The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-01-28
SENATOR WOLCOTTlIS NOT MEET
ING WITH MUCH ENCoUR- r
AGEMENT IN LONDON.
.lNGLO-AMER|CAN TREATY COMMENTS
The German Press Take Umbrage at Sal
isbury's Remarks in Parliament.
Salisbury Congratulated On Dip
lomatic Triumph Over Russia

\ London, Jan. copyrighted, 1897
by the Associated Press Parliament
opened on Tuesday last with an unusually
poor attendance and lack of interest. The
statement of Mr.. A.. j. Balfour, the con-
sentative leader in the house of commons
and first lord of the treasury, regarding
Irish finances, has removed the most i'm
portant barriers to a speedy adoption of
the address in reply to the speech from
the throne. Mr.. Balfour says that the
royal commission which had inquired into
the financial condition of Ireland, and
which reported that country to be over
taxed to the amount of 2,57O0OO pounds,
had been guilty of sins of omission, and
refused to discuss large taxes which
should be admitted. He said the govern
ment intended to take steps to complete
the investigation. Mr. Bafour now hopes
the address will be voted early next week.
With the exception OF the proceedings
Yesterday, when Sir Henry Howarth, con
serYanye, moved an amendment censur-
ing the government for releasing the Irish
political prisoners, which called forth
1aheated defense of the action of the home
A efretary, Sir Matthew White. Ridley,
t5on the part of Mr. Balfour, who declar-
~ that Sir Henry's attack was an impu-
tatipn on the honor of the whole treasury
Z Bench, and meant that he himself and his
colleagues were unworthy to lead the
party.
The debates in the commons have been
tedious and only enlivened by. an amusing
incident on Thursday, when Sir Wilfred
Lawson, radical, representing the Coker-
mouth division of Cumberland, depicted
British legislators in the grotesque posi-
ton of breaking the law of the country
daily.
Sir Wilfred questioned the attorney gen
eral, Sir Richard Webster, Q. c., regard
ing the sale of liquor within the precincts
of the house. Sir Richard had to reply
amid continuous roar of laughter that
after profound inquiry into the matter
he had come to the conclusion that the
sale of liquor within the precincts of the
house was illegal, and that the only way
was to pass a short act eXempting the
house from the licensing law. The fol-
lowers of Sir Wilfred Lawson, who Incl
dentally is president of the United King
dom Alliance for the Suppression of the
Liz n Traffic. are jubiant at the attor-
ney generals admission, and it is limited
the they intend to file an information
ag inst the speaker. But they are not
likely to carry out the threat. When the
question of alleged over-taxation of Ire
land comes up for discussion the Scotch
members intend to suggest that the fnan-
cial position of Scotland be included in
the inquiry.
From the general tone of the continental
press it is evident that Europe looks
\ askdlce at the AngloAmerican arbitra
rion treaty, and seems. to fear an Anglo
A American alliance. The Marquis of
Saisburys dig at Prince Bismarck in
his speech in the house of lords on Tues
day last seems to have touched a sore
point in Germany. The premier said, re-
ferring to the arbitration treaty: Il can
only observe that you must not think we
are INDUCING in millennial anticipations
if we hope that something will be done by
the treaty of arbitration to diminish the
risk of war. | do not say it will remove
the greatest risk of war; do not say that
it will restrain Napoleon or Bismarck,
but diplomacy is full of an infinite num-
BIER of small differences which are caught
up by the people and the press of both
countries. And if they are written upon,
exaggerated and enlarged, they tend to
diminish the friendship between them and
give birth to a feeling of alienation and
resentment"
The North German Gazette, comment
ing upon the reference to Prince Bis
marck, refers to the arbitration treaty as
AN agreement to prevent quarrels about
trihes, and repudiates the comparison of
Napoleon with Prince Bismarck, wherein
the North German Gazette sees another
illustration of British industrial and COM
mercial Jealousy" ..... .-....
The Kreuz Zeitung says that the Mar
Iuis of Salisbury, instead of mentioning
the names of two prominent personages
would have done better to openly admit
that such treaties are of little weight