The record-union., 1897-01-31
British Conservative Newspapers Warmly
Protest Against II.
Claim It Reduces the House to the
Level of a Debating Society.
The House of Commons Authorizes a
Loan of Twenty-Seven rlillion
Five Hundred Thousand Dollars as
Part of a Military Scheme for
National Defense.

Part OF a Military Scheme for
National Defense.
LONDON, Jan. 30.-The Conservative
newspapers warmly protest against the
protracted debate on the address in re-
ply to the speech from the throne 1t the
opening Of Parliament. They claim the
debate was about nothing, and that it
reduced the House to the level of a
provincial debating society. Yester-
days proceedings were the first pieces
of practical business, and it is an in
terestng fact that the Government 5
support yesterday and in Thursday s
debate on the action Of the Board of
Trade in the dispute between Lord Pen
hyn and his quarrymen came from the
Liberal benches. Not a single unofficial
Tory defended the Government, and the
Radical organs point to this as indicat-
ing decline in the standard of parlia-
mentary honor of the Tories, and ask
what the latter care about, since they
apparently care nothing for their own
bills, their own word, or their own Gov
eminent.
The grave remarks of the Secretary of
State for the Colonies, Joseph Chamber
lain, on the situation in South Africa
has created a deep impression, more es-
pecially as they were unexpected. The
members assembled in the lobby after
ward and discussed the passages of his
remarks, in which he hinted at danger
Gus undercurrents in affairs at the Cape,
and remarks that his line in reference to
the TransVall was much Sterner than his
former utteranceS on the same subject.
The Conservative newspapers greatly
praise Mr.. Chamberlain's attitude, and
the Globe" expresses the hope that
President Kruger will take the warning
to heart, for persistence in injury and
insult in Boer dealing will only result in
the assertion once for all of the British
supremacy in South Africa
The comments of the other papers
point to the committee as expected to
rake up evidence of Boer treachery and
intrigue.
The nouBe Uf Commons yesterday au-
thorized a loan of Il, 800, 900 (S21, 900. =
000) for a military scheme which the
Parliamentary Secretary for the War
Office, w. j. Broderick, explained is part
of a general scheme for national de-
fense, and includes increased provision
for rifle ranges and the acquisition of
Salisbury's plan for a maneuver ground.
The plague is still increasing in Bonn
bay. There were 12S cases announced
on Thursday, the highest since the be-
ginning of the outbreak Doctors are
being sent to Bombay from England,
and several European countries are
sending experts 10 study the epidemic.
1t is reported that Germany will recall
Professor Koch from the Cape in order
to head a commission to Bombay.
The international conference at Ven
ice on the 10th viii be the occasion for
the gathering of most eminent sanitary
experts in Europe, each country send
ing its leading authorities.
The Mansion House fund has now
reached f1f1, 900, irrespective of the
large subscriptions which are being
raised in the big provincial towns. The
Lord Mayor of London, George Faudel
Phillips, in an Interview to-day said
that he wonted to raise II 100000 ster-
ling. and he hoped he would get it. He
added that it was rather singular that
the champion donation, E2,000, came
from an American, William Waldorf
Astor
The selection of Lyman J. Gage as
Secretary of the Treasury in the McKin-
ley Cabinet is very well received by the
press here. The est. James Gazette"
regards it as fairly satisfactory, and
speaks of him as a skilled and expert
nf iyh -to
good repute."
The visit of Count Muravieff. the Rus
sian Minister for Foreign Affairs, TO
Paris has attracted much attention, and
it is generally accepted as intended by
the Car to be another demonstration of
the alliance. 1t was remarked, however,
in some quarters that the terms used by
NJ. Hanotaux, the French Minister for
Foreign Affairs, in toasting Count Mu-
ravieff yesterday We're more ceremoni-
Gus than those adopted by the Russian
Minister in his reply, and it is limited
that NJ. Hanotaux is still a little ruffied
over Russia s attitude regarding the OF
toman Debt Commission.
The French Cabinet had a very mar
row escape from defeat yesterday, when
II secured only a majority of II in re-
jecting the amendment of NJ. JaureZ, So
cialist, to the bill granting export boun-
ties on sugar, the first clause of which
was adopted on Thursday The amend
ment of NJ. Jaurez was that the bounties
should only be fixed on sugar produced
in 1897, instead of 1896 and thereafter.
IF the amendment had been adopted
Germany and Austria would have been
left in possession of the English market,
and as NJ. Meline is pledged to put
French growers and refiners on the
same footing as Austrian and German
growers and refiners, he probably would