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NEGOTIATIONS STILL IN PROGRESS. SIR ALFRED MILNER AT | PRETORIA. DETERMINED ATTACK ON LICHTENBURG. BRITISH OFFICERS KILLED. The report of the surrender of General Bctha turns out to have been somewhat Premature, but there is reason to believe that the rumours were founded on fact. As late as Wednesday the Central News stated, apparently with some authority, that negotiations between the Boer leaders and the British authorities with a view to bringing hostilities in South Africa to an end are still in progress. Sir Alfred Milner's visit to Pretoria is intimately con- nected with the present condition of affairs, and it is authoritatively asserted that since Monday last the pourparlers from the British side have been under Lis Personal direction. There has been some heavy fighting at Lichtenburg, which is situated in the Western Transvaal, some fifty miles east of Mafeking. The first intimation of this Was contained in a dispatch from Lord •Kitchener, which was issued by the War Office on Thursday afternoon. It was as follows: •— „„ PEETOEIA, March 6 (7.47 p.m.). Lichtenberg is being attacked by • Delarey's forces. Fighting continued all day. Major W. Fletcher and Sbcond-lieu- tenatot H. D. Hull, 1st Battalion Northum. berland Fusiliers, were killed. The, garrison of Lichtenberg it 20:3 Yeomanry and 300 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, with two guns. I am sending reinforcements. i .Major Edward Walter EtetcJjer seij^pd ^ith the 2nd Battalion Northumborlanft «usiliers throughiitet the Hazara Campaign 'n 1888, and received the medal and clasp. The gallant officer, who went to South t Africa in 1899, was present at the engage- H ttxent at Stormberg. # ft Second-lieutenant Dauntesey Hull v received his commission in April, 1800. It would seem, in the light of recent «vou'u. t'.rt all an 'To scale in Cape C01,.uy are at an fi frttt it must not be supposed t ? De Wet's force is altogether ok en up On the contrary, his return }? tile Orange River Colony has meant that fresh horses and additional troops fcave come tc his aid. The latest official Tlews .shows that the enemy are marching on Pauresmith, evidently with the object 9f further augmenting their supplies and Joining hands with the small commandos operating in that district before making Another dash for the southwest. Fortu- nately, Jagersfontein, on the main line of communication, is not far distant from -Plauresmith. and it is, therefore, possible in a very short time to concentrate hugø columns in the neighbourhood of the latter wwn, while at Hopetown, near which the will have to pass if they make for the south-west, as is fully expected, is occupied by a fairly large British garrison, between the two last-named positions the grange River offers considerable opposi- in its present state, and no less than columns are ready to receive the enemy when they again attempt to cross the river in a southerly direction. The position of De Wet's fores is, therc- l?r.G> a critical one, for, with a large British garrison at Bloemofntein, arty attempt to proceed further north than auresmith would mean immediate invest- ment, and the only course open to the y, and offering any prospect of is to the north-west, in the direc- lK)n of Jacobsdal. Even then the increased British force at Kimberley and along tlie taIlway line connecting that important Centre with the southern base renders the Movement a dangerous one.

DETAILS OF THE ESCAPE OF DE WET, now THE CROSSING WAS EFFECTED. 'J*ho story of De Wet's expulsion from the yi'ange Fiver Colony has been graphically ^escribed by the special correspondents of the ress Association: — COLESBEEG, Monday. rhe recent operations which have resulted 11 driving De Wet out of Cape Colony were '•ti'ried out on a large scale. The columns |irihatred were numerous, und all worked mag- 'jjieenily, as De Wet only escaped alter losing jr'together about 400 men, two guns, and a jJUaiber of wagons and Cape carts, besides jJUrie's private papers containing De Wet's "rrlP8 for the invasion of the Colony. e ''e failure to capture the redoubtable ffeQeral is certainly regrettable in the extreme. htkams to it Bhouid be placed 'her on the system than on the actual com- 0'an«J«r. Since it is impossible to direct operations by telegraph, it is felt that greater i *creti°n should be allowed to the commander \vh^iU The enormous extent of country lch it is necessary to cover renders the task rlr Capturing De Wet extremely difficult. In *a».er to understand the difficulties it is nec-ea- to regard De Wet as a hare, and the c0'umns as hounds. When the hare sin es Pursuing hound is nonplussed, he often overruns the former by twenty c,h. miles, and thus loses immediately all Office of participating in the pursuit. De treks, perhaps, five miles a day more Ujg11 the best column, so that unless a corn- it j^der strikes at his rearguard immediately \vjt? almost impossible to continue in contact him. Tievp enemy are demoralised as, they have q^ioti been before, but the Boer3 appear y to recover if they are allowed a few Sivp reet- De Wet 18 still in a position to '•Urn Ua rons'<i'erablc trouble, though the cap- bnt 4Pr destruction of his commando is now p the work of time. sGlf General Plumer distinguished him- 'a than the rest of the commanders recent operations. With .grim deter- tljt. ^tiort, he followed De Wet's track across slon^-ver an across the railway line, never tW'^ine; for supplies, and ultimately turned t°riTiPfr,ny V' i within the triangular ground ^«^cl by tho bend of the Orange River near Ut?l- Horses died and transport had to tcH. thohmd. but General Plumer still pushed never resting until having accom- of turning the enemy. He fi'on1 sheer exhaustion to leave On tirsuit fresher liaiid3. Jact "3rd ult. ho got into immediate con- Jook n'La41the Boers. Colonel Henniker then Cnnto;^ f,i?e Pursuit, and pressed the enemy. Mth t /Tarket, of the Coldstream Guards. eRirriPT,+ ew of the Victorian Imperial ,v?|; camo in sight of two of the enemy's 1° trot v could hardly urge their horses i^°iutnH 8Wi! they continued. The Boers I'M tli» and rammed home the shell, I?9 enpm!>nrsu,ers never faltered, and before J^fker 1 pnt in t'le cartridge Captain -n^ P eiose, and thoy abandoned the r^'SuitiB.i During the whole of that kaPta,in Victorians did splendid work, vv bis .^Pecialiy distinguished himself Udlinp. ^MD'ficent persistence and clever v'ition nf 41. 8 men. Such v/as the demorali- fc?00 men aiiJ? e^emy that for several miles lie vwT themselves to be pursued by treat t?!1 ,"eii(;eforward thought only of doubled back, orossed the line at. -_c_ h Kraniiuil, and made straight for the Orange River. General Plumer's force straggled into Hope- town exhausted and starving, while Colonels Henniker and Crabbe took up the running. At this stage of the operations the position was. bpifUv. as follows:—De Wet was making for th-> nearest drift. He was within an irregular dctuare, formed by the railway line, from Orange Eiver Station 4o De Aar, from De Aar to iSaauwpoort, and thcn.ce to Norvals Pont, with the Orange River. Colonel Thorneycroft, who entrained at Victoria West, had hastened to Krankuil. whence he followed close upon the heels of De Wet, with his left resting upon the Orange River. Colonels Henniker and Crabbe formed in extension of Tt-crneyeroft's right. Colonel Hickman marched via Philipstown in order to fill up the centre gap, and Colonels Haig and Williams marched from Hanover Road to complete the encircling line, wilile Colonel Byng took train from Colesberg, and Lurried to fill up the right gap. It looked as though Do Wet's capture was certain, for the river was impassable, and was rising daily. Colonel Plumer. who had somewhat recovered, had entrained at Spring- fontein. and was ready to meet the enemy north of the river. Colonels Henniker and Crabbe, by puahing steadily along the bank of the Tiver, were gradually driving De Wet into Colonel Byng s hands, and Colonels Hick- man. Hnig, and Williams prevented any doubling back. On the last, day I may mention that our l.nu of investment raa along the Zeekoe River to a point about fifteen miles south, and thence dn8 east towards Colesberg Wagon Bridge. De Wet was all the time making a vain attempt to cross the river, and was, appa- rently. moving along iu a hopeless manner. but clinging to the river as his sole means of safety. Ho felt his way with marvellous fkill, and his patrols acted as sensitive tentacles, which withdrew at the slightest opposition. Everything appeared to be going most favourably, although the country was ter- ribly difficult, and heavy rains made trekking almost impossible. But everybody worked magnificently. It seemed, to judge from De Wet's cautious eastern move, that the brunt of the fighting would fall on Colonel Eyng, whose orders were to move on Hamelfontein, and who was bound to obey these orders. This waa the psychological moment of the whole opera- tions, and. like a flash of lightning. De Wet took advantage of it. He had only 24 hours to get over the river, but this was quite long enough. When Colonel Bvng returned it was to find that D2 We had croFsed the river at Lilliefontein, four miles west of Colesberg Road Bridge. No blame is attached to Colonel Byng, who obeyed peremptory orders, but his temporary absence can-red the failure to capture De Wet. It is impossible not to admire De Wet's mili- tary genius aifd the way in which he imme- diately realised and acted upon a temporary error of judgment. There is some consola- tion for us in the fact that De Wet's attempted invasion was tho most disastrous adventure that has yet befallen him. He was forced to abandon over 4,000 horses and most of his convoy, but the manner of his escapc reflects great credit on his military capacity. Un- fortunately, the Hopetown district was not denuded cf horses and-these De Wet secured. Hertzog also brought-a welcome addition }n some splendid horses, most of whioh good condition. One of the moat. striking incidents in the pursuit of De Wet- waa the capture of 27 Boens bv fifteen Victorians belonging to Colopel Henniker's column, under Captain DaHjmors, at tlj* pf Berkoe into tijfe Tiranjfe Eiver.. S; V Oem> of De "Wet's tentacles had Been stretched out to obecure the.approach of Nesblti's Horse, and Ge4*4g«I Henniker-detached detain Dalli- more to reconnoitre. He return ad next day with 26 ftojsrs, sis blacks, and 50 horses. The manrlcr in which the capture was ■effected was most ingenious. The manrlcr in which the capture was -effected was most ingenious. Captain Dallimore reconnoitred the enemy's position during the day. and at nijrln drove off their hor6€«. At early duwn the Boers were surrounded, and they were awakened hy the firing of volleys over their heads. I The enemy ran to fetch their horses, but. finding tkem gone, took cover, and returned our fire, which, was continued for half an hour. Captain Dallimore, having captured a black, hour. our fire, which, was continued for half an hour. Captain Dallimore, having captured a black, gent him wita a flag of truce to demand the surrender of the Boer patrol, failing which he threatened to turn a big gun against them. The Boers then surrendered, and were greatly chagrined to find their captors so few. The position of affairs is now far from depres- sing. Although De Wet has escaped. G-eneral Plumer wiil soon be able to establish contact, while Colonels Haig and Williams are follow- ing hard. The other columns fleeing with D2 Wet cannot last much longer, unless they are given a rest. which is unlikely. The hardships endured by tb/i troops lately j have been very great. They have been sub- jected to terrible thunderstorms, have been often miles away from their bags-age on half rations, and sometimes on none at all, while always making long and weary marches and doing heavy outpost duties. All calls on them have been responded to heartily and willingly. As an instance of the enormous distance covered, it may be mentioned that some columns marched over 800 miles last month, seldom doing less than 25 miles a day. All the commands have done excellent work. G-sneral Plumer deserves every credit, while Colonels Henniker and Orabbe have pursued the enemy with splendid pertinacity. As one Boer prisoner remarked to the Press Association correspondent, "The end is not far off." DE WET'S WHEREABOUTS. CAPE TOWN, Wednesday. After crossing the Orange River De Wet moved north to Philippolis. Malan's. Scouts, who had. apparently, been detached from De Wet's force, derailed the goods train at Taibosch, and then. moving through Richmond, came in contact with a patrol of 74 of Kitchener's Scouts on February 26 at Klip Kraal. AHo' a sharp engagement, the patrol was forced to surrender, the Boers, who numbered 200, having surrounded them. Malan's men, who are well mounted, yester- day fired on a train at Biojespoort, but they were kept eff by :111 Australian contingent, which was on the train at the time. Kit-'icner's Scouts are following Malan in the north-east of the Colony. A small body of the enemy raided Pella on the 3rd inst., and took four prisoners. A patrol from Kenhardt was fired upon on the 4th thirty miles to the north-east of Kenhart. One man was wounded.—Press Asso- ciation War Special.

BOER ATTACK ON ABERDEEN. ABERDEEN, Wednesday. A force of Boers, numbering about 7,.)0. under Commandant Sehe-epers, made a determined attack on this village yesttrday morning, but owing to the gallantry of the garrison, which consisted of a, nortion of the Derbyshire Militia and the town guard, besides twenty of the 9th Lancers, under the command of Colonel Priestley, the enemy were (.riven off with heavy loss. About. 50 Beers, however, entered the tewn, and released the prisoners in gaol, who mmi- bered eleven. All of them were forced to join the commando, but they subsequently escaped. As far as I have been able to ascertain, the Boers had no time to loot the stores, but tb--y entered the magistrates' office and telegraph office. The instruments in the latter, however, bad been removed. Colonel Parsons arrived here last evening, had been removed. Colonel Parsons arrived here last evening, rnd Colonel Seotoll, with a Colonial column,. after making a rapid forced march frcm Bt au- fort West, arrived here this morning.—Press Association War Special.

BROTHER BOER'S GENTLENESS. A British officer, writing from camp, near Pretoria, says:- The ctlnr day two big troopers in the Yeo- manry went to a small farm, and. hearing a tale of woe—how the people had nothing to eat, and that their relations had all been killed—ga^e them their rations and rode away. But. meeting a hard-hearted old soldier. they went back and searched the house, and found a room filled with meat and bread for the enemy ani ammunition. Of course, down came the farm. One of oil, native scouts was caught by the Boers the other day. They cut the lad open alive and took his inside out. A Boer woman put a little black boy's head in a carpenter's vice and twisted it round until his neck was broken. They really are for the most part savages. One day, as a train full of prisoners was leaving the station, a Boer asked a soldier for a drink of water. He ran and fetched it. at the risk of gettipg into trouble. The Boer nllod his mouth with water and spat it all over the soldier and called him a foul name. And yet ou, soldiers go on being gentlemen, kind to the women and children, and never insulting them. No foreign Commander-in- Chief would dare leave 500 or 600 women and girls in a soldiers' camp.

"FREE FIGHTS" IN THE HOUSE. IRISH MEMBERS REMOVED BY POLICE. « DISGRACEFUL SCENES OF VIOLENCE. After the closure had bêen carried on the Civil Service Estimates Vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday, an extraordinary scene occurred. The Chairman put the ques- tion that £17,304,000 be granted. He was stopped by a perfect storm of cries of "Oh. oh." "Gag. gag," and "Freedom of speech" from the Nationalists. A new Nationalist member tried to raise a poiht of order, but Air. Lowther (the Chairman) silenced him, and proceeded to put the question, directing "the ayes to the right and noes to the left." The Nationalists shouted, "We won't divide, and we shall sit where we are." The Chairman, when the Hbuse was cleared of all but the Irish members, asked the hon. members to be kind enough to proceed into the division lobbies. There were various angry and defiant shoutsr ;n reply, such as "Certainly not." and "We sha'n't." Mr. FLAVIN (N., Kerry, N.) rose and said: Mr. Lowther, we think it our duty to make a protest against the scandalous proceeding of closuring all the Irish votes included in this Vote on Account before any Irish member has spoken. (Nationalist cheers.) The CHAIRMAN: Order, order. It is impos- sible to go back upon the decision of the House. The House has decided that the question shall be put. ("We won't divide.") If the hon. members do not proceed into the lobbies I shall be obliged to report them to the House. (Loud and exultant Nationalist cheers.) Mr. P. A. M'HUGH (N., Leitrim. N.): Cer- tainly, sir; certainly. Bring in your police- men, but you won't make us vote. All the remaining members of the House were waiting, packed in tho division lobbies, and the Chairman sent a message to them to return to the House. He also directed the Clerk of the llouae to take the names of all those members who had declined to obey his ruling. When the members had come back from the lobbies, and the Speaker had returned, Mr. Lowther reported to the Speaker that, in obedience to the decision of the House, he had put the question, and several members had refused to leave their seats and obstructed the business of the House. The Chairman then. read. out the names of the various mem- bers. The SPEAKER then aakfcd th» fe»n. members if they persisted in refusing to' ohnjt, the ruling of the Chair, and. being answ^t^ j the affirmative, named the- various member*, The suspension of the members was moved by Mr. BALFOUR, and the' Irish members refused to move. Their suspension was carried. Therefore, as there were no tellers for the "noes." as £ he hon. members would not move, the Serjeant- at-Arms waa ordered to remove them. and he approached the first member named. Mr. Crean (N., Cork, S.E.), with two or three attendants. The hon. member struggled fiercely, and the police wore sent for. When the auperiiitenclent and about a dozer con- stables waJked into the House the Nationalists jeered at them. Four or five stalwart police- nan proe'ewkd ;d take Inid of Mr. Orcun, but the hon. member stuck his legs sunder the I seats, and could not be moved for some minutes. Meanwhile the other policemen were struggling and flsrhting with' other Irish mem- bers. who stood up and obstructed the pasaago of the police to the seat where Mr. Crean sat. The Irish shouted out, "Don't kill him; den't kill the man." The scene became one of almost indescribable confusion. The Irish members fought and struggled frantically. Never before has such a scene been enacted on the floor of the House of Commons. At "ength the superior foroo of prtVee succeeded in dragging the hon. member from his seat by his legs and arms, and he was carried down the floor of the House, the Irish members standing up and wiidly shouting, "Shame, shame," "Murderers," and "South African brutality." 1'he police having taken Mr. Crean outside' the House. The SPEAKER next called upon Mr. M'Hugh to retire. Mr. M'HUGH: I refu'se to go. This defiance drew forth loud approving shouts from the other members, when a strong body of twenty or thirty policemen again st>rmed the Irish Benches in order to drag forth Mr. M'Hugh. Other members fought and struggled with the police, and impeded the polioe in every '1: Loud, excited, and angry shouts rent- the air. and the benches below the gangway on the Opposition side was a mass of mad, struggling humanity. Several police- men wero struck with fists by members, and in this part of the House free fights between police and members of Parliament seemed to be fairly general. As the hon. member was being borne down the gangway and along the floor of the House, with policemen holding him by arms, lege, and body, and his nnder- clothes showing where his outer garments had been torn away by the strugglo, Mr. Flavin shouted from the back benches, "Nineteen policemen to lemove one Irishman," and there were cries of "Shame, shame," not only from the Irish, but also from some English, Scotch, and Welsh Radical members, who were watching this intensely painful scene. Mr. White and Mr. Cnllinan were removed in a similar way, after struggling fiercely and violently, resisting to the utmost of then- physical powers. Mr. PATRICK O'BRIEN (N., Kilkenny), rising from his place on a rear bench, shouted an appeal to the Speaker to do something to stop this most distressing scene. The SPEAKER: This scene is certainly as distressing to me as it can be to Irish mem- bers. Mr. PATRICK O'BRIEN: For every member on these benches the same scene will have to be re-enacted, and I do tppeal to you and to the Leader of the House to see if he will not :et the matter end now. It would be as well for the House to adjourn now, and then to-morrow we shall meet in a better and diffe- rent temper. The SPEAKER: The only suggestion I can make is that Lon. members, whether they agree with the course the House has taken or not, should observe the rules of the House, and they having been "named" they should retire from the House peacefully and decently. I would earnestly appeal to them to do so. (Cries of "No. no," from the Nationalists.) The SPEAKER then ordered the removal of Mr. Lundon (N., Limerick. E.). Mr. Abraham (N.. Cork), Mr. Doogan (N., Tyrone, E.), Mr. Flavin (N., Kerry, N.), and Captain Doqelan (N., Cork, E.). The policemen, amid tjie renewed howls and execrations from the remaining Nationalists, proceeded, in the same way as before to grapple the members by their legs and arms, lift them over the benches, and so down the Gangway out of the House. Captain Donelan, the Whip of the Nationalist party, refused to move when called upon by the Speaker, and as he was being forcibly ejected his Irish friends rose on the backs of the seats, wftved hats and handkerchiefs, and shouted and sang, "God Save Ireland." Mr. Flavin threw this taunt across the floor to the Unioivists. who sat upright and still in their seats through all, "You will be carried out of South Africa in the same way." When Mr. Flavin's turn came the big, fierce, and powerful-looking member struggled with the police, and several other members started shouts of "Murderers, you murderers." Mr. Flavin, possibly as an appeal to the police to handle him a little less roughly, for the polioe wero exerting all their strength, shouted out, "All right. all right; I don't intend to hurt anybody." This scene of disorder, excitement, angry passions, and fieroe physical struggles having lasted for upwards of half an hour. The SPEAKER rose, and. having called for order, said, "The House will now resume Com- mittee. and I trust hon. members, when the division is again called, will clear the House." Tliis appeal waa mat by loud crios of "No no," from the Irish benches, where there were still about fifty or sixty members sitting. Mr. Nanntfttti (N., Dublin, College Grtend shouted, We will not leave. You might just a,9 well eject ue al'i." Mr. PATRICK O'BRIEN: We shall not, go. We must protest against that vote of seventeen millions being taken without any debate. (Nationalist cheers.) Mr. LOWTHER then resumed the chair, and put the question tha.t the vote on account be agreed to. The Nationalists challenged the vote, but HOIST WITH HIS OWN PETARD. LORD WOLSELEY: "Here goes! I'll blow up the whole J "Lor! who'd 'a thought it would go off like that!" iotten concern!" I refused to appoint any telleirs for a division. The CHAIRMAN: There being no tellers for the "Noes," I declare that the "Ayes" have it, (Loud Ministerial cheers, and jeers and various cries from the Nationalists.) The Speaker then took the Oha.ir, and the vets was reported to him by the Chairman The SPEAKER then. at ten past one, declared the House adjourned. The Nationalists sat in their places, and jeered at Mr. lia-four and other Ministers as they left the bun rung. DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. In the House of Commons on Wednesday, Mr. JOHN REDMOND (N;, Waterford) rose stating that he dssired to bring under the SpoKliev's notice a question of privilege arising o,a{,, ef the painful proceedings which took place on Tuesday night. The ques- tion of privilege which he desired to i*ftise was that members >were reported by the Chairman of Committees as having disregarded the authority of the Clw.ir without proper steps having$><*n takei&dto identify them, and that in the peaiiorsl of tojPe members subsequently violence was nised pf a character which had not ever been previously resorted to. The SPEAKER, intervening, aaid the question was not one of privilege, but of order. Mr. J. REDMOND said he was very forry be was not ir his place the previous nWlit men scene took piacc. but lie had noticed xPom the reports that the Speaker had said that a pro- test against what had taken plr.ee. COTS' £ sub- sequently be made. He desired, to ls £$ig the matter under attention of the House as one of order as wrell as of privilege, thongh he claimed to raise it as a. matter of privilege. (Loud Irish cheers.) As a matter of fact, he had satisfied himself that some of the sus- pended members had actually gone into tho division lobby before the scene arose in the House. This was a matter of such grave importance, affecting the rights and privi- leges of the members who were suspended, that he submitted an opportunity ought to be given to him of raising the question now. The SPEAKER: The proper course, if any mistake had been made, would be for the hon. members in question to communicate the facta to him. Mr. DILLON (N.. Mayo, E.) said this waa a, matter of vital importance. (Irish cheers.) He wished to raise the case of two hon. members who had stopped him as he was coming into the House and asked him to bring their case under the notice of the Chair, they having gone into the Lobby last night and then having been removed by violence from the House without having in any way infringed the rules of the House. Without in any way questioning or challenging the ruling of the Chair, he claimed that he wa-s entitled to the Speaker's ruling on this point, viz., if a hon. member, who has in no way infringed the rules of order, by an error on the part of the Clerk of the House ia wrongfully reported to you by the Chairman, is removed by violence from the House, and debarred from taking part in the debates, is not that a question of privilege which may be raised by a colleague when the hon. member is debarred from being in his place? The SPEAKER said that, the Chairman of Committee having reported the lion, members, to him, they were not now in the House them- selves. Mr. DILLON: They w-iod not be allowed' to come in. The SPEAKER replied that if those hon. members would communicate with him. and state what the facts were the matter could be brought before the House, but at the present moment they could not inquire into those matters without those hon. members having taken that step. Mr. DILLON said the hon. members had first commissioned him to make this application. In coming down to the House they were stopped at the outside door, and, as he under- stood that a question of privilege must be raised immediately, what were those hon. members to do? Mr. J. REDMOND asked the permission of the Honse to move its adjournment to'discuss the matter as one of urgent defnite public impor- tance. (Irish cheers.) The SPEAKER said that any charge against the Chair must be made by a substantial motion, t.nd the hon. member was not entitled to move the adjournment. Mr. REDMOND said that meant the preclud- ing of the possibility of raising the question at all this session, unless the government gave them an opportunity. He appealed to the First Lord of the Treasury whether he would give them such an opportunity. Mr. BALFOUR said the House would have the opportunity of discussing the question as a matter of privilege as soon as the members aggrieved had communicated the facts in a proper manner, and as soon as the facts were laid before the House. The opportunity which the hon. gentleman desired would come with- out the intervention of the Government. Mr DILLON said it was exceedingly important that they should know where they were. (Laughter.) As he under- stood the ruling of the Chair, they would only be able to discuss the question as it affected the two hon. members. Would the First Lord of the Treasury consider that a full discussion of the whole question? Mr. BALFOUE said it now appeared that the hon. gentleman desired an opportunity for dis- cussing the whole occurrence, and, be sup- posed, also for considering what means might be taken to prevent its recurrence. (Ministerial cheers and counter Irish cheetrs.) Mr. J. REDMOND: I hope if we do get an opportunity of considering what steps should be taken for preventing a recurrence of these Boenea in future the right lion. gentleman will take into account the inadvisabttity, after one night's debate, of closuring seventeen millions. (Irish cheers.) Mr. POWER (N., Waterford, E.) roee to sub- mit a point of order. The SPEAKER: I have already called on the orders of the day. Mr POWER: Well, we did not hear what you did call on. sir. The discussion then terminated.

WILL OB^BIR JOHN W. MACLURE. The will has been proved in London, and persona! estate of the net, value of .E5.1907a.6d. has been left by Sir John William Maclure, of The Home Whalley Range, Manchester, first baronet, F.R.G.S., F.R.8.S., M.P. for the Stretford Division of Lancaster. Sir John wa-s a director of the Cambrian Railways, the Neath and Brecon Railway, the Wrexham and Ellesmere Railway, and the Wrexham, Mold, and Oonnah's Quay Railway. He died on the 28th of January last, aged 65 years. >a fir,.

EIGHT HOURS DAY FOR MINERS. NO DEMAND FOR IT AMONG RHONDDA COLLIERS. EFFECT UPON CAPITAL AND LABOUR. [BY OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] After spending a day among "the miners of the hills." I have come to the conclusion that the eight hours question interests the coal-hewers of Eastern Glamorganshire as much as the Home Rule question does not. Whatever his fra.me of mind may be later on, the Glamorganshire collier is quite satisfied at present to go on earning his two, three, and even four pounds per week, and to put in hours that would make the hair of the special pleaders for an eight hours bank-to-bank day stand on end. Whatever the miners' leaders may aay. there appears to be no genuine demand <t present among the Glamorganshire 3uiE< r.: • :)]■ the restriction of hours contem- plated by the Eight Hour-a Bill. The proof of the pudding in in the eating of it. A kindly and courteous colliery official granted me the privilege of a peep at his wages book, and almost every man entered therein h"d not been content with working his minimum of 54 hours per week, but had daily added hour after hour of overtime. What these men would aay if they were restricted to eight hours bank-to-bank the recording angel would blush to repeat. Thero are three grades among oolliery work- men. First of all come the reckless, san- gruinary hauliers; secondly, there are the stiff-backed Federation miners, and, thirdly, the happy go lucky repairers, ostlers, and labourers. The first grade make no bones. They insist upon the privilege of working overtime, and if the management declines to reeognise their right to extend their labour hours their language is worse than a colliery explosion, while their notices are served with an alacrity that would put greased lightning to shame. The second grade are more circumspect. They are more amenable to their leaders, and if "Mabon" or Mr. Watts Morgan or Mr. Ben Davies lets loose his fascinating eloquence in favour of a restric- tion of output or a general play-day the shepherds need not search among the mountains for missin; sheep. The third grade are a dependent lot, and. like Leigh Hunt, they take things very much as they come. Now, if the settlement of the eight hours day question was left to the hauliers they would make short work of it. The ccUliers do not interest themselves iu the matterlrom a diplomatic standpoint. Their leaders have issued no mandate, and they intend to gather in as much extra money by working overtime as they possibly can. The repairers, ostlers, and labourers, whose wages are fixed, simply wait to see what the fates have in store for them. If the Eight Hours Bill passes into law it will, I fear, be the presage of the commence- ment of a great struggle between capital and labour. The colliery owners claim that they have stood as much as they can reasonably be expected to stand. The Workmen's Compensation Act has not improved their frame of mind; the eight hours bfink-to-bank system will certainly be regarded as the last straw, while the minimum wage which must necessarily follow on the eight hours system will force the i^sue, the end of which no man can foresee. Logically, the minimum wage should take precedence of the eight hours question. Mr. Yoxall hai, in my opinion, placed the cart before the horse. However prosperous the times may be, the ordinary miner will not consent to have his wages in periods of pros- perity reduced to the level that they were in ordinary times. With the concession of a minimum wage the eight hours bank-to-bank would asauma an altogether different aspect. Yet the minimum wage is an important plank in the Miners' Federation platfqrm. The more philosophical among the men whom I have discussed this question with say:—"You talk of our high wages, but what about the enor- mous profits made by the colliery owners?" The late Mr. David Morgan was always fond of pointing out that, although colliery owners complained of profits being small, they simply rolled in wealth all the time. That's all right. But one who has studied the question is bound to admit that the colliery proprietors who have made their piles have in the majority of cases done so by the judicious exercise of their wits and savings. Oliver Wendell Holmes once remarked that if the world was reduced to ashes to-morrow you would find on the next day scores of people making their fortunes out of potash. A dead level can never be maintained, and if the owning of mines is reduced in I dignity to the level of a greengrocer's shop the men of capital will seek other channels in which to -embirk their super- fluous wealth. The tin-plate trade, although its home was once in Wales, has departed from us; the iron and steel trades have been sadly hit by foreign competition, and if the Eight Hours Bill becomes law it is questionable whether it will not operate seriously in crippling the mining industry. THE DOUBLE SHIFT. "Wouldn't this eight hours business be likely to lead to the introduction of the double shift?" asked bne of our men of a oolliery manager. "I am not aware that anything contained in the Bill precludes employers from establish- ing a system of double shift," was the reply. "Of course, that can be brought about by the mutual concurrence of employers and employed, and if it followed as a corollary of the present Bill a large number of men would have to be employed, and the output corre- spondingly increased. As far as this district is concerned, the men appear to be decidedly antagonistic to the double shift, their apparent desire being to work the least number of hours for the greatest possible wage, and they will continue to do so. I sup- pose. like the rest of mankind. It seems to me that so long as labour leaders can lobby and squeeze anything they want out of the present members I don't see the necessity for labour representation or for the proposed annual levy of la. per workman." INTERVIEW WITH MR. D. A. THOMAS, M.P. Meeting Mr. D. A. Thomas, M.P., on Saturday morning, one of our representatives asked his -=.:1 opinions as to the prospects of the Miners' Eight Hoars Bill, which passed its second read- ing in the House of Commons a few nights ago by a majority cf thirteen vote3. Mr. D. A. Thomas was until recently a leading oppo- ncnt of the eight hours agitation, and it will be remembered that it was upon his amend- ment that a, similar Bill was defeated in 1894 I after a majority on the second reading of 87. "I think," said Mr. Thomas, "the Bill has little or no chance of passing into law this session, or even this Parliament. In fact, I would go further, and say that I don't myself believe that a Bill of so controversial a character will ever pass in the hands of a private member. The only chance such a Bill would have would be if it were taken up seriously by the Government of the day. The division the other day was inte- resting, however, because it gave an indication > of the opinion of the new Parliament. it is the first time that the Bill has ever secured a majority on the second reading in a Con- servative Parliament. The debate was neces- sarily very short, and not of muoh interest. No new points were brought out, and the only two speeches deserving any notice were those of Mr. Fenwick against the Bill and Mr. Keir Hardie for." "Do you think the Bill, having passed by j suoh a narrow majority, will be defeated upon a local option amendment, like the Bill of 11854?" asked the pressman. "Yea; I think that will be the case. But I i go a great deal further than that. In 1894, when the Bill passed the second reading, half a dozen pages of mendments w„-re put uov;n. IL had 25 down myeelf, ail of wluch I have reason to know were in. order: The local loptian amendment, upon which the Bill was divided, took two days, so you may imagine I how many weeks it would have taken to get tba Bill through Committee. 1 have been in the House now thirteen years, and I can only remember one instance of a. private member's Bill that was opposed passing into law. That was Mr. Robson's Bill for the regulation of the employment of children last year-a very short Bill. and one only opposed by a very small section of the House." "Doea the Eight Hours Bill provide against double shift?" "No; the Bill does not provide against double shift, but I propose myself to put down an amendment prohibiting double shift. except where now in vogue. In fact, that is the only amendment that I intend to move on the Bill, which I otherwise support. In 1894 Mabon had an amendment, not pro- hibiting double shift, but providing that in case of double shift the shifts should only work seven hours from bank to bank. I think my amendment prohibiting double shift alto- gether will be more satisfactory, and more in accordance with the wishes of my constituents and the colliers generally in South Wales." "Do you think that there is no chance of the colliery workmen ever securing an eight hours day?" "Well, their only hope is to get the Govern- ment to take the matter up as a part of it!! programme, or to get it by a combined effort, without appealing to Parliament. It seems to me that if the Miners' Federation are to me that if the Miners' Federation are I really in earnest in the matter they are now sufficiently strong and well organised enough to secure it. But, of course, a3 regards South Wales, the miners' leaders, by the four years' agreement they entered into in Septem- ber. 1898, have precluded themselves from doing anything in South Wales in that direction until September, 1902." But the Durham and Northumberland miners would not join in any such combina- tion?" "Of course, it is well known that the miners of Northumberland and Durham work less than eight hours how. The only question there is the case of the boys, and what I would advise the workmen to do would be to bring in a Bill limiting the hours of the boys, under a certain age, to eight from bank to bank. Such a Bill as that, even in the hands of a private member, would have a fair chance of passing, because the large body of the oppo- nents of the present Bill are these who object in principle to any interference with the hours of adult labour. In all probability, those opponents would heartily support a Boys Bill. and the opposition would be left to the very few mining representatives ia the two Northern counties, and if the Bill passed, it would obviously kill their hostility to the present Bill." THE NEXT STAGE. Mr. Yoxall and other promoters of the Minors' Eight Hours Bill have advisedly not put down the next stage of that measure until Wednesday, the 12th of June, which is the firFt Wednesday after Derby Day and the Whitsuntide holidays, as well as the date when a private Bill then most advanced secures first place by order of the House.

WELSH METHODISTS AND THE LATE QUEEN. At the quarterly meeting of the South Wales Methodist Association held at Cilfynydd on Wednesday, the Rev. W. Evans, M.A., Pembroke Dock, proposed, and the Rev. J. M. Jones, Cardiff, seconded, a resolution expressing profound sense of the loss sustained by the country and the EmpLe at large through the death of her Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, and deepest sympathy with the Royal Family I in their sad bereavement. The association also congratulated his Majesty King Edward VII. on his accession to the Throne. I

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SACRILEGE AT LLANDAFF THE CATHEDRAL ENTERED. A gang of burglars forced an entry into Llandaff Cathedral late on Monday night or eatly on Tuesday morning, and succeeded in conveying the large and cumbersome safe in which ecclesiastical documents are stored to a neighbouring field Unfortunately for the depredators, their efforts proved fruitless, for the safe only contained marriage certificates and some other documents of no value to them. Ingress to the cathedral was obtained by means of the Lady Cbapel door, which it fastened by lock and bolt. The marks on the door show that the bolt had been wrenched with a jemmy. There is evidence that the perpetrators ontered the chapter-house, but strange to say, the silver mace which iI. carried by the verger in front of the clergy was not taken away The thieves confined their sacrilege to the removal of the safe, which they evidently believed to contain the gold Communion plate and other valuables. It is palpable that the burglars were inti. mately acquainted with the interior of th. sacred edifice, inasmuch as the safe was prac- tically hidden from view in a. recess, and a,? effectually was it Concealed, though not intern. tionally, that even some members of the cathedral staff knew not that it was kept there. The removal of the safe must have been one of great difflcutly, and, in order to prevent any noise, they first laid surplices and cassocks on the iloor to the door, and rolled the safe over them. The sexton's wheelbarrow was then procured for the purpose of carrying the chest to the field, but it broke down. and the wheel of it was found wrapped up in one of the verger's gowns. When the wheel was broken the depredators at once set to work v-ith a orowbar or some other instru- ment, and, by turning the safe over and over, took it across the stone bridge and right away into the field beyond. Here they attacked it with powerful instruments, and. having burst it open, found-merely the parochial registers of marriages and births. Happily, the books were recovered undamaged! but the broken safe was allowed to remain ir the field. The police have so far no clui likely to lead to the an-eat of the thieves. lb. Friday nigar a burglary was committed at Llandaff Railway Station, and a. number of mackintoshes, coats, and other articles abstracted. A burglary was also perpetrated at Radyr Quarry on Monday night, and a number of huts and teol-boxes broken into.

IRISH LEAGUE DIFFERENCES AT CARDIFF. T RESIGNATION OF SOME OF THE LEADING MEN. Dr. Mullin, Councillor Fox. and Dr. Buist have severed their connection with the Cardiff branch of the United Irish League. It seems that a resolution was passed, although opposed by a minority, that only bona fide Irishmen should be invited to the St. Patrick's dinner. This dinner has hitherto been the gathering- ground of all friends of Ireland, but of late an anti-English feeling, after the manner of the anti-Semitic sentiment on the Continent, has sprung up, and the resolution alluded to excludes all except members of the league and men who are ind'isputably Irish. There is a. strong minority opposed to this policy, and at a meeting at St. David's-hall on Sunday night Dr. Mullin resigned his position as chairman, a position he has held for twenty years; Dr Buist resigned his vice-presidency, Councilloi Fox also retired, and it is said that otherw will follow suit.

STRIKE OF CHORISTERS AT BANGOR. The spirit of "strike" appears to be in the air in the Bangor district, for now. after the strike of the Penrhyn quarrymen and of the university college students, we have in out midst a strike of cathedral choristers, who on St. David's Day, refused in a body to take part in a special St. Dayid's service on the ground. it is alleged, that ■'such service was an "extra"' and unpaid for. Fortunately, for the success of the service, choirs from the other churches in the city attended in force. The cathedral organist himself, though, it is said, approving of the action of the lay clerks, presided at the organ. What notice the dean and chapter will take of the choir's action remains to be seen. It may be stated that this outbreak on the part of the choir is the culmination of a long series of complaints.

CARDIFF WOMAN'S SUICIDE AT PENARTH. An inquest was held at Penarth Police- station on Friday afternoon (before Mr. E. B. Reece) on the body of Margaret Jane Brown Davidson, of 32, Redlaver-stxeet, Grange, Cardiff, who committed suicide on Thursday afternoon by jumping over the pier at Pen- arth. Deceased was a widow and had four children.—According to the evidence she left home at 2.30 on Thursday, saying she was going to get something for tea, but an hour later the body was recovered from the water at Penarth Beach. Her son, seeing a para- graph in one of the evening papers, thought from the description given it must be hip mother, as up to that time—ten o'clock—she had not returned home. He at once proceeded to Penarth Police-station, but did not see his mother that night, as the body was lying at the mortuary, Ponartli Dock. He was shown two rings which had been taken from deceased's fingers, and these the son recognised by certain initials as being his mother's. Wit- ness told the coroner that his mother had been unwell since Christmas, suffering from weak- ness and pains In the head, but she would not have a doctor.-Evidence was given to show that artificial respiration was tried for nearly an hour and a half without success.—The jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased committed suicide in a fit of temporary insanity.

CARDIFF TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION COMMITTEE. A meeting of the technical instruction com. mittee was held on Tuesday night at Cardiff u University College, Alderman Trounce in the chair. The question was discussed as to whether the committee was justified in con. tinuing its grant of £50 per annum to the Blind Institution. The subscription, it appeared, was given oil the condition that it should be applied strictly to tea-chins blind women handicrafts, such as wicker work and basket-making. The committee who presented the report found that. although the money had been partly spent upon the object specified, it had not been devoted to it exclusively.—Mr. Veall moved that they pay the £ 50 this year, and subscribe only JE25 next year.-This was carried. Another important question debated was the disappointment occasioned through the non. success of the artisans' classes, notably the typographical class.—Mr. Jenkins was instructed to report as to the condition of each class, the report to be presented in printed form at the next meeting.

THREE WARSHIPS LAUNCHED Three British warships were successfully launched at Government dockyards on Tuesday, in the presence of large assemblages of apeotattors. At Devonport the first-class battleship Montagu glided majestically into the water, the ceremony of releasing the vessel having been performed by Lady Charles Scott. The Montagu was christened with a bottle of Colonial wine, presented by the Agent-General for South Australia. At Pem- broke (as reported at length elsewhere) the first-class armoured cruiser Drake moved off in response to hydraulic pressure, the cere- mony of launching the vessel being carried out by Mrs. F. Lort Philipps, of Lawrenny Castle, Pembrokeshire. The battleship Albe- marle quitted her berth-place at Chatham, Lady Kennedy, wife of Sir R. Kennedy, Com- mander-in-Chief at the Nore. christening the vessel with wine from South Australia. Among those who witnessed the launch were Sir Wm. White, Director of Naval Construction, and the German naval attache. The cruiser Kent was to have been launched at Portsmouth, but owing to the boisterous weather the cere- mony was postponed till to-day (Wednesday).

AN ATTACK ON THE KAISER. r-« HIS MAJESTY INJURED. While the Emperor was driving from the Rathskeller to the railway station at Bremen on Wednesday a man named Dietrich Weiland, sai i to be a workman, threw a piece of iron at the Imperial carriage. He was immediately arrested. His Majesty, who is stated to have been slightly injured on the cheek, continued his journey without interruption. Weiland is subject to epilepsy, and gives confused answers to questions.-Reuter.