GENERAL CABLES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIX, Issue IV, 26 July 1902, Page 215

GENERAL CABLES.

The King's Convalescence.

It is stated that the King will make • long sea-cruise after the Coronation.

The King started from London for his cruise early last week. Six sailors, under the superintendence of Sir Frederick Treves, surgeon, carried him on a couch to an ambulance, .which was driven to the Victoria railway station. There His Majesty was transferred on the train. The greatest privacy was maintained and the platform was screened. The King s couch was placed in a specially constructed ambulance carriage, rubber-tyred, wherein the Queen, nurses and surgeons also went to Victoria railway station. The blinds were closely drawn. The railway journey from London to Portsmouth was made in a special saloon car. His Majesty bore the journey exceedingly well, and was in excellent spirits. The doctors and attendants alone witnessed the embarkation on the Royal yacht, Victoria and Albert, at Portsmouth.

The trip to Cowes was greatly enjoyed. The King was placed high enough to see out of the pavilion on deck, and was greatly pleased with the change. Sir Francis Knollys, private secretary to the King, telegraphed from CoWes at midnight that the journey had been most successful, and that His Maiesty was none the worse for it.

A bulletin stated that the King bore the journey extremely well and Buffered no inconvenience.

He spent a good night and his general condition is excellent. He was much gratified at the change of air and scene. “Truth” states that the King’s long cruise after the Coronation will terminate at Aberdeen. He will then proceed to Balmoral. The King was on deck for several hours yesterday, in Ideal weather. The Prince of Wales is aboard the Royal yacht. The British fleet is preparing to return to Spithead for the Coronation, also the Japanese squadron. The King is steadily improving. His diet is less restricted. The British Medical Journal states that the wound is closing well from the bottom, and that His Majesty eight or nine hours continuously at night. His general health is better for the past three weeks’ rest. The “Lancet” says the King looks better than he has done for some years, and there is reasonable hope that the breezes of the Solent will accelerate his recovery. The King continues to make satisfactory progress, and is benefiting in every way by the change. He sleeps well and spends the greater part of the day on a couch on the open deck. " THE CORONATION. It is officially announced that the Coronation will take place on August •th. Sir E. Barton opposes the Earl of Meath’s suggestion to declare an “Empire Day” holiday, on the ground that there an already too many holidays in Australia. Mr. Seddon, Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Sir A. Hime support the Earl of Meath’s propc sal. THE BISLEY MEETING. The Australians made excellent practice for the Kolapore Cup, securing the best average, competing with the New Zealanders and other colonial shots. The best eight Australians firing at Bisley under Kolapore Cup conditions averaged scores of 943. The New Zealanders won the fifth prize tn Mappin's match with a score of 145. The winners made 176.

At the Bisley Rifle Meeting, owing to a misunderstanding with reference to the enforcement of the time limit In the Mackin non Cup match for volley firing at 800yds, the Scotland and New Zealand teams, after protesting, withdrew. The Australian team won the match with a score of 1328 points. Canada scored 1308, Rhodesia 1267,

and England 1265. At the instance of Mr Seddon, the War Office has abandoned the charge of 10/ per hundred rounds of ammunition, hitherto paid by the colonial teams at Bisley. ENGLISH POLITICS. Mr Balfour has assumed the post of Privy Seal without salary and has confirmed his various colleagues in office. .» Several changes or exchanges in office are expected before the autumn. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach said the parting with Lord Salisbury would break the tradition of his own life. Two years ago he asked to be relieved of office on personal, not political, grounds. That ended, he renewed his desire to Mr Balfour, who admitted that the circumstances submitted required consideration. If he momentarily "returned to office it would only be to show his loyalty to the new leader, to whom, whether in or out of office, he would give his best help. The King has conferred on Lord Salisbury the Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order set in brilliants. The “Standard” says that Lord Salisbury’s retirement now instead of later on is convenient to the King, enabling him to have complete rest and freedom from trouble contingent on the change of Premiers. The change of leadersship at this time is also convenient to Parliament. The Continental newspapers are unanimous in their appreciation of Lord Salisbury. The Berlin papers hope that Mr Balfour will improve the relations with Germany. The “Times” foreshadows the probability of Lord Halsbury (Lord Chancellor), Lord James, of Hereford, and Lord Ashbourne (Lord Chancellor of Ireland) retiring in favour of younger men, and the promotion of Mr G. Wyndham and Mr Austen Chamberlain to Cabinet rank. • IMPERIAL FEDERATION. Lloyd’s Register entertained the colonial Pi-emiers at luncheon. The Lord Mayor and the leading shipowners were present. Sir E. Barton, responding to the toast of the prosperity of the colonies, after emphasising the desire that the colonies should trade with the Motherland rather than with foreigners, urged that the Motherland in return should prefer to trade with the colonies. Her trade with the colonies was increasing in larger proportions than her trade elsewhere. The colonies' message to the Motherland was: “Look after the whole of your trade, but your friends first.” Continuing, he said it was unnecessary for any part of the Empire to sacrifice its fiscal policy or any principle, but it was possible to bring about a closer cohesion. They should abandon extremes all round for the sake of the common good. That was all they were likely to reach in the present Imperial Conference, but in that they would have reached common ground. Lord Seibourne (Under-Secretary for the Colonies), responding to the toast of “The Flag,” asked whether the colonies fully realised what the navy meant. Then replying to the suggestion that in war-time the colonies would give the utmost assistance in their power, he asked what would that be worth in time of naval war unless there was previous preparation. Such procrastination was a certain road to withering defeat. What would be the position of the colonies if they were separate nations? It would be in the power of foreign countries to seize them. Canada and Australia would, if they were separate nations, have to spend at least one million pounds per annum on a navy, apart from the expenditure on docks, barracks, harbours, and hospitals. Moreover, each colony as a separate nation would be within the orbit of a foreign Power. The navy was the Empire’s safety. The National Liberal Club gave a dinner to the colonial Premiers. Lord Carrington presided.

Sir Wilfred Laurier admitted with regret the impossibility of universal free trade within the Empire.

Sir E. Barton said nothing would flow from the present conference that would be at variance with the inalienable autonomy of the colonies or that would diminish their individual rights of self-government. Mr Seddon advocated aiding in building the ships of the Empire on conditions as favourable as those under which ships were built in foreign countries. He denounced combines.

A number of colonial visitors, including Mr Seddon, attended the Duke of Marlborough’s garden party at Blenheim. The colonial Premiers are consulting their Cabinets relative to the maximum Australasian contributions to the auxiliary squadron. The Admiralty’s proposal is considered excessive.

Mr G. H. Reid, in a speech delivered in Melbourne last week, referred to the naval subsidy and said that to ask for a big contribution would touch Australia on her weakest spot. Great Britain did not want the money, but loyalty and fair play. She wanted the people here to use the liberty she had given them, so as not to treat her as a foreigner. The real strength of the Empire would He in its commercial relations, and the treatment of the Motherland as a foreign nation would be the greatest strain of all on the strength of the Imperial connection. If they hit the Mother Country through her trade it would be so damaging that a £ 50,000 subsidy to the Navy would be no solatiumTHE RE-SETTLEMENT OF AFRICA. The ex-National Scouts are being subjected to persecution and boycotting. A distinct reaction re the claims of the Boers is apparent, especially in the towns, and it is suggested that the best means of overcoming bitterness would be by the appointment of prominent Dutchmtn to the Executive Council or the Repatriation Committee.

Many burghers who fought to the end are wearing Government badges, also republican colours.

The Hon. Dr. Smartt heads the party which is opposed to Sir Gordon Sprigg, the Cape Premier, and advocates drastic reforms in the Government of Cape Colony.

Judge Hertzog, addressing Boer prisoners on parole, asked them to remember that they were Transvaalers and Free Staters first, and then citizens of the Empire. Their surrender was not due to defeat, but to a desire to save their women and Children from further misery. HONOURS TO AUSTRALIANS. The Duke of Connaught presented war-medals to two thousand colonial and other troops at Alexandra Palace, and conversed with many of the recipients. Mr Seddon was present. The Duke of Connaught handed Colonel Bauchope (of New Zealand) the Order of St. Michael and St. George. The recipients of the medals included 48 Australians and 56 New Zealanders. THE PREMIERS IN ENGLAND. Sir E. Barton sails for Canada on August 16 on his return to Australia. Whether Mr Seddon returns by way of Canada depends on his wife’s health. Mrs Seddon was removed to Ramsgate on Tuesday.

THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE. Sir E. Barton states that preferential trade has been only incidentally mentioned at the Conference. No regular discussion on the subject has yet occurred. He expects that four more sittings will conclude the deliberations of the Conference, the results of which will be more considerable, he says, if expectations are not placed too high. Mr Harry De Windt's expedition, which is travelling by land from Paris to New York, has arrived at Dawson City via Siberia and the Behring Straits. De Windt left Paris early in the year, expecting to arrive in New York in August. With the view of lightening the work of the Colonial Conference, the

Premiers hold special separate interviews with Lord Selborne and tiis Admiralty authorities. A similar plan is likely to be fallowed on other questions, the Home Government thus ascertaining the views of each colony. Sir E. Barton, speaking at the Canada Club dinner, said the Conference was sowing the m sstard seed which was destined to produce great things, and make the unity of the Empire a reality. Speaking at the Canada Chib Sir E. Barton said that if Canada WM the Empire's granary Australia was the Empire’s butcher.

Mr. Chamberlain presided on the 18th at the Imperial Conference. Lord Onslow (Under-Secretary for the Colonies), Sir M. Ommonney (Permanent Under-Secretary), Mr. Gerald Balfour (President of the Board of Trade), the Earl of Dudley (Parliamentary Secretary to the Board), Sir Francis Hopwood (Permanent Secretary). Sir Alfred Bateman (Comp-troller-General for Commerce) and Sir Robert Giffen attended.

The commjrcial and trade relations of Great Britain and the colonies, especially fiscal questions and the prospects of preferential tariffs between the Motherland and the colonies, and between the colonies themselves, were debated, the discussion occupying the whole sitting. Mr. Seddon moved his preferential trade resolution.

Sir E. Barton submitted a resolution in general terms that it was desirable to establish eloser trade relations between the colonies and the Motherland. He indicated sympathy with preferential relations without pledging Australia to give such concession in the immediate future. He implied that such an arrangement must be left to the initiative of each Government and its Legislature, which must work out their own destiny.

The discussion proceeded amicably. Mr. Chamberlain modified his previous attitude, and in a non-commit-tal statement said the Government recognised the difficulties, and desired to proceed cautiously. They also saw that it was impossible for one Government to bind its successors in regard to fiscal policy. His remarks suggested a willingness to meet colonial concessions by liberal subsidies and bounties for objects of common interest.

The formulating of definite proposals on the question has been reserved, and the Conference adjourned until Tuesday. Sir E. Barton is gratified "that his attitude at the Conference meets with the approval of the Australian States. He says momentous questions are being discussed, but the results achieved will not be opposed to public opinion. There was no reason to fear that the Commonwealth would be bound to adopt courses out of harmony with public opinion without Parliament being consulted. Such action, he adds, would be utterly at variance with his view.

Mr Balfour, speaking at Fulham, said Mr Chamberlain's personality breathed a new inspiration in colonial affairs No one henceforth could regard the colonies as the mere paper glory of Great Britain. If the Imperial Conference resulted in increasing prosperity in time of peace there would be greater strength in time of war. It would, even if there was no formal agreement or discussion, bind the different portions of the Empire more closely together Wax and parchment would be valueless unless backed by those sentiments of the great populations concerned which alone would make them effective.

The colonial Premiers attended a garden fete at Hatfield House, Hertfordshire (Lord Salisbury’s country seat), on Saturday. GENERAL BULLER’S CASE. In the House of Commons last week Sir E. Grey brought up the queatlon of the publication of the Buller despatches. He said it was unfair to publish documents exclusively unfavourable to General Buller, who ought to be allowed to submit his case to a special tribunal. It was possible to give a fresh interpretation of the famous hallogram.