A W eek ly N ew spaper and R eview .
DOM VOBIS GRATOLAMÜR, ANIMOS ETIAM ADDIMUS OT IN INCCEPTIS VESTRIS CONSTANTER MANEATIS.
F rom th e B r i e f o j H i s H o l in e s s P i u s I X . to T h e T a b l e t , J u n e 4, 1870.
V o l . 89. No. 2964. L o n d o n , F e b r u a r y 27, 1897. P rick sd. by Post s j fd
(Registered at the General Post Office as a N ewspaper
Chronicle of the Week I
Page
Imperial Parliament : President Kruger’s Little Bill — Bombardment of Cretans by the Powers— A Quiet Night— Mr. Morley as Select Preacher to Oxford Liberals — Catholic Zeal and Devotion— When Is the Traveller Not a Traveller ?—The Capture of Benin — A Trinidad Centenary — The Death o f Blondin— Mr. Rhodes “ Faces the Music ”— The Situation in Crete—Conflicting Views o f the Powers— Massacres on Both Sides—The Policy of the Govern'ment in the Eastern Crisis . . 317 Leaders :
The Cloud in the East . . . . 321 The Bull “ Apostolicae Curae ” . . 322 Apostolic Constitution Concern
ing the Censorship o f Books . . 324 A Sketch o f Polcarres . . . . 327 Notes . . . . . . 329
CONTENTS.
Page
Letters to the Editor (Con-
Page
The Life of Vice-Admiral Sir
tinued :
George Tryon, K .C .B .
Towards Khartoum
A Dissertation on the Position of
330 The Edwardine Ordinal and
33*1 Validity of Intention
Spiritualities..
Mary in Rede nption ..
331 The Flemish Question in Belgium 339
A Life of Our Blesed Ladye 342 1 he Roman Aristocracy . .
Tatterley
The World Beautiful
342
342 1 he Bigotry of Swansea Bumbledom 339
The Cardinal at Derby
Correspondence :
Rome (From Our Own Corre-
spondent) ..
News From Ireland —
News From France
The Venerable John Nepomucene
Neumann, h ourth Bishop of Phila-
333 dclphia
A Protestant Alliance Challenge
335 Accepted ......................... 341
Books of the Week . .
Letters to the Editor :
Irish Orders..
Marriage
337 Obituary .............................. 344
“ The State Children’s Aid Asso- Social and Political
ciation ”
The Encyclical “ De Unitatc ” . . 33^
337
SU PPLEM ENT.
Evolution and Dogma
The Papal Bull and the Privy
Council
338 Voluntary Schools Bill
News from the Schools:
338 Federation of Schools
339
339
339
340
340
343
343
346
349
349
News from the Schools (Con-
Page
tinued): Necessitous Board Schools . . 349 Associations of Schools . . . . 349 History and Geography . . . . 350 The School Board Question at
Hey w o o d .......................................350 The Closing of Voluntary Schools 350 The Second Reading Debate . . 350 Mr. Morley’s Fallacies . . . . 350 The Education Vote . . . . 350 Mr. Balfour and Education . . 350 Parliamentary Intelligence . . 351 News from the Dioceses: Westminster . . . . ... 351
Southwark . . . . . . 353 Clifton .......................................353 L i v e r p o o l ....................................... 353 Glasgow . ................................. 353 A Trappist Monastery in South
Africa . . . . . . ..3 53 Good News for Our Catholic Seamen 355
* * Rejected MS. cannot be returned unless accompanied with address
and postage.
CHRONICLE OF THE WEEK.
little bill.
■---------- ♦ ----------
THERE have been one or
two animated debates in . . t t c r.
the House of Commons during the last few days. First
came that on the Second Reading of the Bill promoted by the London County Council for power to acquire an extensive site near Trafalgar-square on which to erect a palatial building to be used as municipal offices. Mr. Whitmore, who proposed the Second Reading, explained that it was calculated that the site would cost about £813,000, of which £300,000 it was hoped would be recovered for business offices in the new street contemplated by the scheme, leaving ¿£500,000 as the net cost. The buildings were estimated at ¿£500,000, or a million altogether, which represented an addition to the rates of two-sevenths of a penny in the pound as against one-fourteenth of a penny, which is the present sum paid for the housing of the Council. After a three hours’ discussion the Bill was thrown out by a majority ol eighty-one votes. Questions to ministers followed, and of these the most important was one put by Mr. J. Roche to Mr. Chamberlain, asking whether the South African Republic had yet presented
their claim for an idemnity for the late raid. He also wanted to know the amount of the claim and from wffiom 'it was demanded. Mr. Chamberlain in reply read a telegram from the British Agent in Pretoria which stated that he had received a note on the matter from the Transvaal »Government. The amount claimed fell under two heads : Material damage, total claim, .£677,938 3s. 3d. Mr. Chamberlain significantly emphasized the odd shillings and pence, which were greeted with loud laughter from all narts of the House, which was repeated when he proceeded t ) the second head— Moral or intellectual damage, total claim, £1,000,000. This claim by the Transvaal Government did not include any legitimate claims which might be demanded by private persons. But the House was not
je t satisfied. Mr. Gibson Bowles wanted to know whether the million was in addition to the £677,000. The Colonial Secretary thought it was, but there was some ambiguity about it. The moral and intellectual damage seemed to be valued separately at a million, but it might be that it had
been valued at £322,061 16s. 9d. in order to make up a round million, with the material damage, as the total claim. It would be interesting to know on what basis the moral or intellectual damage has been estimated. If Mr. Chamberlain should turn out to be mistaken in his interpretation, and the moral or intellectual damage is intended to figure out at three hundred thousand and odd pounds, it has been calculated it would represent an assessment of the ethical and mental equipment (whole and untarnished) of the Transvaal Boers at about £80 a-head. Of course we shall hear more of the matter. Meanwhile, public opinion in Pretoria is said to disapprove of part of the claim for indemnity being based on a ground so difficult to estimate. President Kruger does not seem to have been well advised.
It was scarcely to be expected that the Cretan question would be allowed by the
by the powers. Opposition to work out without a hot dis
cussion in the Blouse. The ships of the
combined Powers had opened fire in the vicinity of Canea upon the Cretan insurgents, and the Greeks who acted with them. Accordingly, after question time, Mr. Labouchere | moved the adjournment of the House on a matter of urgent I public importance, the firing on Greek forces in Crete by
her Majesty’s ships. With the exception of Sir Charles j Dilke, all the members on the Opposition side of the House,
including the occupants of the front bench, rose in their places in answer to thejquestion put by the Speaker. Mr. Labouchere in a singularly vehement speech denounced the action of the Government in taking possession, along with the other Powers, of three towns in Crete, and in afterwards firing upon Greek and Cretan forces which had declined to recognize the occupation by the Powers. It was time that the Liberal party should speak out. The question was not a party but a national one; they believed that England should not interfere, either diplomatically or by force of arms, on behalf of the Turkish Empire, or of that foul blot on civilization, the Sultan. Here Mr. Labouchere was called to order by the Speaker, and made haste to conclude in a milder key. The motion was seconded in a speech full of fiery earnestness,by Mr. Dillon, who insisted that the forces of England were ranged on the side of Turkey, and against the Greeks and Cretans. He pressed for an answer as to the international position of England in the matter. If England were not at war with Greece, he did not see how she could turn her guns against the Greek forces and do the dirty work of acting policeman for the Su'tan. Mr. Balfour, by word and example, sought to raise the debate above the
A bw Series. Vol. LVII.. No. 2,273.
