The record-union., 1896-08-16
Parliament Prorogued a Day Earlier
Than Expected.
Ii Hung Chang, the Chinese Diplomat,
Enjoying the Sights of London
Lectures the Directors of the Bank
of England on the Subject of BIZ
metallism, Insisting That Great
Britain Could Settle the Question
If She Wished.

LONDON, Aug. 15.-The preliminary
tussle over the Irish land bill closed last
night when Parliament was prorogued
to October 31st. The Right Hon. Ed
ward H. Cursor Conservative, mem
Der for Dublin, said he regretted it. in
the warmth of debate, he had offended
anybody
Timothy Healy, the Irish member.
heartily thanked the Government for
the good work it had done and ex-
pressed the hope that more work would
be done for the benefit of Ireland at the
next session.
Arthur j. Balfour, the Government
leader in the House, whose conduct of
the Governments business has called
forth much adverse criticism, made a
humorous speech, with a mock heroic
peroration, in which he declared that a
great peace had descended upon the
land. The speech evoked much laugh
ter and applause
The general public has become great
ly wearied over the long newspaper re-
ports OF the debate on the BILL and re-
Jo1ces that the matter has been settled.
By good fortune the Government was
enabled to prOrogue Parliament a day
earlier than was expected, and by to-
night London will be, figuratively
speaking, deserted. The Ministers and
members of the House are hying to the
grouse moOrS, while others are hasten
ing their departure for continental re-
sorts.
During the debate on the Indian
measure General Sir Havelock Allan.
who had been prompted by the Com
mander-in- Chief of the army, General
Lord Wolseley, explained that the
statement that the latter recently made
regarding Indian troops was not intend
ed to reflect upon the loyalty or cour-
age Of those troops. 1t was a criticism
of the errors in organizing the Indian
army which rendered it unfit for service
outside of India
Ii Hung Chang is furnishing columns
OF amusing matter for the newspapers.
He has been shown through the Bank of
England, the Postoffice Woolwich ar
senal and other places calculated to i'm
press him with England's greatness but
whether the bland Chinaman has been
impressed is a matter of conjecture. He
had an awkward habit of posing his
conductors with a great number of
point blank questions, some of which
were so pointed as to excite doubt of
their naivete.
When being shown through the Bank
of England he lectured the director on
bimetallism, insisting that Great Brit
ain could settle the question if she
wished. He added, however, that she
would only do what was to her adyan-
tage.
The director replied: Like every
other Government" The Chinese states
man laughed and said: Yes, it is the
same the world over, but more espe-
cially in England" All of which goes
to show that he has a knowledge of at
least one English characteristic
In official quarters, where every effort
is being made to show the superiority
Of British diplomacy, it is said that Ii
Hung Chang will leave England as bar
rem as he came, though disinterested
| observers cannot see that England
gains anything from him or his Govern
ment.
Not being able to secure anything, it
IS now the object of certain officials to
throw discredit on Ii Hung Chang and
to say that he never had any authority
to grant anything.
1t is stated that in the interviews he
has had with Lord Salisbury he has
been hampered by the fact that the
British Premier, to every proposal Of
fered by Ii Hung Chang, asked by wire
to Pekin whether and how far the Chi
nese Government assented The an
swers were so indefinite as to amount to
reputation of Ii Hung Chang as an
envoy accredited to conclude ANYTHING
Even worse, perhaps, for Ii Hung
Chang signed provisional treaty at St
Petersburg, conceding to Russia the
Chinese suzerain rights over Corea and
territorial concessions for railway
through Manchuria to Port Arthur
The British Foreign Office. to which this
draft treaty does not appear to be a sur
prise in any way, believes that it i'm
plies the complete submission of China
to Russian control.
Ii Hung Chang offered the induce
ment of the absolutely complete con-
struction of the Chinese navy in Eng
land, the manning of the ships by Eng
ljsh officers, and added a prospect of
large strategic railway concessions, the
leading condition being the assent of
England to the increased cstoms tariff
Lord Salisbury replied that all these
matters must be referred to Pekin.
Apropos of the trick Ii Hung Chang
played upon the German Government
and German firms, it is learned that
Germany will dispatch a special com
mission to China, consisting of two
members of the consular department of
the Foreign Office and three men select
ed from the German houses who are
charged to report the respective advan-
tages held out by Ii Hung Chang
One of Ii Hung Chang's troubles is
connected with the Chinese Immigrants
in the Dutch settlements in Java While
at The Hague he asked the Dutch Gov
ernment to put the Chinese who were in
Java on an equal footing with the
Europeans.
! The Dutch in Java look upon the Chi
/ nese immigrants as an intolerable nui-