Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-01-17

| INJURED in dungeons at the beheSt OF MT.
| Wyndham,' (the chief secretary for
| Ireland). He moved the appointment
| of committee to investigate the mat
| ter. When the Speaker declined to ac-
| cept the motion Mr.. MacNeil ques-
| toned his ruling and was called to
| order.
| After the speech from the throne had
| been formally read in the House of
| Commons and the address in reply had
| been moved and seconded, the Liberal
| leader Sir Henry Campbell Banner
| man. spoke in general terms against
| the course of the government in South
| Africa, urging Cancellation in place of
brute force. He said the same, to a
| large measure, was true of Ireland,
Where the government, at present, was
| houndering between concession and
| coercion" and urged the adoption of
| the most liberal program toward Ire
| land.
The Irish members held their usual
seasonal meeting, this afternoon, and
decided to move amendments to the
| address in reply to the speech from the
| throne condemning coercion the South
African war, the concentration camps
| in South Africa and the financial rela-
tons between Ireland and Great
Britain.
Sir William Vernon Harcourt Glib
crab, by attacking the institution of
martial law in the Cape Colony and by
accusing the government of grossly I'M
| constitutional conduct in advising the
ministers of the Cape Colony not to
summon the Cape Parliament, brought
| up Mr.. Chamberlain, the colonial sec
rotary, who was in a most militant
mood. Mr.. Chamberlain declared that
| Sir William Vernon Harcourt ought to
have placed a question of such vast i'm
portance in the form of an amendment
and proceeded to justify absolutely the
action of the Cape government. Mr..
| Chamberlain said he did not care
scrap for legal opinions on one side or
| the other, that the government had to
| deal with an emergency and that it had
| followed the universal practice of all
countries. He also said the govern
| ment Of the Cape Colony would ask
| Parliament to indemnify their acts.
Sir William Vernon Harcourt asked:
| when will that be done?"
| Mr.. Chamberlain retorted: when is
the war going to end?" daughter,
| cheers.
| John Redmond, chairman of Irish
Parliamentary party: "By the next
general election
| In the course Of his speech Mr..
| chamberlain was protesting against the
| suggestion that he should overrule the
privy council, when Mr.. Redmond in
| terjected: Hear, Hear, you ought to be
King"
| Amid laughter Mr.. Chamberlain re-
| piled: THAT is very good of the honor
able gentleman, but that is not my am
bition."
| Several amendments to the address
| were finally adopted. These include
| petition for the revision of the Irish
land and taxation laws, protests
| against the enforcement of the crimes
| act and the operation Of certain courts
| and protests against the concentration
| camps in South Africa. Another
amendment contained an appeal for re-
| lief of the congested districts and the
better housing of the working classes
| i'll Ireland.
The House of Commons then ad-
| journed.
The House of Lords was well filled
| when business was resumed. The
Prince of Wales occupied the seat for
| merly used by his father. Many peer
| esses were in the gallery.
The lord chancellor, Earl Halsbury,
| formally read the Kings speech. The
Earl of Harrowby Conservative in
moving the address in reply to the
/ speech from the throne, referred to the
| non-interference of foreign powers in
| the South African war as being evil
| dence of their friendly relations.
The Earl of Lytton, who seconded
| the motion, congratulated the govern
| ment ION their more than friendly re-
lations with the United States and
South American republics" lie added
that though affairs in Ireland were
considered critical, they might safely |
| be left in the hands of the government. |
| Earl Spencer. Liberal, critcizing the
address, said that while he recognized
| the impossbility of granting the Boer |
demands for independence yet he dep |
| recated insistence on unconditional
| surrender. His lordship urged the
government to promise the Beers au-
| tonomy similar. to the governments Of
Australia and Canada.
| The premier, Lord Salisbury, whose
| cllti dIiCt illO liic I1Ouot was SItcltu
| with hearty applause, said he was glad
| to hear Earl Spencer vent an utterance
| for which he. the premier, had been
frequently and unsparingly con-
demned. 1t was quite true that there
was no possibility Of granting the
| Beers independence. Neither was it the
governments business, after being gra-
| tuitcusly attacked, to inform the Beers
on what terms they would be forgiven,
| especially since the Beers had not yet
| expressed a wish to be forgiven.
Lord Salisbury defended martial law
| in South Africa and urged the OPPOSE
ton to remember they were not deal
ing with the question whether they
could make out a good case against the
government. The premier pleaded that
they should not allow their eagerness
to improve their party position make |
them forget the issue whether or no
| Great Britain should be victor in the |
war He reminded the opposition that |
wrong settlement now would impose |
grave difficulties and embarrassments |
upon the nation for many years to /
come