The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-13

London. Aug. 12.-The house OF COM
mons met today at 1890 a. m. A sue
cession of questions on the subject of
China ELECTED little information The
government leader. Mr.. Balfour, de-
clined to pledge the government to pre-
vent the ratification of the Franco
Belgian -Hankow concession, but
promised that in the event of British
capitalists purchasing railroad conces-
SiOns obtained by French or Belgian
syndicates in the ang-Tse-Kiang
valley, her majesty's government will
support and assist them, both in Lon
don and Pekin. in this and in all other
legitimate British commercial enter
prises.
The China appropriation bin then
passed its third reading, and the ses-
sion was suspended until 2:30 p. m,
when parliament was prOrOgued.
The queens speech at the propagation
of parliament is as follows:
my Lords and Gentlemen: My re-
lations with other nations continue
friendly. 1 have witnessed with the
deepest sorrow the hOstilitieS which
the United States, two nations to
which my empire is bound by many
ties of affection and traditions. Nego-
tiatiens recently opened give fair
ground for hoping that the depIorable
conflict will be brought to a ternina-
ton by the conclusion of an honorable
and enduring peace.
THE changes which have taken
place in the territorial relations OF
other powers with the Chinese empire
induce me to conclude arrangements
whereby the harbor of Wei Hai-Wei
and certain positions adjacent to my
colony of HOngkong 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 to the development of the
extensive commerce carried on be-
tween the peoples of Great Britain and
China"
Paragraph refers to the guaran-
teeing Gin conjunction with Russia and
France. of the loan to enable Greece to
pay the Turkish war indemnity.
The fourth paragraph expresses sat
isfaction at the conclusion of the con-
ventiOn with France, finally. settling
West African questions
The speech then refers to the ar
engagements made to establish at an
early date penny postage between the
United Kingdom and Canada, New
fOundland and elsewhere: makes refer
ence to the plague still existing in GER
Punjab, and concludes:
4 am thankful that bountiful har-
vests 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,
1 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 present time require.
l am glad to recognize the value of the
provisions to which you have assented
for increasing the strength and efficien-
cy of my army.
My Lords and Gentlemen-I have
seen with much qualification that you
have this year added to the statute
book an important measure assimiIat-
ing the local institutions of Ireland to
those of England and Scotland. trust
this valuable reform will tend to
strengthen the bonds which unite the
people of Great Britain and Ireland,
and increase their common affection
for the fundamental Institutions of the
realm
After expressing satisfaction at the
adoption of bills enabling accused per-
sons to testify in their own behalf; for
preventing the abuse of patronage and
the occupation of benefices of the es-
tablished church, the principles of
which bills have been generally ac-
cepted for many years, though hitherto
there has been no opportunity to make
them law"
The speech ends: Il pray that the
blessings of Almighty God may attend
YOU
SITUATION IN CHINA.
The morning papers express the
growing indignation of the country at
the position of affairs in China
The Daily Chronicle says: IF this
state of things continues. the guns
will go off of themselves"
The Shanghai correspondent of the
Daily Mail, who processes to divulge
the terms of a long existing secret
treaty between China and Russia, says:
1T is nothing less than an offensive
alliance. China undertakes to regard
Russia as having preponderating in
fluence on all questions of commercial
and internal policies, while Russia will
support China against all open door
demands. Russia finances China in in
ternal developments, and China grants
Russia preferential rates in certain
areas, and railways built in the joint
interests of the two countries will be
under Russia's practical control
Russia viii assist China in develop
ing 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 respect to the Pc
kin-Hankow and Nieu Chwang con-
tracts is significant"
IF the Daily Nails version may be
trusted, it will explain much that had