Show TIRED OF BOER WAI members of parliament who believe the burghers cannot be conquered and should be conciliated without making a demand for their un conditional surrender london dec 12 considerable irritation ri was aroused during debate in the house ot commons on supply sir robert T held Q C liberal member ot painted a gloomy picture ot the conditions in south africa he said that after fourteen months of war costing pounds per month anarchy was prevalent and famine threatened and this may be followed by native rising an attempt to place the colonies on a military rule be said would imperil the very existence of the empire ha thought the time had arrived tor lottering ottering ott ering the boers terms not inconsistent with british dominion all i ideas of unconditional surrender should be discarded james bryce liberal followed on similar lines he suggested granting amnesty to the boers now in arms as legitimate combatants the negotiations mr bryce also said should not be entrusted to sir alfred milner who was the object of almost universal distrust including at least naif the queens subjects in south africa mr broderick Broder lck the secretary of war hotly challenged mr braces statements regarding sir alfred milner sir robert reids speech mr broder lck asserted was impracticable unwise and mischievous the government was perfectly willing to offer terms for surrendering so long as it could not be interpreted as proof ot weakness and thereby cause A prolongation of the guerrilla after further recriminations the report of supply was agreed to during subsequent discussion in committee of ways and means the chancellor of the exchequer sir michael hicks beach promised that a considerable proportion of the cost of the war should be obtained from the transvaal he added that a treasury commission was about to proceed to the transvaal to ascertain its assets and their taxable capacity sir david barbour continued the chancellor of the exchequer had been selected tor this task the resolution was then agreed to and the house adjourned sir david miller barbour K C M G who has been named as treasury commissioner to proceed to the transvaal to ascertain the taxable value of property was a member ot the council of the governor general of india was royal commissioner to inquire into the conditions and prospects of sugar growing colonies 1896 and latterly commissioner to inquire into the finances of jamaica |