New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-21
ENGLISH COLONIAL POLICY
MR.. CHAMBERIATN'S SPEECH N THE
HOUSE or COMMONS.
QUESTION OF THE REID CONTRACT KRUE-
GERS INSINCERITY POINTED OUT
SCHEME FOR PERMANENT
ARBITRATION

ARBITRATION
London March 20-1n the course NJ the dis
| cussion OF tho vote IN account in the House 81
! Commons to-day the Secretary Of state for the
! Colonies. Joseph Chamberlain, replied to vari-
! Gus colonial questions raised. With regard 10
! the Reid contract with Newfoundland he said
! TINT 10 have disallowed or delayed IT would
have been n tremendous interference upon the
/ mart Of the imperial Government with a self
governing colony and either course would have
brought the colony into bankruptcy. for which
he would have been held responsible.
Mr.. Chamberlain remarked that. although he
! shared largely in the opinion In regard 10 ihe
| financial unsoundness of the contract. possibly
he might be mistaken and the Government Of
! the colony might no rieht. It's Government
! however. had made q painful admission that II
was incapable Of efficiently carrying out large
/ operations. which We're handed over 10 n con
tractor whom he believed to he competent and
! honorable.
Speaking bf the West Indies Mr.. Chamberlain
said he thought 1t was impossible 10 give 10
/ these islands representation in the Government.
/ It would he absurd ne added to universally
! onfranchise the negro. The experience with the
/ Port Of Spain CTrinidad) Municipal Council the
! Colonial Minister pointed out had not encour-
/ aged extension in that direction. and the pre-
valng system. under the control Of the Colonial
/ Office, was the best which could he adopted IN
/ der the present circumstances.
/ FAILURE OF KRUEGERs PROMISES.
Turning 10 the Transyaal Mr.. Chamberlain
/ said that not one Of President Krtgers prom
! ises to remedy grievances had been fulfilled.
/ Touching upon the speech delivered by Pres
ident KRUGER at Heidelberg, South African Re
/ public. on Friday last IN which the President
/ emphasized the necessity Of the state retain
/ ing the dynamite monopoly, because the South
/ African Republic, being an inland State, might
/ he cut off from supplies OF explosives IN the
/ event Of trouble with any Of the Powers ana
/ m which he also announced his intention 10
/ modify the mining laws and to reduce the
period emitting an applicant 10 fuI oursnelsIIP
from fourteen nine years residence, NJ. 'iaII-
berlain said the promises were all lliusorN ne
said that the proposed change IN the lIdHCH..c
was not OF the slightest value; that dynamite
/ was stnl a monopoly and that there had been
/ no advance toward remedyng otheT grievances I
Mr.. Chamberlain also asserted that ii resi-
dent Krucer would give 70 the JOHANNESBURG
/ ers a real municipality. with control or their
| own educational system and clVil ponce. as ~
could do without the slightest GeroBauol i"
the interests and dignity OF the IransNaal' ne
would remove nine out Of ten Uitianders grew
Great Britain. Mr.. Chamberlain then pointed
/ out could only intervene in the event OF Il
/ breach Of the London Convention, or lf inc
/ paramount Power in South Africa Great Brit
! ain could make friendly suggestions. but he
! (Mr. Chamberlain did not believe ior mo
/ ment that they would be successful now, ana
| therefore Il would be undignihed 10 make them
CAREFUL WATCH MAINTAINED.
Mr.. Chamberlain concluded by saying
AS long as the present conditions continue
| they constitute real danger We are watch
| Ing the situation most carefully. but thus far
| there has been nothing to Justify an utimatum,
! and falling compliance. war, which seems to
! have been suggested by a previous speaker"
Replying TO a question of Mr. Stanhope, LIB
eral representative for Burnley. as to whether
IN view Of the position Great Britain has taken
uD for the promotion Of arbitration, shown
by the Alabama. Behring Sea and Venezuela
arbitrations and the proposals for an Anglo
American Treaty Of Arbitration Her Majesty's
Government viii take the initiative IN submit
ting 10 the Peace Conference scheme for
permanent arbitration, William 81. John Brod-
rick the Parliamentary Secretary Of the Foreign
Office, said the Government would use It's best
efforts 10 promote the principle Of arbitration.
IL added that il was not convenient 10 give an
idea in regard 10 proposals TO be presented TO
the Conference.
Reginald McKenna- Liberal member for
North MOnmouthshire. raised the countervailins
/ sugar question In the House of Commons to-
day by asking II II was proposed 70 pursue
the same policy in Great Britain a. J. Balfour
the Government leader and First Lord Of the
Treasury fenced the question, declaring there
was no Indigenous sugar production in Great
/ Britain as there was IN India.
ACTION TAKEN IN CHINA
IN the course Of discussion Of the Govern
mcnts policy in China Mr. Brodrick defended
the plan % dealing direct with the Tsung-ll-
Yamon and declared that the suggestion that
Great Britain should instead go straight 70
other Powers" was absolutely untenabie in the
present condition Of affairs.
After asserting that Rear-Admiral Lord
Charles Beresford in his public declarations re-
specting the best course to pursue. did not rep
resent the Views Of tire Government, Mr.. Rrod-
rick said
We ought n he most careful lest we step
into the position % having insisted on conces-
sions or. having unlertaken the reorganization
Of the Chinese Army and Navy. that we do not
! by these successive steps undertake the respon-
sibilitv for the wbo,e government Of China"
Referring to North China he said Great
Britain was still hopeful OF an understanding
with Russia there and that a friendly and con-
! cnatory disposition existed on both sides.
Sir Charles Dixie Radical member for the
/ Forest o. Dean asked a question regarding the
report that the Joint High Commission had
! failed n agree over the Alaskan Boundary issue
MI Brodrck replied that the Joint High
! Commission had agreed to preserve absolute
secrecy as to IT'S proceedings Some sort Of in
/ exact accounts hdu 'i'I' '''' 49, 80 ~ ~
! extremely undesirable for him. he declared. 10
! give either contradiction or affirmation, and the
/ reports must be accepted with considerable re-
/ serve.
! The Rcd contract. referred TO by Mr. Chamber
/ lain IN the House Of Commons to-day, was entered
into after some negotiation on February l9. 1893, by
! inc Newfoundland Government with Mr.. Reid. the
contractor who built the Transinsular Railroad. by
| which he agreed work the whole railroad o. 60
/ miles at his own expense for a term Of hfty years
| from 1893. paying therefor 100000 cash TO the
| Government ana receiving subsidy from the Gov
| eminent Of $500 acres OF land mile. At tho end