The record-union., 1896-12-13
A New Port Would Mark an Advance
in Civilization.
English Badly Scared Over the Pros
pect of the Ruin of the Sugar In
dustry of the West Indies--Radicals
Very Determined in Their OppOsi-
ton to Mr.. Chamberlain-ASSert
That He Encouraged the Raid in
the TransVaal.

LONDON, Dec 12.-The London bu-
reau of the United Associated Presses
has the highest authority for the state
ment that the Russo-Chinese conven-
ton is by no means a surprise to Lord
Salisbury, nor are the main clauses of
the agreement opposed to England
interests. The substance of the con-
vention was discussed upon the occa-
sion of the visit of Ii Hung Chang to
London and was known to Sir Nicholas
O'Connor. the then retiring British Min
ister before he left Pekin to assume
the duties of British ambassador at St.
Petersburg.
The convention does not contain any
concession Of territory, but only secures
to Russia the right to construct rail-
road through Manchuria to Vladivo-
stock. The branch railway to Port Ar
thur is purely a Chinese enterprise
The Right Hon. A. ]. Balfour, First
Lord of the Treasury, speaking at Bris-
tol on February Sd last while the Russo
Chinese treaty was pending, said that
so far from regarding with jealousy the
acquisition of Russia of a commercial
port on the Pacific which would not be
frozen over to the exclusion of vessels
six months in every year, England
would welcome it as a distinct advance
of civilization.
WEST INDIA SUGAR INDUSTRY.
The destruction of the English colo
nial sugar industry is supposed by the
free trade English press to be counter
balanced by the growth of the English
confection and preserved fruit industry,
which it is claimed more than covers
any loss arising from the cessation of
colonial trade. This is true in an i'm
mediate practical sense, and points
the moral of the interviews on the sub
ject contained in dispatches to the
United Associated Presses, where the
annexation of the British Antilles to
the United States was shown to be the
natural issue of the situation.
But the gravitation of the West In
dian colonies toward the United States
is no part of the programme Of the I'm
periaI Federationists. Chamberlain's
Commission of Inquiry into the West
Indian sugar industry is such an OBJ
vious put-off and so useless that the
Imperial Federation leaders will have
nothing to do with it. So, when Par
lament meets there will appear on the
notice motions of the House several
proposals that the decaying condition
at once be met by a system of counter
vailing duties.
The interest aroused by the revival in
an acute form of this trouble recalls
the opinion expressed by Mr.. Gladstone
some ten years ago. after the London
conference on the bounties system II
think" he said, that both the trader
and the workman engaged in the busi-
ness of refining sugar have great rea
son to complain. My desire is that the
British consumer should have bought
sugar and every commodity at the low
est prices at which it can be produced
without arbitrary favor to any of those
engaged in the competition, but / can
not regard with favor any cheapness
which is produced by means of the con-
cealed subsidies of a foreign state to q
particular industry and with the effect
Of crippling and distressing capitalists
and workmen engaged in a lawful
branch of British trade"
The quotation here is expressly made
because on absolute official informa ton
ii will ultimately form the basis of the
action of the English Government in
settling the question. Chamberlain
knows the absurdity of the commission,
and the ultimate issue of the whole
matter is that either the continental
bounty giving Powers will abolish
bounties or the colonies obtain coun-
tervailing duties.
RADICAL OPPOSITION TO CHAM
BERLAIN.
The whole force Of the Radical party
Is to be directed at the earliest possible
moment against Chamberlain and the
Governments policy toward the Trans
yaal. Behind the attack on the Gov
ernment's action generally there is Bit
ter hatred toward the Colonial Secre-
tary. Time has not softened the feel
ings which elected at every mention of
his name in the meetings of the Ma
tional Liberal Club the cry of Judas. q"
So every possible advantage is taken
to show him up. prevaricating and
INSCRIPTIONS politician. The Labou-
chere clique think they now have him
on the hip in connection with the jam
eson revelations The English papers
call them revelations, although nothing
that is new can be garnered from the
most recent developments of the con-
troversy.
Put in brief, the newest form of the
charges against Chamberlain Is that
Sir John Willoughby and other officers
leading the raid on the TransNaal had
Chamberlain's assurance that he APP
proved of the movement and would
support II.
There are hints from the Radical side
that an eminent politician who saw
Rhodes while he was in England pledg-
ed himself TO support the expedition.
Here Sir William Vernon HGrcourt is
aimed at. There certainly exists cor
respondence which Sir John Willough-
by's solicitors hold, showing that Jane
son. willoughby and other leaders OF
the raid had been led to believe that
Chamberlain for the Government and
Sir William Vernon Harcourt for the
opposition had given their sanction to
TIE attack on the Transvaal. But II
can be stated with absolute certainty
that there exists no documentary proof
,rnplicating either Chamberlain or Sir
william Vernon Harcourt. The evil