The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-08-08
IrIS STILL. CNSETTE.ED.
The yeuczueInn Question Nny Re.
come nm Issue in English Politics.

The London correspondent of the
Philadelphia Ledger writes: So far as
England Is concerned. the Venezuelan
question has within the last few days
assumed. or. To speak perhaps more cor
rcctly. has shown that II Is in the pro-
cess OF assuming, new aspect. Ii Is
becoming feature of party politics.
and il is quite within the bounds OF
possibility that this dispute concerning
a more or less unimpOrtant boundary
line in a distant continent may cause
the greatest majority of English party
politics to crumble into nothlnEncss.
The first move in the Wcll-laid scheme
of an important section of the Liberal
party 10 bring about what Is, from their
polnt of view this most desirable end,
was made in the House of Commons two
nights ago. when Sir William Vernon
Harcourt as leader of the Opposition,
insisted that Mr.. Arthur i8alfour. the
leader of the party III power, should APP
point n day for the discussion by the
House. of Commons of the ri-party ne
rotiations between the United States,
Great Britain and Venezuela. AS was
to be expected. Mr. Balfour avoided
direct answer. talked vaguely of the
danger of open discussion concerning
such automatically delicate matters,
and like Tcnnysun's Chancellor, Smll-
ing. put the question by.
| am informed, however, on What
must consider TO be the best of authority
last intention OF being satisfied with
thjs very obvious bluff" on the part OF
ord Slllsbury's nephew. He consider
c 4 tnat-asI lately cablcd you-thc posi-
tion nf afIairs is to-day rs perllously un-
certain as IL was six months ago, so Tar.
q, Ia,s, rs II has been affected by any
action at the British Foreign Office. He
and a large number of his fo!iowers'enler-
tain a greater respect for the intelligence
a
hn nossibl. for Lord Salisbury; they are
,vnrn that empty cOmplime paid to
VISITING social orga nizat !ons-even should
these l1ttsr ma sQuerade under the title
80 y,iIi,orv bldics-On the one hand,
aud the dulcet notes of appreciation oil
the poaceful possibilities inherent IN gen
oral n bitration treaties WHICH can never
be signed. are likely TO be appfeciaisd
at thefr true value across the Atlantic.
Eor is .hcil value. slight as Il is, likely
70 ba materially enhanced, they maintain,
Nv tr1,, colucldent fact thl! Salisbury
maintains his resOlve--a re-
solve indeed from which the major
portion Of the whole international fric-
tion arose-of submitting only small
portion Of the territory for arbitration.
The English III raj party. therefore, as
by It's leaders, feels that Il is
NOT for tfrc best interests of the country
nj larg. that Lord Salisbury should any
longer be allowed an absolutely free
hand i'm the Venezuelan matter. Up to
:he present time the Liberals have re-
Trained from end RvOring TO hamper the
freedom Of action in any
particular-thcreby they have followed
the later English parliamentary tradi-
lions, which incline TO regard the foreign
policy OF whatever party that may be in
power as practically non-content!ous:
but this view is only maintained so far
as the best interests Of the country itself
may be served: when party interests
clash with international interes SITS II is
the obvious duty OF the opposition 10
step forward.
II is the belief OF Sir William Harcourt
and his associates that this point has
now arrived in regard to the Venezuelan
that is leading them to consider
whether II is not their duty. as patriots
rather than as politicians, to call Lord
Salisbury to account. and to bring what
has hitherto been. by mutual consent.
left n question of diplomacy, into the
public arena of party politics. That, de-