Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-12
LORDS AND COMMONS
Animated Discussion Of Great Brit
aims Policy.
HER ATTITUDE TOWARD AMERICA
Amicable Settlement of the Venezu-
ella Dispute.
AND TRANSVAAL

In the British house of Lords yester-
day afternoon Lord Rosebery formerly the
liberal premier, complained of the meager
program of the government, as expressed
in the queens speech.
Proceeding with his remarks, Lord Rose
berry referred to the ominous omission from
the queens speech of the usual reference
to the friendship of foreign powers. He
ridiculed The fulsone eulogy bestowed up
on Colonial Secretary Chamberlain, las if
no previous British minister ever did his
duty" remarked his lordship.
He approved the government policy in the
Transvaal, but he thought it unfortunate
tEat the new poet laureate had been per-
mitted to publish a glowing eulogy Of the
jameson raid.
He warned Mr.. Chamberlain, in boasting
of his coEduct of the colonial policy not to
indulge in puerile reflections calculated
needlessly to irritate the foreign powers
The Venezuelan difficulty, he said, was no
new one, and they had all tried their hands
at 1t. But nov the Intervention of the
United States offered a guarantee of the
permanence of any Settlement that might
be effected. He Interpreted the reference
in the queens speech to mean that some
negotiations were proceeding between Eng
land and America. He rejoiced at that an
nounceme Mt, because it indicated a way to
issue from the impasse produced by Lord
Salisbury's dispatch and President Cleve-
lands message, and gave promise of the
United States seeing that Venezuela faith
fully executed any settlement arrived at.
He welcomed the movement on both sides
of the Atlantic in favor of permanent arbi-
tration. Turning then to the subject Of Ar
menia, Lord Rosebery said that he hoped
the house would receive fuller Information
than was contained in the curt, cold allu-
sion in the queens speech. Lord Sails
bury's brave words toward the sultan, he
IA moi hoay, foil n L,yh
The noble marquis had been forced to
abandon the cause of the Armenians Sure
ly some course might fave been adopted
between crusade and apathy.
Lord Salisbury Cheered.
The Marquis of Salisbury, the prime min
lister, was received with loud cheers as he
arose to reply to the criticisms Of Lord
Rosebery, the ex-prime minister. Herald:
mo sympathy with the Armenians would
justify us in facing calamities, compared
with which the Crimean war would sink
into insignificaDce."
After feeling reference to the death of
Prince Henry of Battenberg, Lord Sails
bury denied that anything had been given
up in the Siam agreement with France.
Turning then to Venezuela, Lord Salisbury
concurred in Lord Rosebery's views that
Americas mixture in the dispute had con-
duced TO satisfactory results more rapidly
tnan II Tie United States had not interfered,
Speaking of the Venezuelan controversy,
Lord Salisbury, replying to some points
made in Lord Rosebery's speech, said:
do not think that the invoking of the
Monroe doctrine was controversally quite
unnecessary for the United States. Consid-
eripg the position of Venezuela in the Carib-
bean sea, 1t was no more unnatural that the
United States should take an interest in it
IMAM that We should feel interest in Hol-
land and Belgium and from that point of
view trust the negotia tons will continue.
Il DO not like to go further into ques-
ton obviously undesirable to state in the
condition of negotiations at present, but
have had an increasing belief during the
past few weeks that we shall, perhaps not
till after long negotiations, find some salts
factory settlement and all danger of rup-
ture Of relations between the two nations
be entirely removed. (Cheers.)
AL the same time, do not wish the house
to think that we have arrived at any agree
ment. l think we are rightly relying upon
the question of arbitration. America at
taches more unrestricted value to that mode
OF adjusting controversies than has hither-
to been done here; but l believe that means
may be found by a combi" alton of negotia-
tons with arbitration to oring the matters
which are not difficult to settlement. The
great obstacle has been Venezuela's ex-
travagart claims, and it was not following
the customary international policy when
Venezuela broke off diplomatic relations be-
cause they could rot obtain the precise lin
1T of territory they desired. But for that
action 1 believe the difficulty would have
been settled long ago."
With reference to permanent arbitration
the prime minister expressed the belief that
between the extremes of unrestricted arbi-
traton of all subjects, which it was impos-
sible for the two nations to adopt, and the
former practice, which perhaps used arbi-
tration too little. middle term may be
found which will effectually diminish the
chance of conflict.
Salisbury on Armenia.
Now as to Armenia" was Lord Sails
bury's way of taking up the next topic of
his ss,eech.
Lord Roseberys spirited denunciation
Of the government would have been more
formidable # it had any foundation in
fact. But I defy him to find any stipula-
tien in the Berlin treaty that could be
construed into an undertaking or threat
to fight Turkey on behalf Of the Armen-
ians.''
He had warned the sultan, he continued
of what would happen if he ignored the
opinion Of Europe, and he repeated that
the sultan was running very great danger
by such defiance, if he relied on the Eu-
rcpean fear OF what would happen If the
Turkish empire disappeared. He was in
clined to believe that Europe would delay
such catastrophe the longest possible,
but If the present state of things contin-
Ted its natural consequences could not be
Indefinitely delayed. Lord Rosebery had ac-
cused the government Of inaction, but
when, in May last, he himself had been in
power, he did not give any sign of resort
ing to force if England's demands were
not conceded.
The remainder of the speech was merely
repetition of Lord Salisburys speech to
the Non-ConforInist Unionist Association.
Upon the conclusion of the speech the
address was agreed to.
In the Commons.
In the house of commons Mr.. George ].
Goschen, jr., conservative, member for the
East Grinstead division of Sussex, moved
the address in reply
In moving the address, Mr.. Goschen said
he trusted that the negotiations regarding
the Venezuela question would result not
only in a satisfactory settlement, but in
a complete reconciliation and firm friend
ship between Great Britain and her kin
dred across the Atlantic. Continuing, Mr.
Goschen made a glowing reference to the
cuthurst of patriotic feeling in Canada
and in the British colonies during the re-
cent political crisis.
Sir William Vernon Harcourt said he was
rejotced at the paragraph in the queens
speech with regard to Venezuela, as 1t
held out the hope that the question could
be settled at an early date. He added that
no words that could impede such a settle
ment would fall from him.
No Party Fight Over Venezuela.
This remark was greeted with loud
cheers. as it disposed Of the report that the