New-York tribune., 1899-02-12
THE NEWS OF TWO CAPITALS.
LONDON.
AMERICAN TOPICS ARE SUBORDlNATED
TO ENGLISH POLEMICS.
BELL-BANNERMAN MAKES A GOOD
IMPRESSION AS OPPOSITION LEAD
ER-HiGH CHURCHMEN GAIN
AN ADVANTAGE.
fnr CABLE TO TIE rRrsuNE.l -

my CABLE TO THE rRIBUNE)
London. Feb. 1l.-AlthOUgh stirring events IN
the Philippines have followed the ratification OF
the Treaty OF Peace, American questions haVe
fallen into the background here because puoh'
attention has been engrossed with the meeting
OF Parliament and religious polemics. The nne
military qualities OF the American troops are
recognized by the eader-writers. and the ulti-
mate collapse Of Agunaldo's revolt against the
rescuers Of the islands from misrule Is regarded
as a foregone conclusion Recently, as on many
previous occasions during the last year. Enshsn
critics have charged Americans with making
serious mistakes in consequence Of their mex
perenco in dealing with subject races and man.
aging practical details Of military ana na'ai
campagns. but structures Of this kind are fainter
than before: the Americans are gradually con-
vincing oven their most candid and critical
friends in England that keen. practical INTEL
Igerce is an Offset to inexperence. and that
while mistakes may be made at the outset Inc
issues are finally re yulated by Anglo-Sax com.
nonsense English judgment is that the Ameri-
cans are competent to take up the white mans
turden. 10 which they now pledged
The dlplomatic relations between England ana
America could hardly be more friendly than at
present and the British Government Is not
likely to offer resistance to any definite pro-
posal from Washington for the revision ot the
CLAYTON Bulwer Treaty. That Government cam
not be expected t. be seriously impressed WIN
the urgency Of the canal question when there
are rival projects before Congress, with no I'M
mediate prospect Of decisive action. The temper
Of the Ministers and the Nation Is pfoof that
definite plan for the construction Of canal AZ
q Government work would secure prompt ac-
quiesconce in the proposals for the revision OK
the treaty OF 1880. II Congress cannot make up
its mind promptly On the canal question tho
Ministers here will be likely to connect IT with
other matters at issue between the two coun-
tries and 70 insist upon general settlement
The revision Of the Clayton Bulwer treaty IN
this way will be contingent upon the tarin on
Canadian lumber and other matters with wnlch
il Is not logically connected. Americans from
lack Of a definite canal policy. are I'm danger OK
frittering away the opportunity for set'lns 'he
treaty question on its own merits. without quid-
pro-quo bargaining on all questions raised oy
the Canadian Ministers.
The single question in which the English peo-
ple are profoundly interested has been brought
up promptly in both houses of Parliament, AL
though no reference TO il was made IN the
Queens Speech. This is the religious question
between what Mr. Samuel Smith calls lawless-
ness IN the Church Of England" and what the
Bishop Of Winchester describes as ''irregulari-
ties in public worship" There Is wide range
for poelnics but Sir william Harcourt has sue
ceeded in concentrating public attention upon
an issue which may imper the position of the
party in power and force on establishment as
the inevitable Liberal policy He was not pres
ent to take up the question which ne mas
raised. and Sir Henry Campbell -Bannerman,
in Ifcffl Ing
and other foreign matters. sat silent during the
religious debate although he took pains 70 vote
as Sir William would have done; but when tho
discussion ended in both houses nearly all im-
martial observers were impressed with the fact
that disestabIishment had received a powerful
impulse and had opened a new line OF portieai
cleavage at a time when, with the disappear
ance Of Irish Home Rule as a question OF prac-
tical POLITICS parties are no longer DIVIDED py
ordinary issues Of foreign and domestic policy
The High Church party has been victorious all
along the line this week; the Bishops have made
IL nlain both in Convocation and in Parliament
that they do not consider coercion as remedy.
even II 800 clergy have announced that they
will no forced by conscience 10 disobey the de-
cision Of the full bench of Bishops respecting
the ceremonial use OF incense and the reserva-
tion Of the sacrament. \ measure for simplify
ing ecclesiastical trials will be patched up IN
Convocation but not in time 10 be sanctioned
m the present session Of Parliament. There Will
also be 4 special court consisting OF the two
Archbishops which will be so free from the
contamination Of secular authority that even
Lord Halifax may be willing 70 argue case or
conscience before IT, especially it will have
no power TO enforce its own decisions Convoca-
ton has turned against the Protestant or
,bo,, Dau1
LEROY. was only able to engraft verbal amend
ments 10 the Address on the score that the
laitv Of the English Church were entitled 70
some consideration. The debate in the Commons
also went heavily against the party. there
bene little cross-yoting on Mr.. Samuel Smiths
amendment to the Address and large ma
ioritv against IT, The Bishops not only denied
Sir William HarcOurt's assertion that they had
exarcisad the veto power upon the prosecution
of lovbrealxers inside the Church but even
,nocked him as a belated Elijah. who had
ried his mantle of to the Riviera. Lord Halifax.
in a fervid speech. thanked the Bishops. and the
High church party emerged triumphant The
Ministers are probably hoping that dangerous
religious question has been disposed Of FOR ths
present session. and tmorous Liberals, who
have barely elected Sir William Harcourt's sue
cessor are also praying for peace in tho
Church
The burning question may be kept down
where II will slowly shoulder certainly IL has
not been settled Combatve feeling has been
increased by the debates. and the country can
hardly be reassured by Bishop Dayidson's frank
admission that there is within the English
Church a growth 81 materialistic IDEAS In re-
gard T. the celebration Of Holy Communion,
with the teaching OF compulsory confession ard
th. insidious use OF dangerous manuals OF de-
votion among women and children. There is an
lrrepressibe conflict Of opinion In the English
Church and II the Convocatlon cannot arrange
a practical irenicon Parliament and the civil
courts are incompetent 10 decide questions Of
doctrine and practice. Extremes meet when
Lord Halifax the champion OF the Rtualists,