The herald., 1896-02-18
IN AMENDMENT IS MOVED
To the Reply to the Queens
Address
THE VENEZUELA QUESTION
Argued Eu Passaut 10 the House of
Commons
ihere Is NO objection TO en- Amendment in
the Interest Of Arbitration Of In.
ternationaI Questions
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
LONDON, Feb. 1.-THE deba.e on the
aodress in reply 10 the queens speech was
continued IN the house of commons today.
| Timothy harrington, Parrelliie. moved an
amendment to the effec. that amnesty he
granted Irish political prisoners. The me.
ton was supported by johu Redmond. H.
& Plunkett, Prof Z. X. Lecky and others.
Balfour, the Conservative leader, moved
| the cl sure, which was carried by vote of
2'O 10 lO.. Harrington's motion was
| then defeated by a vote OF 279 toll7.
| Mr. Atherly Jones, Liberal member for
the northwest division of Durham, then
moved the following amendment: "And
while we are glad 10 hear her majestys
relations with foreign powers continue to
be friendly, we deplore that her majesty's
speech does not contain an assurance that
| all matters of difference between this
country and the republic Of Venezuela, in
relation to the delmitatiou of the frontier
| OF that state aud British Guiana, be re-
| ferred 10 arbitration, in accordance with
| the government of the United States.
In moving the amendment, Mr.. Jones'
said he thought the government should be
graf 'iiD for the opportunity to ascertain
the opiuion of the house of commons upon
.ue pciicy 1t ought to pursue. In acceJ
irg the amendment in that spirit. he ccn-
Iinued. il would only he following the en-
| ample OF President Cleaveland who asked
tue opinion of contresa upon the measure
submitted to Great Britain.
Mr.. Alberly Jones then asked the house
TO art in the spirit + the resolution al
ready adopted, :hat all disputes and dif-
tPrGnrRa Rrtf sin and ka
Uni Cd States should be settled by arbi-
traton. failing by any other mode. While
the speaker bad high regard Tor the NJ ar
quis of Salisbury, he Insisted that The
question involved such tremendous issues
that he believed he was eSpre- ::
democratic tendencies when he eai
they would not be justified iu leaving them
IN the hands of two or three men, however
able they might be. The speaker also sub
ml'ted that arbitration of the present DIS
pu'e was most in consonance with the
hcuor, dignity and permanent interests of
Great Britain. II was quite admitted that
Great Britain had the right to resent in
reference upon the part of foreign
state when such interference savored of
menace, but he denied that this character
attached to the course taken by the United
Sta es.
Mr.. Atheriy Jones said that since lS41
England had seven times changed the line
marking The limit of her claim. In the
face OF these facts, how could It be con.
tended by Great Britain that the Schom-
burg line was outside the pale of arbitra.
tionI Having expressed dissatisfaction
with Lord Granviiie's treatment OF the
question in 1881, he protested against the
assumption that the action of the United
States government was only an election
dodge. We ought not to judge the action
of the government, the speaker continued,
hv Prasidart ynIa nd
Oiney's dispatches, but by the friendly
representations received subsequently.
MIR. A. j. Bai!our. first lord of the treas.
ury and government leader, then arose to
reply and said he desired TO appeal to the
house that in his opinion continua ion of
the debate would make an honorable at
rangement OF the matter of greater I'll
Gully.
He trusted that the house would not take
premature opportunity of discussing the
policy which had been pursued or which
ought 10 be pursued.
John Dillon, anti Parnelite, thought tnat
the American people onght to know that
intense feeling existed in the house of com =
mons a9ains any attempt to bring on a
war IN this question. Ike condue, of the
American government, he said bad
after ess Years paS"' Of delay vu and a' sh"fG. y
ing on the part of Great Bri.
tain followed by an insulting dispatch
from Lord Salisbury had the president
sent his dispatch. 1t ought to be under.
stood in America that Lord Salisbury's
dispatch did not represent the feelings OF
England Or Ireland.
cir William Vernon Harcourt, Liberal
leader in the house. said Mr.. Atherly
Jones' amendment had been moved in the
interest OF alton. but it was couched
in form which would censure the govern.
ment, and il a division were taken upon it
there would be great majority against it
and 1t would 20 forth to America and the
world that the house of commons had pro-
nounced against arbitration. He believed
great majority in the house OF COM
mons and elsewhere were in ia.
vor OF arbitration on proper
basis and the main object should be how
best to give expression to this feeling. He
deplored the use of exasperating language.
Nothing would be more Injurious and un.
true, he said. Than to cay that the presi
dents message was an election dodge. The
United States had been pressing the ques-
tion for settlement for ten years in the
most conciIiatory manner. We should all
endeaver on both sides to remove the
sources of irritation and secure a speedy
settlement.
He was strongly impressed, he contin-
ued, with the evils and dangers Of soma
delay In coming to an agreement. He wou
be glad to know the cause of delays in pre-
senting the British case. 1t was desirable
the public on both sides of the Atlantic
be Informed on this, in order to correct tue
differences between US. Many differences
had already been removed. Instead of re.
senting, we should now welcome the co.
operation of the United States. So far al
the question of arbitration went, all were