Birmingham state herald., 1896-11-01
THE EASTERN QUESTION.
NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE CONFER
 ENCE ARE PROGRESSING.
Mark Lane, Authority, Believes the Rise in Wheat Will Be Maintained-Lloyd
 Lays Long odds.

London, Oct. 31.-(special Cable Let ter)-The progress of the negotiations for the holding of a conference on the Turk ish question proposed to the powers by Prime Minister Salisbury is favorable The official expectation in London is that Lord Salisbury will be able to announce at the lord mayors banquet at the Guild hall on November that the conference has fixed on terms that are likely to result in the preserving of peace. The fact that the holding of such a conference is V1r- tually a crushing defeat of British diplo- macy does mot enter the mind of the aV7 craze Briton.
 Reliable information through the for eign office credits the sultan with ap- pointing a private commission. composed of distinguished and wealthy Turks, with other personages outside of official cir cles to inquire independently into the Anatolia troubles and the Constantinople riots. The obvious intnention of the sul- tan is to pose as truth seeker and inn partial investigator.
 Another intended announcement at the banquet towards the enabling of which the foreign office is making strenuous efforts is a statement that the Venezuela difficulty has been settled. Sir Julian Pauncefote, the British ambassador to the United States, has been instructed by the foreign office to accelerate the nego- tiations. The cabinet will meet on Mo- vember and again on November ', when the ministerialists hope that Lord Sails bury will be able to tell his colleagues of the success of his diplomacy regarding European and American questions.
 With the resumption of the cabinet councils there begins the reign or the speculation anent the government pro- gramme for the coming session. The list of bills to be promoted is known by the lapsed measures of last session. Chief among these is the education bill, the failure of which is doubtflllly said to have hastened the death of the Archbishop of Canterbery. The bill under process Of amendment has become so transflgured from it's original sectarian character that it may, if carried, give a dangerous shock to toher prelates.
 Sir John Gorst's article in the North American Review is spoken of in Unionist clubs and generally in conservative cir cles as having given the whole ministerial case away. This implies that the bill, tf it is to have the countenance of the Duke of Devonshire and Sir John Gorst, must be presented to parliament without the proposals insisted upon by Lord Salisbury and inspired by the bishops.
 Sir John Gorst's allusions in the North American Review to the territorial aris- tocracys persistent opposition to intellec- tual progress are true enough, but cannot from a ministerial point of view be con- sdered discreet.
 Education, it is believed will be the chief measure of the session. MT. Cham .r@s'lain's old age pensions scheme may be mentioned in the queens speech, but there is no chance of any bill on this sub ject being introduced.
 A reporter of the Southern Associated Press has had an interview regarding the wheat situation with MT. Seth Taylor, the largest miller in England, @ commit teeman of the Baltic sales rooms and the principal trader in Mark Lane. MT. Tay- Tor said: Considering the condition of supplies the rise in wheat is likely to be maintained Business is knit with Senti- ment, which cannot be controlled in Lon don It follows in my opinion that fiuc- tuations must continue until the nervous ness arising from the American elections has subsided. London dealers do not rely upon any estimate of the result of the election struggle They hold that it is impossible to foreteel, and that it is impossible to calculate impartially whose election will be of the most benefit" Summing up the position, MT. Taylor said: "I know enough to know that nobody knows anything about it.
 The underwriters at Lloyds, in the ab- sence of speculative shipping risks are willing to bet on anything. They are in- surfing MT. Mckinley as the successful candidate at a premium of 21 per cent derwriters twenty guineas and MT. Me- Kinley is not elected, the person will re- ceive 100 guineas. These are pretty long odds, but the Mckinley believers show the courage of their convictions in laying