The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-11-11
FATE OF THE SUIT AN.
Salisbury Says He Must Bow to a
Divine Decree.
Premier Not Explicit As to Ways and
Means.

He Has Worked His own Ruin-The
Premier Not Explicit As to Ways and
Means.
London, November 9.-The usual ban
ouet given by the Lord Mayor upon his
installation in office took place tonight
in the Guild hall. The occasion was
the taking over of the chief magistracy of
the City of London by Sir Walter Henry
Wilkin. the successor of Sir Joseph Rem
ais 1t is the custom for the prime min
lister and other members of The cabinet
to attend the banquet and for the prime
tinctly, the programme of the govern
ment. The banquet was preceded by a
reception. AS the ministers, especially
Lord Salisbury, arrived, they were loud
ly and repeatedly cheered Lord Sails
bury was accompanied by his wife
Among the other guests present were
Lord Halsbury, the lord high chancellor,
and Lady Halsbury, the Marquis of
Lansdown, secretary of state for war;
the Right Hon. Sir Michael Hicks Beach,
chancellor of the exchequer; Lord Ash
burne, lord chancellor of Ireland the
Right Hon. G. L. Richie, president of
the board of trade Lord James, chaneel
lor of the Duchy of Lancaster; the Right
Hon. Walter Long, president of the board
of agriculture; the Spanish ambassador,
and the Danish, Dutch, japanese, Ser
Wan and Swedish ambassadors.
Ambassador Bayard was not present,
being on a visit to Scotland.
When the Lord Mayor toasted the min
listers, Lord Salisbury arose to respond.
He touched briefly upon the result of the
recent general election. The nation, he
said, had spoken in terms that could not
be mistaken. In reference to home rule,
he augured period of peace as regards
the integrity of the empire. He also
thought that the position of the House
of Lords in the constitution had been
more exactly defined by the elections,
but Just now the chief interest was In
foreign affairs He alluded to the Chi
nese-J Japanese war which, he said, had
been followed with great interest, but
those matters had now passed and he
trusted peace had returned. He yentured
to hope that whatever further occurred
in the far East, the public would not
view it with unnecessary disturbance and
alarm. He was much struck by the re-
markabe sensation that was produced
by the false news a week or two ago, not
because he thought the news of partlcu-
lar importance, but because the opinion
it evoked in regard to it was very
noticeable phenomenon
s.Depend upon it, he said, Whatever
may happen in that region in the way
.e LNx ,Af 1nroo wa opO
equal to any competition that may be
opposed TO us, and may look with abso-
lutte equaniminity on the action of any
persons who think to exclude us from
that fertile and commercial region, or
who imagine that if we are admitted
they can beat us in the markets of the
world | should be sorry if we felt undue
sensitiVeness in the matter. -
Lord Salisbury recalled the words of
Lord Beaconsfeld to the effect that
there was room for everybody in Asia.
Englishmen, he added, hight employ
their energies without needing to fear
competition Continuing, Lord Sal
other part of the world where
matters were not so peaceful as he hoped
they are in the far east He recalled the
action in May last of the British, French
and Russian ambassadors at Constanti-
nople and declared it was designed to pro-
tect the Armenians, whose terrible and
deplorable sufferings had moved the feel
ings of the British nation to their base
He paid a high tribute to the skill of
the ambassadors, especially mentioning
their leader, Sir Philip Currie, the Brit
ish representative, whose Judgment,
skill and continuous labor, he said, had
done much to avoid the most formidable
dangers aud to bring matters, at all
events for time, to pacific phase. The
4 IL Ia Irrt1.ly hrrt lan fhrln
Powers had been substantially accepted
by the Sultan. He had seen somewhere,
under great name, the assertion that the
Sultan had won great victory over the
British It could not be called a victory,
Lord Salisbury declared, because he had
given the British all they wanted.
There had been the impression abroad
that he himself :. had added demand
to those made in May, requiring some-
thing in the nature of an international
commission. That was great mistake.
He never added to the demands. He
did offer as substitute, as simpler
way OF obtaining the same end, that, If
it was preferred, the present Mohamedan
machinery should continue and be SUI
pervised by mixed commission. The
demands of the embassies were substan-
TALLY that proportional number OF
Christian employees should be added to
the executive of the provinces contain
ing large mum bers OF ArmenlaDs. He did
not contend that his proposal was the
better The Sultan preferred the other
proposal and this naturally. fell to the
ground. Tho reason he preferred to be
rid of his proposal to substitute Chris
tian for Moslem officers was his great
horror of the Powers appearing in these
cases as partisans of one religion father
than of another.
With regard to the result of the nego-
tiations, if the reforms were carried into
effect, the ywould give theArmenians every
prospect that a nation could desire
prosperity, peace, Justice and safety. to
life and property. But will it be carried
out? If the Sultan can be persuaded to
give justice to the Armenians it will
not signify what the exact nature of
the undertaking may be.
: If the Sultan will not heartily resolve
TO do justice, the most ingenious constitu
tion that can be framed will not avail to
protect or assist the Armenians. Only
through the Sultan can any real perma-
nent blessings be conferred on his sub
jects.