This is a transcription of a column in South Africa Magazine, February 10, 1900, titled Domestic Announcements:

(Announcements inserted under this heading are charged for according to length.)

BIRTHS

ATTRIDGE—On February 8, at 139, Kew Road, Richmond, the wife of Harry Attridge, of Cape Town, of a son.

BLAKEWAY, Mrs. P. W., Umtata, Jan. 4, a daughter.

BUCHANAN, Mrs. H. W., Verulam, a son (prematurely).

GREENE—At Oakdene, Crescent Road, Kingston Hill, Surrey, the wife of Lieutenant –Colonel Greene, Natal Carbineers and Member of Legislative Assembly of Natal, of a daughter.

GREGG, Mrs. T. E., Cradock, Dec. 27, a daughter.

HARVEY, Mrs. A. J., Verulam, Jan. 4, a daughter.

HOWARD, Mrs. J. H., Durban, Jan. 5, a daughter.

HURLEY, Mrs. W. J., Grahamstown, Jan. 4, a son.

JONES, Mrs. J. H., Houts Bay, January 7, a son.

MACKAY—On January 31, at 1, Roseburn Gardens, Glasgow, the wife of W. H. Mackay, of Pretoria, of a daughter.

PITT—At Mowbray House, Mowbray, the wife of R. G. Campbell Pitt, of Johannesburg, of a son.

MARRIAGES

AITKEN, J.—DOLPHIN, N. M., Durban, January 1.

EWING—ROOS—On January 24, at Rietfontein, Riet Siding, Cape Colony, John Ewing, Cape Government Railway, late of Leith, to Annie S. Roos, Rietfontein, South Africa.

GOLDBY, W. E.—WHEELWRIGHT, E. G., Durban, December 26.

HORBY—LEARY—On January 10, at the Cathedral, Umtata, Cape Colony, by the Lord Bishop of St. John’s Kaffraria, the Rev. Philip Dyson Hornby, youngest son of Henry H. Hornby, of Beechwood, Grassendale, Liverpool, to Ethel, youngest daughter of the late William Leary, of Umtata.

JOHNSON, H. H.—VAN DE VEN, R. E., Rondebosch, January 11.

LANGTON, A. P.—HEWETT, E. H., Cape Town, Jan. 9.

SANDEMAN—FLOOD—On December 16, at Cape Town, George H. Sandeman, Cape Garrison Artillery (on Staff of Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Warren), son of Captain Julian Sandeman, late R.H.A., to Kate Sydney, eldest daughter of the late William Flood, Paymaster Royal Navy, and of Mrs. Flood, 10, St. Andrew’s Mansions, W. Kensington.

SCHMIDT, P. C.—ROLFE, E. K., Beira, January 8.

STEWART—ADAM—On February 6, at St. Stephen’s Church, Bandra, Bombay, by the Rev. R. Hugh Gundry, M.A., Robert Barton Stewart, Indian Civil Service, second son of the late Robert Stewart, of the Standard Bank of South Africa, to Frederica Sybil (Freda), youngest daughter of Colonel Adam, Indian Staff Corps.

SYERLEY, C. A.—LOGAN, E. E., East London, Dec. 26.

WILLIS, J.—GREGG, A., Cradock, January 8.

DEATHS

BAXTER, W. M.—Aloe Siding, January 4.

BIRCH—On January 24, killed at Spion Kop, Charles Grant Francis Grey Birch, Captain 1^st South Lancashire Regiment, aged 32, only child of the late Colonel Charles Birch, of Lympstone Grange, S. Devon, and Mrs. Birch.

BUCHANAN, Mrs. H. W., Verulam; also infant son.

BULFIN, J., Colesberg, January 1, aged 32.

CARNE, S., Durban, January 2, aged 59.

COLLINS—Reported killed in the action at Spion Kop, with the Imperial Light Infantry (Durban), Alfred George, aged 27, elder surviving son of Frank and Rosa Collins, now of Horsham, Sussex.

GILBERT—On January 13 last, at Durban, Natal, of enteric fever, Frederick John Daines Gilbert, third son of the late Rev. W. H. L. Gilbert (M.A.), B.N.C. Oxon, and of Mrs. Gilbert, of 77, Gloucester Place, Portman Square, W., in his 37^th year.

(Note: Apparently the second page of deaths did not get copied.)

Miscellaneous articles on the same page:

HOUSE OF COMMONS

(Friday, February 9)

FORT GUNS

Mr. Wyndham, replying to Mr. Hedderwick, said: None of the guns in the forts at Cape Colony and in Natal, which were there before the war, have been used during the campaign. It was not in the public interest to state the armaments of those forts. (Cheers.)

FIELD ARTILLERY GUNS

Colonel Welby asked the Under-Secretary for War whether he could state how many Royal Horse and Field Artillery guns were now in South Africa per thousand of the troops there; calculating the per thousand on the same basis as the guns of mobilized German Army Corps; their proportion to the three arms, trains, columns, and services employed in the field, and not at the base.

Mr. Wyndham said that even if it were possible it would not be expedient to give the distribution of troops in South Africa at the present time. (Cheers.) His statement had referred to the immediate future. He said that the number of field guns in or proceeding to South Africa gave a Continental percentage in the firing line, and by that he meant a proportion of five guns for every 1000 troops.

AMBULANCE CORPS

Mr. T. M. Healy asked the Under Secretary for War whether every member of Lord Iveagh’s Ambulance Corps had to sign an agreement that he would become a combatant if called on; and whether in any of the foreign ambulance corps with the Boers such a condition had been insisted on.

Mr. Wyndham: Nothing is known of this officially at the War Office.

Mr. Healy: It’s a very good example to Russia.

PROPERTY IN THE BOER REPUBLICS

Mr. Bowles asked the Secretary for the Colonies could he explain the scope and effect of the notice issued by Sir Alfred Milner, High Commissioner for South Africa, on January 26, 1900, to the effect that Her Majesty’s Government would not recognize as valid any forfeiture, charge, fine, encumbrance, conveyance, transfer, or transmission in respect of property situate in the territories of the South African Republic or the Orange Free State which might be declared, charged, levied, created, made, or carried into effect by the Governments of those countries subsequent to the outbreak of war; and was it the intention of Her Majesty’s Government to prosecute the war until the invalidity of the acts contemplated by the notice was recognized by the two States.

Mr. Chamberlain: Her Majesty’s Government have reason to believe that it was the intention of the Republican Government to impose burdens which it would be impossible to meet upon property within their territories, owned by British subjects and the subjects of other Powers, with the object of confiscating the property. It would be impossible for the Government to countenance any such acts of confiscation at the termination of the war, without the sanction of the War Office, whether carried out by an act of the Executive or under colour of legislation empowering the Courts to declare such forfeiture. The text of the notice shows that it has no reference to transactions between individuals. It is not desirable to enter into a discussion of the points raised in the latter part of the question.

Mr. T. M. Healy: May I ask whether any foreign Power has made remonstrances on the subject?

Mr. Chamberlain: That question should be addressed to the Foreign Office.

Mr. Healy: I ask the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

The Speaker: Order, order. (Laughter.)

NO NEWS FROM THE FRONT.

Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman said the House would like to know whether there was any news from the war.

Mr. Balfour: No, sir, I do not think there is.

Mr. F. H. Wilsons’s Appointment

Mr. MacNeill asked to what position on the staff of Sir Alfred Milner had Mr. F. H. Wilson, legal assistant of the Colonial Office, been appointed; and whether, seeing that the legal advisers to the High Commissioners of South Africa had hitherto been selected from the Cape Bar on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Cape Colony, he would explain on what grounds had there been a departure from this practice.

Mr. Chamberlain said in view of the pressure of work in the High Commissioner’s office, Sir A. Milner requested the assistance of an additional staff officer with legal experience. Mr. Wilson would give such assistance, and his presence would in no way affect the constitutional relations between the Governor and the Cape Ministry.

THE RETURN OF THE WOUNDED

Mr. Wyndham, replying to Mr. MacNeill, said the steamship Sumatra arrived on December 6 at 12:30, being one hour and a half before the time the steamship company had notified that she was expected. The ambulance arrived at 2 p.m., and the invalids, who had remained on board, were landed at 3 p.m., and placed in a shed close by. They had great coats on, and were not left out in the rain. All were then removed without delay to hospital at Woolwich.

THE SUSPENSION OF THE 12 O’CLOCK RULE

Mr. Balfour moved that the proceedings on the Address, if under discussion at twelve o’clock this night, be not interrupted under the Standing Order Sittings of the House. A division was taken on the motion, with the following result:--For the motion, 226; against, 86; majority, 140.

DEBATE ON THE ADDRESS

The debate on the motion for an Address in reply to the Queen’s Speech was resumed.

Sir T. Esmonde seconded the amendment of Mr. Clancy, representing:--“That the over-taxation of Ireland, which promises to become greatly aggravated by the expenditure on the war in South Africa, is a most serious and pressing grievance, and demands the early attention of Parliament, with a view to its removal.” This, the hon. Baronet said, would be a very expensive war, and it was not conceivable that Ireland could derive any advantage from it, whilst undoubtedly it would lead to a very great increase of taxation of which the country, whether she liked it or not, would have to bear an utterly disproportionate share.

Mr. Lough continued the debate.

A meeting to protest against the war was held in Northampton on Wednesday night, Mr. Labouchere and Mr. Hyndman being announced as the principal speakers. There was an organized opposition, and long before the meeting commenced the platform was stormed, and chairs were thrown about the hall. The party in possession of the hall sang with overwhelming effect “God Save the Queen” and “Rule Britannia,” and showed determined hostility to the promoters of the meeting. While the Chairman was appealing for order, a determined rush on the platform ended in the tables and chairs being thrown in the body of the hall. Seeing the danger of their position, and the utter impossibility of holding a meeting, Mr. Labouchere and his supporters fought their way to an ante-room, and there waited until an escort of police could conduct them from the hall in safety.

Mr. George Grey (the leader of Grey’s Scouts in the Matabele War) recently arrived from South Africa on the conclusion of an eight months’ successful journey in Northern Rhodesia on behalf of the Tanganyika Concessions. It was reported some time ago that the expedition had been cut up by the natives. Mr. Grey said to an interviewer:--We started from Bulawayo on April 5 and thence crossed the Zambesi. Proceeding north past Monze’s, where the Chartered Company keep a force of 30 mounted police, we went through Minenga’s, crossing the Kafue River. From that point the expedition spent five months in more or less unknown lands, passing through one large district where the natives had never before seen a white man. We returned to Bulawayo at the end of November. Probably owing to the respect called forth by the strength of the expedition the natives were universally civil and hospitable. The greatest care was taken to treat them fairly in every way, and this was appreciated by them. Although we suffered much from fever every member of the party returned safely.

Regards,

Ellen Stanton

Email: harprulz@bellsouth.net