The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1900-08-04 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 1900.  Sir William Harcourt was in Sir William excellent form on Wednesday, Harcourt's when he took part in the deSpeech. bate on the second reading of  the Supplementary War Loans Bill. His criticism of the financial proposals of the Government, and incidentally of its general policy, was at once incisive and witty. He could not, he said, accept the estimates of the Bill as closing the money account of the war, and he expressed grave doubts whether 'any material portion of the coot would be recovered from the Boers, the Outlanders, or the mine-owners. He pointed out that we had now entered on a new war in China; and that, moreover, the English were said to be the beet bated nation in the world. If so, he said our army and navy would have to be quadrupled. On the whole, his conclusion was that those responsible for the fortunes of the nation should impress upon the public mind that peace was the greatest interest of the Empire. MT. Chamberlain:ond his "new diplomacy" Came-tit for Wfull measure of Sir Wiliam Harcourt 's soien-, ipbpri alto on Mr. Boalfour's remark that "the ;rex was inevitable." That, he observed, was a discovery unfortunately made after the event. The present Government he described as an inevitable Government, which had been the victim o/ inevitable circumstances; but when the hospital management broke down, and when the military disasters happened in the face of as inferior force, he was, he said, not satisfied with the answer "It is inevitable," adding, ""it is pruderies, not fortune, that is the deity who guides the destiny of mankind." As to the cost of the South African War, Sir William Harcourt predicted that it would reach a figure not io zhort of eight/ millions. The purpose, 0. Cue present bill was to authorise the raising of eleven and • half millions in addition to the sums already voted, and of course it parsed the second reading. Sir William Harcourt proved that he still retains his great powers as a Parliamentary debater; and it is impossible not to regret that circumstances have led to the withdrawal of this undoubtedly strong stateeman from a leading position in his party,  The assassination of Bing Humbert of Italy on Sunday evening has naturnify areated a profound accusation. Four shots were fired at him, one of whiGh pierced his heart. The smacein is a man named Bras* who ati. serts that be committed the deed in accord, slice with his "Anarchist principles." The name "Aserchist" is, however, used by a large number of persons who have no sympathy with stioh Grimes, and one of these writes to the prams to 'ay that a "proper Anarchist is a member of the International Confraternity of Ansrahists—an order which now numbers a little over five million members, and whom principle' sod mope, ganda are 1111 free from violence and Grime as those of the Institute of Journalists. or any other innocent society. Duringthis week,. he adds, over 450,000 or 500,000 branches will paw reeolutions condemning this dastardly crime in Italy as an outrage which i• justifiable and wicked. It is • PitY that a body of men wbo try to bring about reforms by strictly legitimate meals should be cesfounded with assamiiis; but the mistake is not unneteral seeing that both motions use the mine tills.  Although the Duke of Coburg hes been I in bad health for some time, his death was sudden and unexpeeted. Much sympathy is felt with the Queea whose closing years ase darkened with so many eorrows. Votes of sympathy were passed is bath HOUMA! of Parliament on Thursday. Tbe funeral will take place to-day.  The news of the week from China iadieatm that, sfter en. the Legations at Pekin were oafs on or about the 21st July. A "memo purporting to be from Sir Claud MacDonald himself has been received. The Allied advane. upon Pekin ia said to isms berm, and it is believed that the only forms angaged are the British. American, sad Joplin's..  Lord Roberts reports teat 1,100 Pre, Statim with Canuthadants bows and P. J. Peahens surrendered on Tureday to General Hanker; alio that Cenumindeate Deploy, pstaistar, sad Jewhert gave themselves up to Broth Hamilton, who had collected 1,200 rises, 650 pons. and one traistrong gas. Lienththat And•inuu, • Denish SOW is the Rants irtillarr. bar ales imponthered• It ii alas stated that Meier. with lee gam egg • somber et burghers, the broken awa,g in the ligerismith &nation. ,  AIWA, is kit that the worst is not yet over in India- The =moon is very weak. and the Vioensp reports that, in cons& (paws, * sewn' districts which are still *wows, the situation is oritioal. Some crops are in imminent danger because the rains continue to hold off. Fodder is very scarce, and the cattle are dying in the Central provinces. Good crepe will be secured it the monsoon improvee, but not otherwise. The number of persons in receipt of relief now Wails 6,2611,000.  In future carbolic acid will be sold only under the restrictions which apply to many other deadly poisons. After years of agitation on the subieot, an Order in Council has been issued to this effect. The nainereue cases of suicide by means of carbolic acid have led to this agitation. It now remains to be seen whether would-be suicides will be deterred from their purpose by this Order in Council. The restrictions on more convenient poisonous drugs have brought this one into vogue tor the purpose named, but there are plenty of substitutes which cannot be thus restricted. The gas with which the houses e,nd streets are lighted, for example, can hardly be scheduled under the Poisons Act.  The inveiFtigations of the Commission on South African Hospitals have been continued this week. The testimony of the , medical men wes, as might have been ex,pected, strongly in favour of the general ,management. On Wednesday, evidence was given by Mr. Kadyard Kipling. Most of his experience, he said, was at the Base hoepitals at the Cape at a time Ithen there was no great strain on them. The official doctors told him they did not need anything. He learned. however, from the nurses, that pyjamas were wanted badly, but they begged him not to pass them into the Stores Issue Department, or they would never come out again, but to "bring them to the back door," which he did. At one hospital he found there was no medicine except a little boracic acid and some quinine pills, and he supplied this want in the same unofficial fashion. Questioned about the Woodstock hospital he mid be did not go there, it was unspeakable—it stank so!