TOPIC:

1900 - VC awarded to Private William Heaton, Liverpool Regiment. Lieutenant Hans Cordua sentenced to death.

1900 - Dr. Gavin Brown Clark, the Liberal MP for Caithness since 1885, attended a meeting a Halkirk, 16 miles north-west of Wick (and 8 miles south-west of John O'Groats), on Thursday the 23rd.

....Dr. Clark, M.P., left Caithness on Friday for the south, having abruptly concluded his programme of meetings. When leaving Wick on Thursday for the country a large stone was sent crashing into his carriage, and the authorities advised him not to return to Wick, as he was not safe there. Dr. Clark expressed his determination to proceed with his candidature for Caithness. ....The meeting at Halkirk on Thursday night was the rowdiest ever witnessed in the North of Scotland. Dr. Clark evidently felt that he was before a hostile audience, and this was confirmed the instant after his appearance, when cries of "Traitor" were howled from all parts of the hall. It was evident from the first that feeling was very strong. The time of waiting was spent in singing "Rule Britannia," "Scots wha hae," and in rough play. The appearance of the doctor's most prominent supporter was the signal for a shower of rotten eggs and ochre, before which he fled. About twenty minutes after the hour of meeting the doctor came into the school, and the uproar became very great. He stepped inside the door and attempted to face the audience, simply staring at them. After waiting for a second or two, without uttering a word, he fled, pursued by a howling crowd.
....Interviewed by a correspondent, Dr. Clark intimated that he would not address any more meetings in Caithness in the present state of feeling, but that he proposes to return in October, and continue the fight to the bitter end. In Halkirk, when Dr. Clark first contested the county, it was almost impossible to safely say anything against him, so that the revulsion of feeling must be very great.
....The publication of Dr. Clark's letters to President Kruger and General Joubert has still further embittered the feeling in Caithness. At a meeting in Thurso on Friday of delegates of the Caithness Liberal Association, it was unanimously resolved to ask Dr. Clark to retire from the representation of the county. It was suggested at the same meeting that four prospective candidates be asked to confer with the delegates on September 1st. The prospective candidates are Messrs. Auld, Foulger, Lacarto, and Lester Harmsworth.
....The abrupt termination of Dr. Clark's campaign in Caithness has given rise to a good deal of surprise. It was believed he would make a most determined fight, and that, with the feeling still in his favour in the country districts, he might have put down the opposition. His departure so unexpectedly will do him harm with the electors who were wavering, while at the same time it has made his supporters more determined to see his candidature through. Though unpopular in the towns and villages, a feeling in his favour still exists in the crofting districts.
....The Press Association's Wick correspondent telegraphed on Saturday night :—Dr. Clark's sudden retreat from the county is still the general topic of conversation. It is not believed that he will come back, but there is a feeling in his favour in many districts. The news of his departure took some time to reach the outlying places. At Watten, where he was advertised to address a meeting on Friday night, a number of people gathered. A meeting was held, and the chairman, a former supporter of Dr. Clark, explained that their member had fled. A vote of censure on Dr. Clark was then unanimously carried. ....Dr. Clark, of Caithness, has gone on a yachting trip! This holiday was decided upon with surprising suddenness. A few days ago he went up to the north to commence a political campaign. After seeing how the wind was blowing—and the rotten eggs—he has taken to the sea. He is still very brave, however—on paper. He was doubtful before whether he would contest Caithness again or not. He is now decided that he will. What a funny reason for wooing the suffrages of your fellow citizens, because they pelt you out of the country! And all this took place before the doctor's letters to Mr. Kruger telling him how to defeat the Highlanders were made known in Caithness.—" St. James's Gazette."
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....A Parliamentary paper has been issued containing letters recently found at Pretoria, and written, mostly during the six months preceding the war, by leading South Africans in Cape Colony, and by English members of Parliament to friends holding official positions in the Transvaal and Orange Free State. Mr. Labouchere, M.P., in a letter to Mr. Montagu White, the Transvaal representative in London, dated August, 1899, urges that President Kruger should accept in some form the then proposed conference, which, he says, "Bannerman and all our front bench believe is only a way devised by the Cabinet to let Joe climb down." He adds that "the great thing is to gain time. In a few months we shall be howling about something in another part of the world." In a second letter, dated August 4, 1899, he says it is the general opinion that Chamberlain climbed down, and offers suggestions as to the means, by clever tactics,"of spinning out the investigations of the proposed commission of inquiry as to the Transvaal Franchise Act." ....The paper includes some very interesting letters written by Sir Henry de Villiers, Chief Justice of Cape Colony, to President Steyn and others, in which he severely criticises President Kruger's retrogressive policy and insists on the expediency of granting real and not illusory concessions to the Transvaal Uitlanders. Sir Henry affirms in one of his letters that, as one who signed the Convention in 1881, he is sure that his fellow commissioners "would not have signed it if they had not been led to believe that President Kruger's policy towards the Uitlanders would have been very different from what it has been."
....Among the correspondence is a letter from a Mrs. Solly, of Newlands, to the Rev. D. Ross, of Ladygrey, quoting a request from Mr. J. E. Ellis, M.P., for a stream of facts concerning suppression of telegrams, opening of letters, arbitrary arrests, unfair trial, unjustifiable prison treatment, interference with free speech at meetings. The letter is dated June 5 last. There are also two communications from Dr. Clark, M.P. Writing to President Kruger on Sept. 29, 1899, the member for Caithness reported: "We have had a number of meetings since I wrote to you, held in various parts of the country, to explain matters to our people and urging a peaceful arrangement, and I think, on the whole, there has been a decided growth in that direction." Farther on he says: "It might strengthen you in this struggle if you were to seize all the passes, in order to defend yourselves against attack, but if you were to do this I am afraid it would have a bad effect morally in this country." Referring to Mr. W. T. Stead's advocacy of the Boer cause, Dr. Clark says: "He is only one of many here who are convinced that justice is being denied to you and your people, and who will continue to work for what they believe to be the cause of truth." A letter from Dr. Clark to General Joubert is of a similar strain, expressing the belief that war was certain.
The Chester Courant, Wednesday 29th August 1900

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavin_Brown_Clark en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halkirk


1900 - "On the night of August 23, 63 Boer prisoners arrived at Parkeston railway station en route for the Continent, from the Transvaal via Southampton. The men were under the charge of one of Messrs. Cook's agents, while there was also a strong contingent of police present to prevent any unpleasant demonstration. The men were very orderly, but presented an uncouth appearance. Prior to the party going on board the steamer bound for the Hook of Holland they had dinner in one of the first-class waiting-rooms."
The Essex Newsman, Saturday 1st September 1900......The above presumably refers to Thomas Cook's, the travel agents.