned, he said, he knew nothing |
whatever of it's investments, although he |
had recently ascertained that there was
a trifiiag investment in the Tubes Limit |
ed since his brother managed the busi- |
ness of that organization, but the COM
pany's already small business with the |
admiralty had largely decreased. After |
having made further explanations of a |
similar kind, Mr.. Chamberlain exclaimed, |
amid ministerial cheers:
us ii not hard to have TO deal with such |
rubbish as this? When all is reckoned up, |
perhaps my indirect interest in govern |
ment contracts is few pounds or even |
shillings. And yet the House of Commons |
is called upon to pass solemn resolu- |
ton which will not strike me- but will be /
a self-denying ordinance for many men,
bers VINO do not anticipate that result"
secretary declared that the attack had |
not injured him. but had given pain to |
number of private individuals. Those |
who had n ade them, he asserted. had in
troduced into public life unworthy meth /
DDS and had made 1t more difficult for
honorable and sensitive men to serve the |
SON Also Makes Denial.
He was loudly cheered as he resumed
his seat His son, Mr. J. Austin Cham
berlain. financial secretary to the treasury
department. followed with similar denials.
Mr.. r. b. Haldane. Radical. member for
and others spoke, after
which AIr. LlOyd-GeOrges motion, which
was offered as an amendment 10 the ad-
dress, was rejected by vote OF 269 10 l27.
Mr.. Arthur j. Balfour. the government
leader, then moved the closure, which
was carried by 23 votes against Is, and
the address to the throne was adopted by
265 votes against %