The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-05-27
II Is Surely Coming on 0cca-
sion Of Kings Birthday.
PLEASANT SURPRISE To BOeRS
There Was q Hitch 10 the Negotiations but
Peace Is Now Firmly
Promised.

London, May 27.-The Daily Mail this
morning says the cabinet council TO be
held today will decide upon points OF
detail, mostly OF a financial nature. which
have been raised by the Beers In the
peace negotiations. Great Britain's de-
cision In this matter will then be commu.
nicated to the. Vereeniging conference
by the delegates at Pretoria, says the
paper. and being the best obtainable
terms, they will almost certainly be ac-
cepted.
The results should be announced Of
ficially either Thursday or Friday OF this
week, probably on Friday. the day upon
which King Edwards birth is celebrated.
Peace is quite certain. says the Daily
Mail, and the delegates at Pretoria are
only engaged in endeavoring to gild the
pill for the Vereeniging conference to
swallow.
The Daily Mail says further:
Our dispatches from Pretoria assert
that numerous communications are pas
sing between Lord Kitchener and Miner
in South Africa and London.
recent negotiations have proved Lord
Kitchener 10 be a great soldier. The Boer
leaders are deeply impressed with his
personality and trust him implicitly"
HITCH IN NEGOTIATIONS.
Just before parliament rose after mid
night a rumor reached the Hobbies that
"A hitch had occurred In the peace ne
gotta tions. Nothing official concerning
ha fafp paA hIaf hs.
dispatch TO the Associated Press from
Pretoria in which II was said that the
prevalence throughout South Africa or
the optimistic feeling i'm regard TO the
peace negotiations was hardly based upon
solid facts, may be regarded as an in
dication that such a hitch has occurred.
Little information from Pretoria has
been able recently to pass the censor
there. That the government yesterday
fully anticipated a speedy conclusion OF
peace is believed 10 be shown by the
postponement from yesterday until Fri
day or later OF the Budget bill In the
committee stage with the view. as was
frankly admitted on the government
side OF the house, OF enabling the bud
get to be recast in the event that peace
is SECURED.
The tax on grain has proved so unpop-
ular throughout the country and has had
such an unexpected effect In reunitinS
the Liberal party with a most effective
election cry that there is little doubt
the government will welcome an excuse
to drop IL.
The belief that the government intends
to drop the tax on grain Is so strong
that all members of the house OF COM
mons who have leanngs toward pro-
lection met informally last night and
sent an appeal 10 the ministers TO dis
pense with this tax.
Another strong reason for the desire
TO do away with this tax is the effect
II has had in the colonies where IL has
been regarded as an opportunity TO de-
mand preferential treatment. demand
which will be strongly pressed at the
coming colonies of Colonial Premiers
i'm London. and which Is likely to cause
the government considerable difficulty by
smpha sizing a sharply defined divergence
OF opinion I'm the cabinet.
There the Chamberlain party Is advo-
eating "Zoverein' policy and the re-
tenfion of the grain tax, while the Bal
four party advocates just the reverse.
Sir Michael Hlcks-Beach, the chancel-
Tor OF the exchequer, is said TO be quite
willing 10 surrender the tax on grain.
The Daily News predicts that once
oeace is secured the present ministry
will go to pieces in II months through
the irreconcilable dissensions between the
Salisbury and Chamberlain sections.
In the meanwhile Lord Roseberry Is
drawing the Liberals closer together. He
has consented to preside at Liberal
meeting TO be held in London to pro-
test against the governments education
bill. This bill has also proved TO be an
unpopular measure.so much so that many
of the governments supporters are urg-
ing the government to modify H.