The herald., 1898-08-13
The QUEENS ADDRESS
THE ENGLISH PARLIAMENT
PRORoGUED
Future Of England in China Causes
Grave Apprehension-Wa With
Russia May Result

LONDON. Aug. 12-The House of Com
mons met today at 1890 am. A success
sion of questions on the subject of China
ELECTED little information.
The government leader, Mr.. Balfour, de-
clined to pledge the government to prevent
the ratification of the Franco-Belgian
Pekin-Hankow concession, but promised
that in the event of British capitalists
purchasing railroad concessions obtained
by French or Belgian syndicates In the
Yang Use Kiang Valley. Her Majesty's
government will support them, both in Lon
don and Pekin, In this and In all other
legitimate British commercial enterprises.
The China appropriation having passed
its third reading. the session was sus-
pended until 2:30 pm. when Parliament
will be prorogued. The Queens speech at
the propagation of Parliament Is as fol-
lows:
my Lords and Gentlemen: My relations
with other nations continue friendly. I
have witnessed with deep sorrow the hos
tilities which have taken place between
Spain and the United States, two nations
to which my empire is bound by many ties
of affection and traditions. Negotiations
recently onened give fair ground for hop
ing thar he deplorable conflict will be
brought to a termination by the conclu-
sion of a honorable and enduring peace.
1.-THE changes which have taken place
in the territorial relations of other powers
with the Chinese Empire induce me to
conclude arrangements whereby the har-
Dor Of Wei Hal Wei and certain positions
adjacent to my colony of Hong Kong were
leased to me by the Emperor of China. I
trust these arrangements will conduce to
the maintenance Of his independence and
the security of his empire and be favorable
70 the development of the extensive COM
. merce carried on between the peoples of
Great Britain and China
Paragraph three refers to the guaran-
teeing. in conjunction with Russia and
France, OF the loan to enable Greece to
pay the Turkish war indemnity.
The fourth paragraph expresses salts
faction at the conclusion Of the conven-
tion with France, finally settling West
African questions.
The speech then refers to the arrange
n1ents made to establish at an early date
penny postage between the United King
dom, Canada, Newfoundland and else
where, makes reference to the plague still
existing in certain portions of Western
India and the Punjab, and concludes:
II am thankful that bUuntful harvests
have been gathered throughout the greater
part Of India and that the internal and
external trade of the country are rapidly
recovering from the depression caused by
the famine.
Gentlemen of the House of Commons:
thank you for the liberal provision you
have made for the defense of my empire.
The sacrifices asked of you are severe, but
no greater than the exigencies Of the pres
ent time require. am glad to recognize
the value of the provisions to which you
have assented for increasing the strength
and efficiency of my army.
my Lords and Gentlemen: have seen
with much qualification that you have this
year added to the statute book an import
ant measure 0ssimilating the local institu.
lions of ireland to those of England and
Scotland. I trust this reform will tend
to strengthen the bonds which unite the
people of Great Britain and Ireland, in
crease their common affection for the
fundamental institutions of the realm"
After expressing satisfaction at the
adoption of bills enabling accused persons
to testify in their own behalf for prevent
ing the abuse of patronage and occupation
of benef1ces of the established church, "the
principles of which bills have been gen.
orally accepted for many years, though
hitherto there has been no opportunity to
make them law"
The speech ends: IT pray that the bless
ing OF Almighty God may attend you"
English Indignation
LONDON. Aug. 13.-The morning papers
express the growing indignation of the
country at the position of affairs in China
The Shanghai correspondent of the Daily
Mail, who processes to divulge the terms of
q long-existing treaty between China and
Russia. says:
ut is nothing less than an offensive alli-
ance. China undertakes to regard Russia
as having preponderating influence on all
questions of commercial and internal pol
icies, while Russia will support China
against all open door demands. Russian
finances China in internal developments
and China grants Russia preferential rates
in certain areas and railways built in the
Joint interests of the two countries would
be under Russias practical control.
Russia will assist China in developing
her military and naval forces and China
will cooperate with Russia as an ally This
treaty has been in allegiance since Ii Hung
Chang visited the car. That it has become
operative at the present moment in re-
spect to the Picking, Hankow and Nieu
Chwang contracts Is significant.
A special dispatch from Shanghai says:
1.-THE Russian agents are again intriguing
to obtain control of the Chinese maritime
customs department.
The Picking correspondent of the Times.
telegraphing with reference to the Peking-
Hankow contract, says: 1.-THE rebuff Is
all the more serious because the tsung !,
yamen gave assurances that the decree
confirming the contract would not be is
sued until after a further conference with
Sir Claude Mcdonald the British minister
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