Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-17
Subject Of a Sharp Debate Between
Harcourt and Chamberlain.
LIVELY SCENES In TIE HOUSE
Plans for Meeting the Increase in
the Nations Expenses.
THE TRANSPORT SERVICE

| LONDON, February 6. 1900.
The war seems at standstill just at
present. 1t Is announced and denied that
Butler is now advancing toward Lady
smith, but no one knows. At any rate his
boast. if he made 1t, that he would be in
that beleaguered town within a week has
/ apparently not been carried out. The term
was up last night, but no word has been re-
ceived of such victory having been
compished. And If it We're accomplished L
do not think Butler would leave in the
dark. General opinion in the lack of real
news seems to favor the idea that an ad-
vancement of some kind has begun.
l have 1t on good authority that the
Fort is true that the government intends to
send out 10000 more volunteers. 1t is gen.
orally understood that when next week Mr..
Wyndham, the under secretary for war.
makes his official statement in. regard to
the course the government proposes to pur-
sue, it will be found that in addition to
calling upon the volunteers to join the per-
manent army for home defense it will be
proposed to revive the old militia ballot
act, whereby lords lieutenants of counties
are empowered to raise militia according to
population and to amend the act so as to
extend its provisions to the large towns and
cities of the country which are exempted
as the act at present stands. Last year
Lord LansdoWhe proposed in the house of
lords an amendment of the act to make it
synchronise with the times, but the pro-
posal was dropped.
| l hear that Lord Methuen has been
obliged to send "Remington's Scouts to
the rear. 1t is reported that they will go
to the Cape and there be disbanded, and
that their commanding officer will rejoin
his regiment. This is hard on him PERSONAL
ly, and also on the majority of the corps,
who are competent, brave and trustworthy.
But it has transpired that leaven of Boer
spies succeeded in joining this corps. and
some of these have been traced holding
communications with the enemy. Since the
traitors cannot-at all events for the pres
ent-be earmarked. some. all, the only
safe course seems to be the one which it is
said has been adopted. Otherwise the loss
of the services of the corps will be felt for,
undoubtedly, as a body they secuted bril-
liantly.
An Interesting Scene.
Last night was field night in parlia-
ment, when interest in that august body
was greater than usual.
Two men-one ponderous. with an ampli-
tude of figure and heavy, slogging,
humping oratory. Sir William Harcourt
and the other alert, keen. slim, with
tongue like the swish of sharpened blade
Mr.. Chamberlain: these were the figures
that interested last night.
The house loves polemic tussles: 1t de-
| lights when two men like Chamberlain and
| Harcourt-men who know every string of
| the game-face each other and slash and
| lunge and plunge That was the arranged
| program. Inc mouse was in of those
| eNpectant moods that every now and then
| 1t assumes when a CULVER of excitement
nils the arena Only a flashing glance at
the mouse was necessary to joust
was impending. Tight-packed benches and
the rumble of undertoned talk men who
in their own division given the chief
seat on the platform squatting in gang
| ways for other men to tread on their coat
tails: bunch of members elbowing one
another on the brief standing room below
me par; peers upstairs sitting tight like
boys IN saturday night gallery. close
packed little crowd in the ambassadors
Sallery-Mr Choate, a little languid and
blase the French ambassador with SPAR
King eyes and close-cropped beard the
Danish minister. a sedate gentleman, gray
1sh and with imperial like Napoleon Ill
and Mr.. White, the first secretary of the
american embassy, occupying step, and
tnen the distinguished strangers gallery
the ordinary strangers gallery. the shad-
owed and screened ladies' gallery, every
men flled with keen, anxious spectators
mat was the scene one saw. And there on
the front benches were Mr. Chamberlain
very pale, with Voltairean touch about
the lips and Sir William Harcourt, his
arms folded across his capacious waist
coat and his hat tilted over his eyes keep
ing the heavy-jawed face in shadow.
Inc long heckling Of ministers. instead of
providing sport, was regarded but as a
pSiilier 10 the real event of the night.
HarcOurt to the Fore.
Then suddenly there was the colossal fig
notes on the brass-edged box as though he
were about to play a game of patience.
There was radical cheer and Sir William
Harcourt couShed, blew his nose and began
, speaking In high-pitched voice Mr.
thdihperiain at once rose. picked three
sneets OF note paper from the table, FUN
! bled piece of lead pencil from his waist
coat pocket, looked it closely through
his eyeglass and prepared to take notes.
MIR. Balfour by his side, happy in the con-
| seriousness it wasn't his turn to sneak till
tomorrow, slid down on the seat till he
sat on the small of his back, and put his
arms beneath him to give some support.
Inc one thing that was striking about the
erstWhile doughty debater, Sir William was
that age is beginning to play unkindly with
bin. There was the same slashing style
the hailstorm of invective, the whirwnd Of
denunciation that distinguished him of yore
But the physical power gone. and the
voice, instead. of being strident and re-
sounding, was husky and hollow He spoke
| in murmurs after the first ten minutes and
though men shouted, Speak upw ne tried
to speak up, but failed. The word passed
among the journalists, "Harcourt is going
| down.
Heavy-WeiEht Arguments.
Yet there was hard hitting, all the same
With bang on the table, he pooh-poohed
the preposterous doctrine as he called it,
Of Lord Salisbury that the greater disaster
the government involved the country in
, government the victim of the British con-
stitution!' he scoffed. alluding to the prime
minister's speech last week-'why, it was
sufficient for the Duke of Marlborough for
Lord Chatham and even the Duke of Well
lington got along with 1t. Lord Palmerston
, never whined about the British constitution
and Lord Beaconsfield never contemplated
a constitutional revolution" Then Sir Will
{ liam turned to Mr.. Chamberlain. The
, colonial secretary smiled at the approach
ing attack. Once or twice he flushed with
anger More often his countenance was
pallid. Sir William flung Mr.. Chamber
; lain's old speeches of 1881 and 1884 at the
colonial secretary. and Mr. Chamberlain
with tight-screwed eyes and irritated ges-
ture, once sprang to his feet in repudiation
, and said he had altered his views the
South African difficulty. Then he gazed at
Sir William with passive contempt.
The government, asserted Sir William
had only consulted one side of the street
in South Africa-those people connected
with the raid and "the helOts of Park
Lane" Whereupon Mr.. Chamberlain threw
up his chin and laughed. Then Harcourt
| No rhetorical and a he lost the