The record-union., 1896-02-18

LONDON, Feb. 17.-In the House of
Commons to-day James Francis Hogan,
member for Middle Tipperary, asked
the Government when the commission
to consider the matter of laying Pa
cific submarine cable would assemble.
Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, Sec
retary of State for the Colonies, said
that the time for the meeting of the
commission would not be decided until
the names of the members of that body
had been received by the Government.
George N. Curzon, Parliamentary
Secretary of Foreign Affairs. stated
that the Government had no knowledge
that Russia had been invited to occupy
and police the Turkish territory of Asia
Minor. Such an act on the part of
Russia, without the assent of the Pow
ers. he said. would be violation of the
existing treaties.
The House took up the debate on the
amendment to the address in reply to
the Queens speech moved on Friday by
Timothy Harrington, Parnellite MEM
Der for the harbor division of Dublin,
favoring the release of Irish political
prisoners.
John E. Redmond, Parnellite, made
an impassioned speech, in which he said
that the feeling throughout Ireland was
in favor of amnesty for the Irish po-
1itical prisoners. The use Of dynamite,
he said, had originated with Irish
Americans, who were regarded by Irish
men generally as being mad and reck-
less. All .Irishmen,' he declared, now
concurred in the belief that the time
had arrived for the exercise of clemency
toward the Irish political prisoners.
The Irish, Mr.. Redmond said, were
blamed for their lack of sympathy with
England in her foreign complications
They would be hypocrites If they We're
to pretend that they were in sympathy
with England. Were these hatreds, he
asked, to exist forever? He hoped
rather to see the day when England and
Ireland would face the world hand in
hand He appealed to the Government
to hasten the day of the release OF an
old and dead moment of passion and
madness. Qrish cheers.)
Mr.. Balfour said the Government
must follow the regular practice. The
quinquennial revision of sentences
would occur in year or two, when the
revision would be applied to the Irish
prisoners with absolute impartiality.
Professor Lecly, the historian, was
loudly cheered as he rose to make his
first speech in the House, urging Glenn
ency for the Irish prisoners.
Mr.. Balfour moved closure, which was
carried by vote of 270 to 107, and Mr..
Harrington's amendment was rejected,
275 to lit.
L. Atherly- Jones, Radical member
for Northwest Durham, moved an
amendment to the address in reply to
the Queens speech deploring the alb
senee from the speech from the throne
of an assurance thatthe whole boundary
dispute with Venezuela will be referred
to arbitration in accordance with the
suggestion of the United States. In
speaking to his motion, Mr.. Atherly-
Jones declared that Great Britain had
seven times changed the boundary be-
tween British Guiana and Venezuela,
and asked how it could be claimed that
the territory in dispute could be outside
the pale of arbitration. He reviewed
the question in all its aspects since 1914.
Before the motion could be seconded
the Right Hon. A. j. BalfouT, First
Lord of the Treasury and Government
header in the House, interposed and ap-
pealed to the House on his response
bility as a Minister of the Crown not to
continue the debate. He declared that
he was of the opinion the continuation
of the debate would not serve the
purpose Mr.. Atherly-Jones had in view,
as it would not make an honorable So
luton of the difficulty easier. He there
fore hoped that the House, realizing
how grave the issues were that were at
stake, would not further discuss on
this occasion the policy that had been
pursued or would be pursued.
William Allen advanced RADICAL,
member from .Gateshead, seconded the
amendment. The whole matter, he de-
clared, was a tempest in a teacup. Gold
as usual was at the bottom of the whole
trouble. The country in dispute was a
nest of yellow fever, and was not worth
fighting for.
Henry Labouchere, the Radical
leader, said that after the statement
made by Mr.. Balfour, it was impossible
to continue the debate. (Cries of hear,
hear) He hoped he might take it that
the dispute would be speedily settled
to the satisfaction of both countries.
John Dillon, anti -ParneIlite member
for East Mayo, followed Mr.. Labou-
ehere. He said he trusted that no ap-
peal from the Government would in
duee the mover of the amendment to
withdraw his motion. The American
people, he added. ought to have some
indication of the intensity of feeling
existing in the House against the mere
suggestion of war with the United
States. The action of the American
Government has been most patient and
forbearing, and it ought to be made
known to the Americans that Lord
Salisbury's dispatch to Secretary Olney
did not represent the feeling of the peo-
pie of this country. He was glad to
note the recent improved tone of public
opinion. Even Lord Salisbury had
turned his attention to insulting a
somewhat smaller nation than the
United States. In the view of nine
tenths of the people of Ireland, the
whole question ought to be submitted to
arbitration.
Sir Vernon Harcourt, the Liberal
leader in the House, said he was glad
- "A CO "a n a