The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-25
Was ENTIRELY TOO Personal
SECRETARY OF THE COLONIES RE-
MINDED THAT HE IS PUB
VIC OFFICIAL
LORD RosEBERY's SARCASM
1t Is Made the Subject of Wide Com
ment as Having Important POlit-
icaI Bearing-The Navy Comes IN
for Its Share of the General
Abuse by BritOns of Everyth
That Is British.

Copyrighted by the Associated Press.
y LONDON, Feb. "a. Apart from the
dramatic change that came over the
situation in South Africa the event of
the week was undoubtedly Mr.. Joseph
Ghamberlains vigorous, almost vicious,
6elf-defense in the house of commons.
The colonial secretary met the accusa-
tions and demands with one of those ter
Tible fighting speeches for which he is
noted. With venomous retort and scorn
he once more denied completely in the
Jameson raid denied the so-called reve-
Fations of the Independence Beige, and,
with deft phrases, presented the opposi-
tion's agitation as a personal. attack
upon his much-persecuted self. In the
heat of debate, and with an overwhelm-
ing majority ready to cheer every bit
ter phrase, Mr.. Chamberlain carried all
before. But after reflection many Of
those who thoroughly believe Mr.. Cham
berlain to be absolutely untainted, and
who place no Importance upon the let
ters stolen from Mr.. Hawkesley, counsel
for the British South African company,
regretted that the colonial secretary took
up the matter in such a personal spirit.
Voicing this feeling the Saturday Review,
while strongly deprecating another raid
inquiry at the present juncture, it de-
plores Mr.. Chamberlain's ''undignified at
titude," and reminds him that the good
faith of a secretary of state is not per-
sonal, but a public matter. Continuing,
the paper says that it regrets that he did
not court resumption, but adds that OBJ
Vious reasons Of state prohibited such a
procedure at the present crisis.
In the meanwhile DR.. Gavin Brown
Clark, Radical member of parliament for
Caithness, who was formerly consul gen
eral Of the South African republic, stands
accused by Mr.. HawkesEey of buying
stolen property in the shape of letters
in regard to the raid. Though DR.. Clark
has denied the allegations printed in the
St. James Gazette, he has not so far de-
MED Mr. Hawkesley's charges. His fell
low commoners are much stirred up In
regard to the matter but DR.. Clark seems
unwilling to take any steps unless his
constituents force an issue.
LORD RoSEBERY'S BANTER.
Lord Rosebery, this week, the forsaken
sole oracle of "lugubrious vatieinations,"
ernment In the highest satire upon the
fix they have got into by the unexpected
change of the Wemyss resolution, which
originally proposed to enforce the eX-
tinct statute providing for conscriptlons,
but which at the last moment, was al.
tered to read that the statute be amend
ed in order to make it available TO pe
put in force, a change sWhlch upset LoIo
Jansdowne and the Duke of Devonshlre
carefully prepared speech to such an ex-
tent that Lord Salisbury satirically
moved an adjournment to enable them to
prepare new speeches., and even Lord
Salisbury laughed.
With the accomplishment of the gov
ernment's plans the main objects regard
ing war legislation collapsed, and some
attention was directed to home measures,
which, incidentally, were supremely un-
interesting.
The ancient method of obstruction en-
ployed by Mr. William Redmond and
one or two Irish members have so far
failed to have any result The nomina-
ton of Maj Mcbride, of the Irish bri-
gade, in the service of the Beers, to con-
test South Mayo, vice Michael Davltt, re-
signed has created no little outcry. An
other Nationalist Mr.. John ODonnell,
opposes Maj. Mcbride. Consequently
Feb. &c, when the voting is done, Mr..
O'Donnell and the absent candidate will
fight it out among themselves. There Is
SO little attention paid to Irish dissatis-
faction that no steps have been taken to
prevent Maj. Mcbride contesting the
seat The indulgence of the government,
of which this is an instance, fosters the
feeling that Irish advocacy of the Boer
cause, and in fact the whole Irish move
rnent at present, is of no great impor-
tance This, It is claimed, is as the gov
ernment desires 1t to be.
NAVY RIDICULED.
The condition Of the navy and the al
legged inadequacy of the new estimates
are creating no end of discussion. The
fact that the government has ordered the
reserve squadron to assemble at Ports
mouth March / has relieved the fears of
those who thought continental interfer-
ence was imminent, but they hail with
pleasure the accompanying announcement
that the squadron will be scattered again
April / for a months exercise. Nor is
public confidence strengthened by such
statements as are made editorially in the
Naval and Military Record, which AYERS
that there are eight or nine modern
French battleships capable of sinking the
reserve fleet and though France has now
only six of the said vessels with her
northern squadron, she could quickly get
the three needed from the Mediterranean
without creating surprise, Wnlle the
amalgamation of her Northern squadron
with that of Russia's Baltic fleet would
altogether outclass Great Britain's re-
serve. which this service paper declares
Is heterogeneous mass, incapable of ac-
tive service. The army, or rather its sys-
tem and the majority of its generals,
has so disappointed the bulk of the Brit
ish people that it is almost fad to crit
icise and underestimate everything Brit
ish, and the navy is coming in for It's
full share. Even they have yet to show
that such criticism is justified.
Earl Grey, who is a peer and who
votes with the Conservative party, but
who is connected with many labor or
ganizations, especially In labor co-part-
ners or the cooperation movement, Of
which he is the primary mover, attended
q cooperation meeting at Glasgow re-
Gently, and referred at length to the col
lossal amalgamation of capital in the
United States, and said the same ten
dency was apparent on this side of the
Atlantic. He declared the disadvantage
resulting from the consolidation of in
dustries consisted In enabling those con-
trolling the market to force up prices to
the limit the consumer would bear. He
added:
'"The cooperative plan restricting the