Welsh Newspapers

Search 15 million Welsh newspaper articles

Hide Articles List

21 articles on this Page

XEMA COMING HOME. I

News
Cite
Share

XEMA COMING HOME. I Diamond Seekers' Rights TUSSLE WITH CAPE GOVERNMENT. Mollis Syndicate's Meeting. THE SHADOWTOF DE BEERS. evening, at the Charing Cross 1?Qn' a crowded meeting of share- s'° the Coilis Diamond Syndicate was a l' lr ^^exan<ier Muir Mackenzie presided, arge number of ladies were [>lesent. r Chairman's Statement. ^he proceedings, the Chairman very f were indebted, to the Press for the giveQ ^'r impartial reports that had been Syndic t > Q Xema's proceedings and of the had oc S" ^'len proceeded to detail what tion curred in regard to the Xema expedi- ''shed -8ai all 01 which has already been pub- he 11 these columns. There was no doubt. to pld. that the syndicate was fully entitled 'Q the objective island. Mr Q, (e\\7 hs °ac* joined the Xema at Swakopmund, ba.vin In.lIes noith ot Walfish Bay. he tnije i been purposely kept inside the three- had kn011^" Clape Government, he said, *nd it OWl1 ^ie expedition was on the move, l'easo would have been quite possible, and only eabl f for the Government to have sent a Poselv Warning. It had, indeed, been pur- tbe ei an Qounced by the general manager that lslaQ(iPediti°^ proposed going to the Guano ILt hern" But It was not till the Xema was nearly Patcl estination that the Government des- u a cru'ser to stop her—an estraordinary &rantable act. As to the interviews tHa_ ha(i with Dr. Jameson, that gentie- *erDm pledged himself that the Cape Go- ptj^t j en^ wouid allow the expedition to pros. So p0n ^e islands, and the syndicate had been V'nce<^ acQu'esce £ lc0 that they had Steai* to the captain of the Xema to get Scjq^P- They had not been able to find a tio^ a evidence in support of the conten- ItQnJi °f 'e Cape Government, and they had been confidence in the statements that had by Mr Griffiths as to there being CaD)-L0^3 in the island. The total subscribed a' °f the company was £ 10,493, and they thp 0exT>ended £10,219 altogether. However, indicate Had to Find £ 600 Coq^T01" liabilities and additional money to tj0l. j the Cape Government to iet the expedi- tigbtsand in accordance with their undoubted VyQj. under the licence. It was true the *>ble Ca*e miShfc eventually have very valu- OtifCi?ae^s 'n copper properties, which Mr Cha,i ^ad been offered. Passing on, the geQ rct,an spoke highly of Mr Kenyon Collis's tjjeet°s'ty. That gentleman nad kindly given Cate 1.000 more of his shares inHhe svndi- at ■f.f the shareholders would take these up °H iu*k wou^ enable the syndicate to cariy had been offered some dia- ttj "iferous farms in the diamondiferous dis- Ojj, and Mr Coilis was going to register these cm-. same basis as the Coilis Diamond Syndi- eSiScing shareholders to have the prior u ° take up shares pro rata to their pre- oj .holding. Mr Coilis would band over 2,000 pre 3 shares in the new venture also Every 8aiiC^Ution had been taken before the Xema »0 e< Early in the spring Mr Griffiths had t^0e with the request of Mr Coilis to to pe_ Agency General in order oj). °otam information as to (1) whether the (2 island was a JBritish possession, and Aft ^er WSLa attached to the Cape Colony. er spending some -hours at the Agent- tb^Pa^ s office, Mr Griffiths returned and said Ca*slands were under the jurisdiction of the anc^ that it had been incidentally re- at the Agent-General's that all these s produced guano, but that diamond C P^ty would be more advantageous to the Government. Mr Griffiths had asked for had Acts dealing with the matter. He 1899 keea given the Precious Stones Act of *ln(^ was told that there was nothing to i Persede that. ThefotlowingTesolutiotis would submitted to the meeting :— ^This meeting vsf shareholders of the Collis Diamond Syndrcate, Limited, strongly "Pprovea of th3 attitude taken np by the "Oard of directors in using every effort to en- the expedition to land on its objective .nd under the powers undoubtedly en. Hling them to do so under the prospecting 'cences granted under the Precious Stones 4et, 1899. 2.-That the Xema be brouzht home im- Mediately so as to reduce the current ex. Penses of the syndicate, hut that Mr Wm. v riffiths and some of his staff remain for the 'n South Africa and proceed with he prospecting licences to the islands upon Permission being formally granted by the vape Government. '• this meeting accepts the offer of fu ^enyon Collig to place at the disposal of. ^oai>d 1,000 vendor's shares which the directors are to issue at par and which the 8"^reholders of the Coilis Diamond Syndicate will subscribe for th*; purpose of placing this syndicate in a sound position to enable them have some funds with which to endeavour lo obtain their undoubted rights. —That the board further take the neees- .■ 1^ steps to obtain legal advice as to the 8yudicate's prospectors' rights against the Cape Government and to enforce the same. 5 That ll counsel's opinion be favourable tbO') capital of the company be increased at tbe discretion of the board, shares to be offered pro rata, to holders and a sum of 23 A per share to be called up K?' ° the resolutions the board were pretty i ^^d-shouldered men and they meant to stick • proceeded the Chairman. (Hear, hear.) it81" Captain Griffiths and his staff going on 'siand they anticipated no serious oppo- l0n. it was a very reasonable suggestion, As to the Shares to be Issued, 2^ Mentioned that the value of the shares was 0cS 6d per ■-hare. As chairman ho could speak ^the board as an honourable body of men, Cl « he had been very much struck with the VVP' honest, and straightforward way in th Ck they had fried to put the matter before v Public. There was no doubt the venture been a bit of a gamble—something like 1C0 t on the winner of the Derby—but they had ?>. fte in honestly, straightly, and squarely, and ^fas for the shareholders to say whether they fniu °?e ri^ht or wrong. They invited the ft,, t inquiry and discussion, and also the stance of tho shareholders in trying to r^y out a most perplexing and difficult (Loud applause.) j. A Shareholder moved a much stronger resolu- than any of those referred to by the chair- and then asked that the meeting be ^•Journed until October 22nd, and that in the ^°aiiwhile counsel's opinion be obtained. This not pressed, the Chairman saying that it covered by the resolutions put before the feting. Ba\? reply to a further question, the Chaiiman they had no absolute knowledge who had jj'Veii orders to stop the Xema, but it would t^ve to be either the Admiral of the station or 6 Admiralty. The Jameson Interview. Coilis then read tho report of the pro. ridings when five representatives of th b ^Odicate waited upon Dr. Jameson. These had drawn up an official report directly j and signed it. This report stated that Dr, Ajf^eson warmly welcomed the sugges.ion ,Qat an indemnity should be given, and that Would pledge his word that they should aad if arrangements for an indemnity w ere °lad«." The Chairman said he believed that was a Perfectly true statement of what had taken Place. Mr Campion, solicitor to the syndicate, (5aid J °De or two members of the expedition had l"b een allowed to land there would not have any more disturbance than occasioned by landing of the Government's own men. thought the position taken up by the Cape J*°vernment was absolutely indefensible. ^Pplause.) And he believed that if the Cape r°vernment's action had been untrammelled ^yputside influence there would have been no ^fficulty whatever. To his mind the Cape government had not had a fair chance. It rjUst be remembered that assent to a cursory of the island might have been ^ken as a waiver of their rights. He did not "^Kgest it was a trap, but it miijbt have proved "0. The Chairman, replying to a shareholder, only the board and their solicitor,. Mr !rfifiilhs, and the captain of tho Xema knew j^at island it was. JThat, he said, was the ^Udicate's secret and asset A Shareholder Have you a sample ? The Chairman: A sample of the diamond# "e have not found ? Not yet, sir. (Laughter.) Mr Collid said he proposed that if counsel's .Pinion were favourable they should not immediate action against the Cape Gov- :-nrnent. All the men employed on the islands ere now alive to the lacG that there were dia- t.n?nds there, and their discovery was in- table sooner or later. They would then 3Ve a tremendous claim against the Cape .°Vernment, wheieas if they went for them J? once they could only claim tbe £ 10,C00 or 11.000 expense to which they had been put. No Terms with De Beers. shareholder suggested that, on the prin- half a loaf being better than no bread, '«iould make terms with the De Beers. ^8^-r.) a he Chairman did not think the syndicate Drepared to deliver itself into tbe hands the De Beers. (Applause.) Mr Coilis thought thsy might take it that Aurora was the steamer carrying the rival ^jP^dition. He could not say how much the ^°"ia Syndicate shares were now worth. There none on sale. The day before he had been for ten, and he could not say where they Uld be foun(j for sale. The cost ot counsel's PjQion would be about £ 400. ex Chairman read a telegram from Glasgow ^Pressing sympathy with the "fight being injustice to a British expedi. on. Wtk6 resolutions were then put and carried out one dissentient. cj^earty votes of thanks to the board con- ucled the proceedings. *he r>er meet'nK Vilny M. Coilis read to pr.e33 a let'.er received on Saturday from ^Pifflths, saying he had been most warmly hadC°mecl by the Germans in South Africa, and jjTr uiade a visiit to the Hereros country,where Q copper deposits had been found. Mr Griffiths also stated that the Germans told him that the De Beers had been buying up tbe guano islands, but this was only hearsay. The country he had visited, however, was rich in malachite, ruby, grey cuperite, and copper ores.

Cardiff City Council. .

- POLICEMEN SAW ATTACK.

BARRY LEAD-STEALERS CAUGHT.

Suffragette Vengeance.

PANDEMONIUM AT BETHANIA,

TRACED THROUGH AN " ECHO"…

IWELSH CHURCH. .

IWITH THE AID OF A WOMAN.

BARBED WIRE AS EVIDENCE.I

Free Church Campaign. ..-

"THE CHURCH IN WALES—NOT ALIEN."

BEDWELLTY DISTRICT COUNCIL

HISTHlRD BANKRUPTCY.

Advertising

"Birdie" and "David.'' ..

BRYNMAWR WATER ^SUPPLY. ^

DEAD DUCKS IN A CRATE. -

UNION JAOKCUTDOWN.

STRUCK BY THE CORK EXPRESS.

Advertising