JABEZ BALFOUR INTERVIEWED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9491, 21 April 1894, Page 2 (Supplement)

JABEZ BALFOUR INTERVIEWED.

A gentleman' writing from Buenos Ayres on February 7 says that, after considerable trouble, he managed an interview with Jabez Spencer Balfour. The first question put to Balfour was Supposing that the English courts found him " Not guilty," what did he intend to do? "I should most

certainly come out to Salta again," he answered, " whether I am set free here at once, or only after my trial in England. I have commenced business here, and I am most pleased with the locality. I have made a provisional contract with the Klix brewery, which comes into force on the Ist of July, and I am going to start a steam sawmill and a flourmill. I have not wished to keep money in the house, and I was on my way to pay the rent when I was arrested." " Do you know what the charge against you is, Mr. Balfour?" "I only know from a note which I have received from the British Consul. I wrote to him to ask the question, and in reply I gob this note :—' To J. B. Balfour (ho does not even know my name, you see). —In reply to your question, I beg to inform you that you are charged with having fraudulently obtained £20,000, from the House and Land . Investment Trust (Limited).' We shall soon see about this charge. Once let the whole truth be known, and there will be a universal revulsion of feeling in England in ray favour." " But were you not connected with the Liberator Society ?" " Hot in the slightest degree. I have not been a director of the Liberator 3ociety for the last nine years, and I had no connection whatever with the concern at the time of its failure. Lord Oxenbridge was the president of the society from the time of its foundation, 28 years ago, when I was only 23. He was introduced by other directors of the society. I did not know him." " But your son Mr. James Balfour —had he no connection with the society ?" " He had ; but I only allowed him to become connected with it after I had made careful inquiries from the highest officials with regard to the balance-sheets. When that inquiry was completed I waived my. objections to his taking the post." Questioned as to his opinion of the country, Mr. Balfour said ; " I thoroughly admire it, and I am of opinion thab only five years ot resolute government are wan ted to completely heal all the evil effects of the recent crisis. lam so convinced of the future destiny of the country, that I am writing a book which I shall publish in England, giving particulars of the climate and soil of the place, and urging English emigrants to come out. I do not, however," he continued. "like the way in which Mr. Consul Bridgett has been permitted to act in arresting me. He seemed to be under the impression that he was in a British dependency, and not in an independent State. He has acted like a common policeman. They cannot extradite me without suspending the Habeas Corpus Act. In fact, they will have to alter the Constitution of England to do it. To extradite me, even as far as England is concerned, would be to destroy the bulwarks of liberty, for if reciprocity is promised, the undertaking cannot be made good without tho destruction of the Habeas Corpus Act." The correspondent who interviewed him states that Bah'out* appeared quite cheerful and confident. He is the hero of the day at

Salta, and is considered to be a model of resignation and patience. The Governor states that he spends much of his time reading the Bible. One of his first requests, after his arrest, was that he might be permitted to have his Bible, Shakespere, and some of Thackeray's works with him in the cell. He denies that he ran away from England, or that there was any secrecy about his movements; he came to Salta simply for the benefit of his health. He receives many letters from England through a Mr. Eugene Claveerie, of Salta. Two were in the possession of that gentleman when the arrest took place, and one contained bank notes to the value of £110. Thij money has been handed to Balfour, and in the absence of any instructions to the contrary his letters will in future go straight into his hands. The arrest of Jabez Balfour, it seems, wa3 effected through the publication of a portrait of him in the Penny Illustrated Paper, which was identified by an Englishman who knew him at Salta as Samuel Butler, and who happened to see it posted on a notice board at the British consulate at Bueno3 Ayres. This led to tho journey of the British consul to Salta, and to the immediate arrest of Balfour, who had assumed the name of Butler.