The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-01-19
ENCLAND'S NEW POLICY.
Proposed Government Aid to West
b. India Sugar Producers.
OTHER RELIEF CONTEMPLATED.

Hon. Joseph Cham mberlain, Secretary
O Plan which a London Taper De-
clarcs 'Savors of Protection"
Liverpool. Jan. 19.-The Liverpool
chamber of commerce gave banquet
last night to Right Hon. Joseph Cham-
berlain, secretary of state for the col
ones. Lord Strathcona and Mount
royal was also present. Mr.. ChambGr-
lain was greeted with an ovation and
special cheer was given for Mrs Cham.
berlain, who was with him.
Mr.. Chamberlain, in the course OK q
vigorous and important speech. refer
red to the great changes in commerce
during the last 20 years. He said:
''Since the great powers were bitten
with the megaloman!a. with which the
Germans are accustomed to taunt us,
as if 1t were our exclusive popularity,
the German empire has increased six
fold and the French fourfold, while
England" he said. has only added
modest third to her colonial empire"
Answering the argument that it is use
less to coionize barren wastes. he point
ed to the magnificent enterprise of the
Canadian Pacific railway, that had
opened up vast country Of the great
est wheat fields and was about to open
what were perhaps the greatest fields
IN the world.
Looking to the certainty" he said,
''that we are likely to be excluded by
hostile tariffs from any country where
the British flag does not float, our pres
ent policy Is to take very firm atti-
tude and to maintain free markets.
What the foresight of our ancestors has
done for us In building great empire
we must continue to do for our sue
cessors. This is not the policy of ag-
gression or lawlessness. We have a
threefold duty. First. to keep what
rightly belongs to u.s. second. In Lord
Rosebery's admirable words, to peg
out claims for posterity, and third. IL
any one tries to rush those claims.
gently to prevent them"
Referring to "the fact that our sac
rifice of territory and our general for
bearance and Difference to the sensl-
bllities of our allies have only resulted
in our being told that we are best hated
nation in Europe" he repeated Lord
Salisbury's warning. There Is limit
to this forbearance. After a repiti-
tion Of the old zolverein aspirations,
which he described as less absurd
than some have supposed" Mr.. Cham
berlain said, We must seek in our own
family the strength and support we
shall never find from foreign nations,
and with this view we must be ready
to respond to any colonial overtures,
without seeking peeuninry recompense,
but looking to the wider interests of
the future"
Then came the weightiest portion of
the speech. Mr.. Chamberlain reviewed
at length the West India question. and
the report of the royal commission
thereon, and emphasized the great in
jury of the bounty system, which. while
running the West Indies, brings gain
estimated at G2000,n00 yearly to Great
Britain. The government, he said, be-
lieved the country generous and just
enough to remedy this crying injus-
tee" He was glad that Belgium had
anticipated Great Britain in calling a
conference on the subject and hoped
this might succeed better than former
Arferences.
A2here were many objections, he con-
hnued, to countervailing duties, which
would Involve us in commercial treaty
difficulties with foreign nations" but
the main objection was that while the
trade they wished to save amounted to
260, 600 tons, Great Britain's own sugar
imports amounted to 100000 tons. 1t
seemed unscientfic to benefit the for
m Inv In piI,rinu ha lot tor
Therefore" he said, the govern
ment has decided to exhaust every al
Tentative before having recourse to
such drastic mea> -, and feeling
that the recommendations of the conf
missioners, though good. would not
work quickly enough the chancellor of
the exchequer has consented to propose
to parliament very large grant in aid
to the West Indies. The grant will not
be so large as the incidental gain Great
Britain derives from the bounty sys-
TEN, but 1t will be large enough to en-
able the industry and the population to
tide over crisis until continental ma
fons recognize the impolicy of the
bounty system"
Mr.. Chamberlain expressed his con-
Niction that the Immediate relief meas
ures to be proposed in addition. which
he said he could not as yet explain in
detail, would Stimulate the sugar in
industry and enable all well managed
estates to hold their own. while tend
ing to the ultimate prosperity of the
colony"
Newspapers in all sections of the
country are commenting on Mr.. Cham
berlains West India scheme. The Lon
don Times says: I'VE are not greatly
enamored of the system of dolcs to
which by some fatality the present
government has resorted with unusual
frequency" The London Standard
warns Mr.. Chamberlain that his pro-
posal 'savors of protection" and that !,
he must be prepared to deal with criti- |
cism. The Daily News asks whether
Mr. Chamberlain has forgotten the ve- |
hement language in which lie condemn
ed the late government for voting a
small grant to New Foundland.