The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-02-21
IN PARLIAMENT.

LONDON, Feb. 16.-In the House of
Commons last evening, during the
course of reply to question relative
to the probable Boer invasion of Zulu
land, Secretary of State for the Col
onies Joseph Chamberlain said the gov
eminent had decided if the native ter
ritories were invaded by the Beers, the
natives will be encouraged and assisted
in every way in defending themselves.
The House having gone into COM
mittee of supply on the supplementary
war estimates, William Redmond, ma
tionalist, member for East Claire,
strongly objected to adding single
man to the British army, which, be
said, was now engaged in a war which
is an insult to God, war waged by
Christian England against a Christian
people who only desire to retain their
own land. He declared his belief that
the British reverses were due to the
fact that the British cause was unjust.
John Burns, radical, secuted the
idea that it was necessary to strength
en- the British army in order to fight a
country whose population was only
equal to that of his own constituency.
AT midnight the closure was enforced
and the division taken. The govern
ment's military scheme was adopted
by q vote of 239 against "a, the minor
ity consisting chiefly of Irish members.
In the House Of Lords the question
whether the governments military pro-
posals were adequate was discussed.
Lord Rosebery said he doubted wheth-
er the "paper force of 400, 1000 men in
Great Britain, to which the secretary
of state for war had referred, would
stand analysis. For the volunteers
Lord Rosebery said he had the highest
respect, but by no stretch of the imag-
ination could they be called soldiers, as
it was admitted they needed months of
training annually to render them eff
cient.
"The crisis in South Africa is ur-
gent" continued Lord Rosebery, "but
we must not keep our eyes upon South
Africa alone. Last December the
government made vigorous overtures
to two great powers, Germany and the
United States, for an alliance. Those
Ovarturae xuara moi raoaiuad with arob
cordially as to encourage the govern
ment to pursue them. 1t does not ap-
pear that the friendship of France
would bear any great strain, and as to
Russia, events have been recently wit
messed in Persia about which England
formerly would have had something to
say, but which now she passes unno-
ticed.
In replying for the government, the
Marquis of Salisbury said 81 cannot
enter upon the springs that guide the
Russian government or the course it is
likely to take, nor can discuss the
health of the Amer of Afghanistan.
AS to whether our forces are adequate
for the work in South Africa or wheth-
er it is true that the government has
always been too late and has neglected
opportunities, l would gladly accept a
challenge provided the words would
not go beyond this chamber. The
present troubles are not due to the
expansion of the Empire, but to mis-
calculations made in 1881 and 1884.
Our forefathers were not discouraged
by bad beginnings and we should fol-
low their example and not be cast
down. The government is convinced
now, as it always has been, that the
issue will be brought to a successful
conclusion. l do not think any ad-
vantage is to be obtained from taking
a gloomy view"