The Lyttelton Times SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 1898.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIX, Issue 11555, 16 April 1898, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 1898.

New Zealand four per cent stock is quoted at 111, tliree and a haf per cent 105, three per cent 98i. The English wheat market shows a general advance of sixpence. The Continental and American markets are rising. , The report of the Chartered Company, presented at a meeting of shareholders, speaks hopefully of the future of Rhodesia. It uproposed to borrow a million and a half. The Arbitration Court resumed its sittings yesterday, when further evidence with regard to the dispute in the engineering trade was heard. M. Zola declares that the limitation of his second trial to the imputation that Count Esterhazy was acquitted by order of the Minister of War reveals the fact that his enemies fear the truth. Don Carlos has issued a manifesto which declares that the Spanish Government will be traitors if through fear of war they permit the loss of Cuba. He announces his intention to visit Spain for the purpose of raising volunteers. The German press declares that Germany will not grant favoured nation treatment to the British colonics unless German imports are admitted on the same terms as British.

Major Kemp, a famous Maori chief, who was a strong ally of the British during the Native wars, died at Wanganui yesterday. Mr Boreham, of Oamaru, won the Draughts Tournament which was concluded at Wellington yesterday. It is believed that the United States Senate will pass a resolution authorising the President to employ force in Cuba forthwith. A further serious outbreak against Spanish authority is reported from the Philippine Islands.

The various Ambassadors at Washington consider that war between the United States and Spain is inevitable.

THE BRITISH IN SOUTH

AFRICA

That restless Imperialist, Mr Cecil Rhodes, is, with his fellow-millionaire, Mr Alfred Beit, still to have a voice in the development «f Rhodesia on the directorate of the British South Africa Chartered Company. The plans of Mr .Rhodes are well known. He has never, in fact, made any effort to conceal them, and his recent re-entry into public life at the Capo was with the avowed object of working for the realisation of his Empire-making projects. He has started a new political party—a combination of

Liberalism and Imperialism—with a view to nullifying the influence of the Afrikander Bund, which he lately declared to be “ against progress, unity and equality,” and to be “ ruled by the Continental gang at Pretoria.” He recognises that at present the Cape, Natal and Ehodesia are absorbed in localism; but he hopes to influence them all in favour of colonial federation. ’ Some significant words were spoken a few weeks ago at Graaf Eeinet, when members of the Afrikander Bund waited upon the Governor of Cape Colony to assure him of their loyalty. Sir Alfred Milner, evidently thinking that they protested too much, said ho would prefer to take their loyalty for granted; but he added that “he could not shut his eyes to unpleasant facts. At any prospect of a difference between the Imperial Government and the Transvaal a mass of people in the colony, without even the semblance of impartiality, espoused the cause of the Transvaal. The earnest desire of Great Britain was to avoid quarrel, and to insist only on the minimum of external control necessary for the future tranquillity of South Africa, This was her attitude, and she could not be frightened out of it,” Sir James Sivewright, who also spoke, said that so long as Afrikanders remained true and faithful the English colonists were bound to respect the feelings of their neighbours ; but the Government would do its utmost to maintain the position of Great Britain as the paramount Power, and if any other Power attempted to step in, their words would be, “ Hands off! ” The news that the Chartered Company proposes to raise a loan of a million and a half is proof of a determination to prosecute a forward policy in South Africa. It may well happen that the British investor will decline to sink any more capital in Ehodesia. A writer in the National lleview has just been throwing doubt upon the reported mineral wealth of the Chartered Company’s territory, and has pointed out that twqnty-four millions sterling of British money has been sunk in Ehodesian mines, never to return. The policy of peopling the country with British colonists is being steadily pursued, and it may be assumed that the moneyed men who have such a large interest in the company have some certain knowledge of mineral resources as the basis of their faith. Mr Ehodes’s plan is to effect a peaceful revolution by making Ehodesian influence so powerful as to dominate the Transvaal and the Orange Eree State. The programme was expounded in explicit terms the other day by Mr George Wyndham, M.P., in the course of a speech at Edinburgh. The growth of population would soon, he said, warrant the concession of self-govern-ment. Ehodesia would then join hands with Natal and Cape Colony. Then there would follow the federation of South Africa, consummated with due regard to autonomy to the two Eepublics, but established under 'the protection of the paramount Power. A knowledge that this is the settled policy of Great Britain has doubtless shown Germany the futility of coquetting with the Transvaal and raisingfalse hopes in the breasts of the Boers. The German semi-official organs are now advising the Boers to keep on friendly terms with Great Britain, and if the Government of the.Trausvaal has only sense enough to follow this counsel tiie peaceful development of South Africa will go on without necessity for any rising or raid or warlike campaign of any kind.