The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-04-15
PEACE IN SIGHT
THE DEDUCTION FROM THE va
Rl0US RUMORS.
A HASTY CABINET MEETING
To Pas. Upon Question of Making
Public the Budget Before the ozs-
Africa are Known-The Terms Or
Which the Bser. VIII Agree to a
Pesce-They do not Demand Abss-
lutte independence.

London. April l2.-"Peace is within
measurably distance" a.. probably
sums up the present crop Of ramorx.
conjecture and deductions which Ia.
Gone by the ears. Is IL peace7 meets
the eyes in fiaring posters % afternoon
newspapers. and the question is echoed
throughout the United Kingdom.
1t is announced that the ministers 1T
today's cabinet meeting, which lasted
an hour, discussed a communication
from Lord Kitchener.
While Lord Kitchener's message may
have been of vital Importance. the As
sociated Press has good reasons 10 be-
lieve that the sudden summoning of the
cabinet members was due 10 a desire
to decide whether the printing o. the
budget could lee postponed until the
Klerksdopp negotiations are settled one
way or the other.
Whatever the proposals OF the chan
cellor OF the exchequer. Sir Michael
Hicks-Beach, may be, they are bound
TO be greeted by storms OF criticism
from various quarters.
of additional revenue. but IL would take
off the sting from the additional taxa
ton, which is bound to raise n protest
from every industry affected.
In the national jubilation over the end
of the war these individual protests
would be lost to sight. II will be no
surprise that the budget presentation
this does not take place parliamentary
circles will regard il one OF the best
omens that the government ls assured
OF n successful termination OF tn.
| Klerksdorp trouble.
| The Neof Edinburgh. whose editor is
| in close touch with Mr. Kruger, de
clares on the highest authority that tn.
| Beers are prepared to accept the con
| ditions. They will not make absolute.
| independence a cardinal feature if they
| can come to a satisfactory agreement
| as to the future in the national govern
ment. The banshment and confisca ton
of property proclamation must be can
celled, and confiscated property must.
| be restored TO its owners with remuner-
alton for stock and property destroyc E
or taken by the British. There must I 2.
| full recognition of state debts contrac !
ed before and after hostiIities began aud
| up to the date OF the annexation procla-
| nation issued by Lord Roberts:
amnesty for the Cape rebels: the re-
lease of all political prisoners: a date
fixed when all prisoners Of war will be-
! returned TO South Africa: the ofIicers
of one or two friendly powers TO BE-
accepted to superinlcnd the carrying
out, the terms OF peace.
OF these. the cardinal point and the
hardest for Great Britoin 10 concede IL
the granting OF amnesty to the Cap.
| rebels.
While there is no reason to believe
that this is not semi-oficial summary
OF the Beers demands, there also H.
reason to think they may be modified.
| How strongly the government shares
that hope may be judged from the fact
that the London police officials today
were ordered to keep especially large
forces on duty until further notice. to
avoid any repetition OF "Mafeking''
which IT is feared. might ensue should
the concession Of peace be announced.
One OF the curious features Of the
present negotiations Is that five of the
Boer representatives secured 4 legal
training at the English bar.