TRANSVAAL RAID,

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7962, 15 July 1897, Page 2

TRANSVAAL RAID,

REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY. RHODES AND SEVERAL FRIENDS REPROVED. GOVERNOR AND COLONIAL OFFICE EXONERATED. Lojjpon-, July 14. The report of the Transvaal Raid Inquiry Committee is published. It, admits the existence of groat discontent at Johannesburg, but holds that Mr Cecil Rhodes was not justified in subsidising, organising, and stimulating an armed insurrection against the Transvaal, and employing the forces of the South African Chartered Co. to carry out such an insurrection. The Committee find that though Dr Jameson entered the Transvaal without Mr Rhodes' direct sanction. Mr Rhodes' heavy responsibility remains, as lie controlled a great, combination of interests and used them to support a revolution. He deceived Lord Rosmead, his own Ministry at the Cape, and the directors of the Chartered Company, while he led his subordinates to believe that their superiors approved of his plans. The report acquits the majority of the Chartered Company's directors, but holds that Mr Maguire, Mr Rhodes' agent in London, was aware of Mr Rhodes' views, while Mr Alfred Beit prominently shared in the negotiations. Lord Rosmead is exonerated from any guilty knowledge of the intended raid. Sir Graham Bower, Imperial Secretary to the High Commissioner at the Cape, is strongly condemned. The Committee have further decided that the Colonial Ollice officials received no information conveying any warning of the intended incursion. The Committee fully accept the Hon. Mr Chamberlain's statement, denying aivy knowledge of the affair, and exonerate the Colonial Office officials. Mr V. J. Newton, Resident Commissioner in Bechuanaland, who during the inquiry admitted being aware of Dr Jameson's intentions and giving him assistance, without informing Lord Rosmead, is censured. Mr Labouchere, in a minority report, regrets that the alleged complicity of the Colonial Ollico was not probed to the bottom. He condemns the seventy of the sentences passed upon the otliccrs who took part with Dr Jameson in the invasion, and suggests that their commissions be restored. Mr Lahouchere's report admits that the Colonial Office officials were not aware that the Bechuanaland grant was intended to be used for assisting the Jameson invasion.