New-York tribune., 1896-01-19
fBY CABLE TO THE rRIBUNE.l

London Jan. 18.-The prosaic times, wheA
Members of Parliament make dull speeches which
nobody reads and when the newspapers have
leaders on law cases and the weather, are re-
turning. Public excitement In England Is SIM
mering down; the German Emperor Is no longer
hissed and hooted President Cleveland is hardly
regarded as greater ogre than the Sultan, in
whose dominions tens Of thousands OF Armenians
are believed to have psrished in the last six
months The flying squadron is ready to sail for
an unknown port under sealed orders but nobody
is excited over the cruise. The bulletin boards Of
the clubs are no longer anxiously scanned hour
after hour Signs Of returning reason and COM
posure are everywhere The Venezuela dis
pute is gradually dropping out Of public discus
sion because the belief is general that It will be
adjusted speedily. The Queen who has been
writing to the Sultan as well as to the Emperor,
is known to be determined to keep peace with
America. Undoubtedly Mr. Balfours concilia-
tory utterances In Manchester on the Monroe
Doctrine and permanent arbitra tion tribunal
reflected the opinion Of the recent Cabinet meet.
ing.
The British case will be published either before
or after the meeting Of Parliament, but without
reference to the American Commission, which is
regai ded here the chief obstacle to a pacific
adjustment of the questions at issue. President
Cleveland by asking the President Of Venezuela
to reopen diplomatic negotiations with England.
render great service to the interests OF
peace without compromising his position. Eng.
land would then be put in position to negotiate
directly with Venezuela for the settlement of the
boundary dispute by arbitration or otherwise.
Mr.. Clevelands Commission would be left high
and dry but the only real interest which the
United States has stake. the adjustment Of tn
cnnf ifah hlo condit ho
cured. This is the view of the best-informed
Englishmen. whose sincerity in desiring a speed!
settlement cannot be doubted.
The discussion OF an international arbitration
tribunal continues undated. but is largei,
academic Mr.. Balfour strongly favored IT, mu,n
as he reaffirmed his belief in bmetallism Ir
dividually he is a bimetal!ist but officialy. .
member OF the Government, he Is a monometai-
list and will obstruct international agreement on
a new ratio between gold and silver. II is nc.
likely that his private faith In the permanent
arbitration scheme will ever commit him to OF.
fetal action
The success Of the American popular loan at
tracts less attention here than artificial at
tempts to start a new boom in South African
mining stocks. The opinion prevails that tn.
loan will be only palliative measure, and that
the dsordered conditions Of American finance
will continue until gold bonds are issued in plaor
Of coin bonds or the political deadlock In Wash.
ington is broken in some way. Meanwhile.
American securities arc not marketable in Lon
don. although the irritation caused by Mr. Cleve-
lands message is passing away. German trade
In England has suffered heavily from recent &c
currences, as supporters frankly admit Nearly
% per cent Of the German export trade Is with
the United Kingdom. While the bulk Of it g.
oil, olsek
manufacturers are undersold by German pro
ducers especially Of woollen and cotton rcods
glass and paper. For this reason the ndus.ria
and shopkeeping classes in England while
aterably opposed TO war with America. have
been strongly in sympathy with the recent {. m
onstratlon against Germany.
Tho Anglo French Siamese convention Is an
agreement for the partition of the Shan region.
AS NJ Berthelot was the first to announce It,
the French journals assume that their Govern
ment has gained more than the English from
the compromise. The facts are not yet clearly
known but apparently Lord Roseberys idea Of
a buffer State the Upper Mekong has been
abandoned. and the river established :he
boundary between the two spheres Of action. It
Is improbable that the convention Is the result
of a general Anglo-French alliance. although
ing wedge. He has chosen a convenient mo.
ment for adjusting a frontier dispute, when
the charge Of giving up British territorial clalms
will cause least criticism in England. NJ.
Berthelot on the other hand, is a Foreign MINI
lister with reputation to make. He is pleased
with the chance of doing diplomatic work
which will increase French prestige In Asia.
and his own at home The immediate renewal
Of the agitation of the French press for enforc-
ing the English evacuation Of Egypt indicates
that something more effective than a nero
lingo demonstration will be required before Q
working alliance be formed between Paris
and London
The South African situation is slowly settling:
while Jameson Is still retained captive under
one pretext or another. the crisis has evidently
passed. since Sir Hercules Robinson has left
Pretoria and Mr. Chamberlain Is taking .
well-earned holiday In Birmingham. The ad-
journment OF the volksraad is clear intima-
ton that the internal reforms demanded py the
Uitanders will not be conceded at once out
this was hardly to be expected indeed' tne
chances of legislation will be better when the
excitement passes away. The political con-
spirators Of johannesburg now under arrest
remain to be disposed Of. and Will probably %
heavily fined. since most Of them are men OF
means II they are not imprisoned Tor snort
terms. The main hitch has undoubtedly arisen
over the indemnity to be paid by the Chartered
Company President Krdger has renewed the
charge that the plot against the Transvaal was
melted or organized by a group Of fnanciers
and has asserted that he has documentary ev!-
dence to prove It. This may be menace Of
fered for the purpose Of extracting larger
indemnity than can reasonably be claimed The
directors Of the Chartered Company have sent
out an urgent message to Cecil Rhodes to sail
for England without delay. Pending his
rival, It is not probable that the amount Of the
indemnity can be settled. Certainly his pres
ence Is needed In London In order to secure q