The herald., 1896-02-12

1ior my friends ever said that the Monroe
doctrine was one to which we had right to
object. 1t is of British origin, and l do not
see any reasons why we should criticize it.
1.-THE American commissioners (ou the
Venezuela boundary question: have ap-
Piled to us 10 aid them with any informa-
ton we have on the Venezuelan question,
and we have promised to give them all the
information we are able to give at the
earliest possible moment. (Cheers.)
mo false pride nor diplomatic punctilio
will be allowed to stand in the way OF a
settlement as far we are concerned; but
there are duties requiring diplomatic en-
forcement. We owe "a duty TO our children,
our colonies, and those Occupying them
and this country would not deserve to re-
tain the confidence of the colonies unless
we convinced them that we were ready and
willing to defend them. and in a case in
which we were right we should not aban-
don them. (Cheers)
ut is impossible to foresee with certainty
what will be the general conclusions ar
rived at by the American commission or by
those called upon to investigate the British
claim. But one conclusion l am certain
will be reached by everyone who impair.
TALLY investigates. He will be convinced
thai there has never been the slightest in
tention on the part CT this country to vio-
late the substance or essence of the Monroe
doctrine. Whatever conclusion the COM
mission may arrive at it will most asSuredly
reach the conclusion that no desire to push
beyond the due limit of the frontier of this
empire has ever been the animated cause
which moved British diplomacy in this
long drawn out controversy
ssIf this conclusion be fairly and frankly
set before the citizens of the United States,
one of their greatest perorations will be set
at rest. They will feel no need to suspect
of this country anything in the nature of an
invasion of a principle OF policy which both
they and we cherish.
"T should rejoice if out of this evil should
spring some general system of arbitration.
If that were the issue l should feel that all
MISUNDERSTANDING and evils done had
been more than removed and that per-
manent guarantee of good will between
the English-speaking nations on the two
sides Of the Atlantic had been attained for
all time"
Turning to the Transvaal question. Mr..
Balfour said: 1.-THE armed forces of the
Chartered company, of course, will be
transferred to an imperial officer without
delay. There is, therefore, no possibility
of repetition Of the recent deplorable
event.
1.-The government proposes, as soon as
the pending trials are concluded. that
there shall be a full inquiry into the facts
and history of the charter"
Passing to the subject of Armenia, Mr..
Balfour said: Lord Salisbury's speech to
scribed Great Britain's obligations. There
is nothing in the Berlin or Cyprus treaties
recurring the powers or one singly to go
to war to compel the Turks to carry out
their pledges"
Mr.. Balfour pointed out the impossibility
of individual action on the part of Great
Britain, He said in this connection:
..Short of bringing upon ourselves the
prospect of a possible European conflict,
we could have done no more in the direc-
ton of helping these unhappy people than
we have done. The house and the country
will remember that we alone among tile
nations of Europe Il do not include the
Tinted States, which | know alone was
with us) feel deeply and earnest on this
subject of horrors done in Armenia. For
eign nations see only the inevitable evil
that must overtake Europe if the question
is reopened.'
Mr.. Balfour further pointed out that for
eign nations think of all the rivalres and
disputes and perhaps wars that would fol-
low such an event, aud they are not pre-
pared TO lift a finger to assist Great Brit
ain in carrying out reforms. While unhap-
pity there is no sign of Turkish statesmen
seeing the error of THAR ways, he would
| never regret being the follower OF gov
| ernment which at all events did its best to
induce Turkey to take the only course to
secure the permanence of the Ottoman
| empire.
The Prince of Wales, the Duke of York.
the Duke of Connaught, the Marquis of
| Salisbury and other distinguished person-
! ages were amoEg those present in the
house of lords during the reading of the
| queens speech. The Princess of Wales
was in the peeresses gallery, and there
were a large number of ladies in the side
galleries. When business was resumed in
the house of lords, Baron Stanmore moved
the address in reply to the queen's speech.
J0s, h xx,ifh
her majesty and the royal family in their
grief over the death of Prince Henry of
Battenberg.
Baron Stanmore also congratulated the
government on its attitude toward British
Guiana, and said there was no subject for
dispute as it was as reasonable to question
the British claim as it would be to raise a
similar question with respect to the con-
cession of the Channel islands, which once
belonged to the duke of Normandy.
Proceeding with his remarks, Lord Rose
berry referred TO the ominous omission
| from the queens speech of the usual refer
! ence to the friendship of the foreign
powers, He ridiculed the fulsome eulogy
bestowed upon Colonial Secretary Cham
berlain; las if no previous British minis
ter did his duty" remarked his lordship.
| He approved the government policy in
the Transvaal, but he thought it unfor
tunate that the new poet laureate had been
|
| the Jameson raid. He warned Mr.. Cham
berlain in boasting of his conduct of the
colonial policy not to indulge in puerile re-
| Election calculated needlessly to irritate the
| foreign powers. The Venezuela difficulty,
he said, was no new one, and they had all
| tried their hands it.
| But now the intervention of the United
| States offered guarantee of the perma.
! nence of any settlement that might be ef-
| fected. He interpreted the reference in the
| queens speech to mean that some negotia-
| ticns were progressing between England
| and America. He rejoiced at the an
| nouncement because it indicated a way to
| issue from the impasse produced by Sails
| bury's dispatch and President Cleveland's
message, and gave promise that the United
, States would see that Venezuela faithfully
| executed any settlement arrived at. We
| welcomed the movement on both sides of
the Atlantic in favor of permanent arbitra.
| ton.
Turning to Armenia Lord Rosebery said
| he hoped the house would receive fuller
| inf ormation than was received in the curt
cold allusion in the queens speech. Lord
| Salisbury's brave words towards the sui
tan, he said, had not been followed by
brave deeds. The noble marquis had been
forced to abandon the cause of the Armen
| lans. Surely some course might have been
| adopted between a crusade aud apathy.
| The marquis of Salisbury, the prime
minister, was received with loud cheers as
he rose to reply to the criticism of Lord
Rosebery, the ex-premier.
He said: "No sympathy with Armenia
would justify us in facing calamities com
| pared with which the CriInean war woulC
! sink into insipnificaDce,"