The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-22
HIS ADMINISTRATION WEATHERS
THE STORM RAISED BY
OPPONENTS.
OUT WITH FLYING COL0RS.
INDIAN IMPORT. DUTY ON
COTTON.

mlnlstratlon has. passed successfully
through storm which its opponents
thought would overwhelm it, and which
many of its friends believed would require
the most skillful craftsmanship to weather.
Despite the predictions of the Conservative
peers, and the more or less badly dis
guised fears of Liberals, the Government
came out of the contest with flying colors
and with majority that surprised even
those who would at no time admit there
was chance of defeat.
The question that precipitated the dan
gerous situation was made by Sir Henry
James, formerly Attorney General in Glad
stones Cabinet but who abandoned the
Liberal party on the bringing forward of
the Irish home-rule scheme.
By standing order No. Is of the House
Commons member may move for the
adjournment of the House for the purpose
of discussing matter of public importance.
Taking advantage of this order Sir Henry
to-day moved the adjournment in order to
call attention to the import duties on cot
ton recently decided upon by the Govern
ment of India. 1t is claimed by many of
ting manufacturers of Manchester and
other cotton centers in Lancashire that
the imposition of this duty will have a
most serious effect on their business and
they desired the imperial Government to
intervene for their abolition. The cotton
interest is strongly represented in the
House and when the notice of the motion
was given it was oniectured not only by
many Conservative papers but by some of
the stanch Liberal organs that the Gov
eminent, which was bound to oppose the
desired change, would be overthrown by
the Lancashire party in combination with
Conservatives and Liberals interested in
the cotton trade.
The Parnellites, too, were expected to
cast their votes against the Government,
but the result did not bear out the hopes
or fears of the political parties, for by a
majority of 1876 the Rosebery Ministry
triumphantly repealed the attacks of its
assailants.
This result was in measure due to the
attitude of Mr.. Goschen, who, though
Liberal Unionist dealt with the question
in spirit of great fairness toward the
Government. He suggested the holding of
a conference in order to remedy the deficit
in India, for which purpose the cotton i'm
port duty and the excess duty on cotton
were laid.
When the division came to be taken on
the motion it was found that large num-
Der of Conservatives and Liberal nionists
and also several members representing
Lancashire districts went into the Govern
ment camp in body. Among those who
voted against the Government was the
Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, who, it
is said, was responsible for the publishing
of the motion.
Baron de Rothschild and several other
Liberal U n1onists abstained from voting.
In his speech Sir Henry said India was
the greatest market Lancashire had for her
cotton and textile goods. The prosperity
of Lancashire depended on that of India.
The cotton industryin India was furnishing
and had largely supplanted the trade of
Lancashire with China and Japan. The
industry in Lancashire consequently was
increasing. No profits were made by the
cotton-master, and working people were
thrown out of employment by the stop
page of mills or the curtailment of pro-
duction. He charged that the Secretary
of State for India had listened to the
agitators in India while he had neglected
to consult the manufacturers in Lanca-
shire. How could the Government in the
future urge on Germany, France and Eng
HSn colonies the advantage OF Tree trade
when it itself had denounced the imposi-
ton of import duties in India? rCheersl
The proposed duty would fall on the
British manufacturers. Twenty thousand
looms in the mills of Great Britain, on
which 10000 working people are employed,
have stopped running and those people are
idle.
Henry Fowler Secretary of State for
India, emphatically denied the existence
of any agitation or conspiracy on behalf of
any class of persons on this subject, but
had taken counsel with the highest and
most distinguished servants of the crown
in India. Sir Henry James had charged
him with sacrificing like interests of Eng
land, but he had failed to give the slight
est proof in support of that accusation.
Dadabahad Maoroii, an East Indian,
who represents the Central Division of
Finsbury in the Liberal interest, warned
the opposition that if the motion were
adopted the first nail would be driven into
the coffin of British rule in India.
A division was then taken on the motion
and it was defeated by large majority,
the vote standing 304 against 100 in favor
of it.