The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-31
IN THE COMMONS.
The Government Attacked by Sir
Henry CampbeII-Banuerm

Henry CampbelI-Banuerma
When the proceedings were recon-
menced in the House of Commons. Mr.. Bal
four. the first lord of the treasury. and gov
eminent leader. Sir Henry Campbell-Ban-
herman, the Liberal leader, and others,
were loudly cheered by their respective
followers The entry of the secretary Of
state for the colonies. Joseph Chamberlain.
was not cheered from any part of the
house.
James Lowther made his annual motion
relative to the interference of people at
elections 1t was rejected by vote of
SS7 TO 1Ol.
The speaker read the Queens speech at
4:45 p. m. Subsequently, Captain Ernest G.
| Pretyman. Conservative member for the
Woodbridge division of Suffolk. moved the
| address in reply TO the speech.
| Captain Pretyman expressed the deepest
| sympathy, which, he said, was shared by
| botn sides of the house. with the sufferers
| from the war and the sufferings in Natal.
| He further referred to the feeling of adj
| miration for the gallantry of the troops
| which was felt by all parties. and remarked
| that additional common ground for pride
was the gallantry and national spirit shown
| by both Great Britain and her colonies.
| He also expressed the hope that after the
war all race antagonism in South Africa
would be obliterated Continuing, Captain
| Pretyman. who is a retired captain Of ar
| tillery, said inquiry was necessary az
| TO now the requirements of the war had
| been so underestimated The captain then
| appealed for the union of all parties In
| support of the government in its efforts
| to satisfactorily conclude just war.
Herbert p. Pike Pease, Liberal Unionist
| dress in reply to the speech from the
| throne.
THE LIBERAL LEADER SPEAKS.
The Liberal leader in the House of Com
mons, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
| then rose to reply amid cheers from the
| opposition benches. Commenting on the
! Queens speech, he said he had seldom
| known so little to be- said in such a large
| number of words. AS, however, the war
| advanced it become more difficult and
| more critical, that he was not surprised
| that the government had not proposed
| formidable programme. Affairs in South
Africa, political and military, would un-
d0ubtedly engage the present Parliament
| to a great extent The war was uppermost
| in all minds when the members separated
| In October and IL was believed there were
| troops enough in South Africa to rapidly
| clear the Queens domains. But their ex-
pectations had been sobered. Week after
week had seen checks, disappointments and
deplorable loss of life. In every instance
| the advance of the British troops had been
stayed by large bodies of the enemy But
| the country had again and again gone
through greater perilS with courage and
| composure and would not now depart from
| it's high traditions. The courage and forti-
| tude of British soldiers never more
conspicuous and they must associate with
| this the sons of the colonies, who had
shown extraordinary aptitude in this kind
of warfare. He appreciated the gallantry
and devotion which led their countrymen
| to volunteer, but he wished to know the
| reasons which necessitated this unusual
method of reinforcing the army. He and
| his friends had resolved to support Wig
orous prosecution of the war that the in
| tegrity of the Queens domains be speed
| lily indicated and he imagined there would
| be no difficulty in obtaining the additional
| supplies necessary. Here my agreement
with the government ceases" said the Lib
| eral leader.
| Sir Henry Canipbell- Bannerman then
| proceeded with bitter condemnation of
the administration and the temper in
which 1t had approached the whole South
| African problem, saying the narrowness
of the governments provision for military
requirements necessitated hostilities and
asserting that its policy made war prob
| able. He believed this feeling was largely
| shared by the House and he was glad
OF the opportunity presented to express his
| opinion. The speaker repudiated the idea
| that they should wait the end Of the war
| before discussing the matter. This was the
| very time, he declared. for effective crit
| icism, and those wishing TO disclaim re-
| sponsibility should do so now.
1.-The ministers tell u.s." Sir Henry con-
| tinued, that this war was undertaken to
secure equal rights for white men, hope
they will transfer this laudabe doctrine
| to this country. Many instances might be
applied when too little consideration has
been shown under Mr.. Chamberlain's adj
| ministration to the loyal Dutch of Cape
| Colony The Cape ministers, who are as
much crown ministers as Mr.. Chamberlain.
| treated them in a. manner Ill calculated TO
allay doubts and fears. The recess brought
many speeches this subject, and as
constituent succeeded establishment at
| their statements. They now declare that 1T
was inevitable, which is obviously an ex-
post facto opinion and If not the ministers
are hopelessly condemned and ought 10
| be hurled from power"
MIR. BALFOUR'S SPEECH.
Arthur j. Balfour, after vain attempt
to draw Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman
| into an admission that he did not advo-
| cate pushing the war into Boer territory,
reproached him with waiting until the
country had become involved in military
difficulties to bring vote of censure of
| the colonial secretary, which might have
been brought, Mr.. Balfour declared. any
| time since 1895. In general defense Of the
| colonial secretary and the governments
policy Mr.. Balfour said that at one time
| the government believed the war would
| be avoided, but had subsequently become
convinced that the Boer government never
| from the first intended to give those fran
| chise concessions, the Withholding Oh which
meant war. He denied that General Bull
| Ter had expressed the opinion that the
| forces sent out were inadequate. On the
| contrary General Butler held the common
| military opinion that the forces sent were
quite sufficient. If the government had
asked Parliament last August he con-
| tinued TO authorize the dispatch of a large
army, it would have been not only ex-
| tremely bad diplomacy but II would prob
| ably have been impossible to persuade
| Parliament of its necessity.
| Replying to a direct question, put by
Sir Henry bell-Bannerman, did Gen.
| Butler go to Natal purely in the exercise
| of his military discretion" Mr.. Balfour
/ proceeded to rebuke the opposition for
| criticising the War Office, declaring that
| it was solely due to the efforts of the
| government during the last three years,
| that the army and ornaments were great
| ly improved. 1.-THE opposition" said Mr..
| Balfour," are apparently ready TO take up
| on their own shoulders the government of
| the country and the conduct of the war.
| I wish them well through the attempt.
| But the government will endeavor TO dis
| charge this great responsibility so long as
/ IL retains the confidence of Parliament"
| Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice then moved
the amendment to the address: And We
humbly express our regret at the want OF
| foresight and judgment displayed by her
| Majesty's advisers shown alike In their
Il Nil ID.