The debate of Thursday elicited some important statements both from
Mr. Brodrick and Sir Michael Hicks-Beach. Mr. Brodrick clearly intends to investigate what are called " the disasters," and to punish the officers he finds responsible for them, at all events with dismissal. He included surrenders among the disasters. The Chancellor of the Exchequer repeated his assurance that the Transvaal should pay part of the expenses of the war, and left the impression that he inclined towards direct taxation on the mines,—an idea which will make the "Kaffir Circus" furious, and may possibly be resisted by the Radicals in " Colonial " interest. Already Sir W. Harcourt is proclaiming that nothing can be obtained from the mines by the British taxpayer, all the resources being. so to speak, mortgaged for the payment of compensations and the maintenance of the armed police, which we may remark en. passant has already attracted ten thousand appli- cations for admittance from this country. So great indeed is the desire to enter the force that men will be picked by a sort of competitive examination.
Previous page
