Josephine Butler to Stanley Butler

Photocopy letter. Written from St Beatenberg

Reports that she had felt better in the last few weeks. Says how delighted she is with her grandson Bob's letters to her '...the spelling especially; so glad that no one corrects them.' Has had a kind note from Stuart who was just off on a cruise with Mr Colman in his yacht.

'I hardly think that Lord Salisbury and Chamberlain will pull together long' and comments on the situation concerning the Boers. She notes that a member of the Afrikander-Bund has just brought in a Repeal bill in the Cape Parliament to repeal the Contagious Diseases Acts in South Africa. Asks if he has got the 'Dawn' with her notice of the Colmar conference. Thinks that many women now are running off the rails in the great 'new woman' movement, so much so that she 'felt moved to write a little article castigating them with mild severity'.

Mr Russell Colman, brother of James Stuart's wife, he became head of J & J Colman the mustard firm at Norwich after the death of his father in 1898.

Lord Salisbury's 3rd Cabinet was formed in Jun 1895 with Salisbury as Premier and Foreign Secretary. Chamberlain as the most important liberal unionist (those in the Liberal party who had broken with Gladstone over Home Rule) was offered the Chancellorship of the Exchequer but refused it and chose The Colonial Office instead. This government lasted the full term and was succeeded by Balfour's Cabinet in 1902.

The Colmar Conference was held on 18-20 Sep 1895.

'Chamberlain's picking a quarrel with President Kruger'

'Chamberlain's initial autumn of 1895 in office confronted him with 3 problems - first Rhodes claims to Bechwanaland; secondly, a dispute with Kruger over trade across the Vaal; thirdly an agitation, growing in some time past among the Rant Uitlanders'. (Ensor, England 1870-1914 p 227). This finally led to the 'Jameson Raid' at the end of 1895 which Chamberlain, by prompt action, managed to nip in the bud. Chamberlain was Colonial Secretary in Lord Salisbury's 3rd Cabinet formed in Jun 1895.

Biog: Joseph Chamberlain, Lord Salisbury, President Kruger, Rhodes, Sir James Stansfeld