Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/21

 1899.] The Czar's Eirenicon. [13

of the Parisian journals, and still more of the debates in the Chamber, became more conciliatory. The Press preached peace between the two Powers as a necessity of civilisation, and urged its minister to meet amity with friendliness. In the Fashoda debate no speaker attacked Great Britain ; and M. Delcass6, the Foreign Minister, even complimented Lord Kitchener on his attitude towards Major Marchand.

The thirteen proposals in which Count Muravieff embodied the great idea of the Czar were not very favourably received by the Press of Great Britain or of Western Europe generally. Briefly summed up, those relating to actual warfare amounted to four proposals — that (1) the Powers should agree not to in- crease their armaments for a specific period ; (2) they should not increase their war budgets ; (3) that the provisions of the Geneva Convention with regard to wrecked and wounded should be extended to naval operations, and (4) all scientific improve- ments in naval construction and the manufacture of matdriel should come to an end. The proposals then went on to suggest

(5) the acceptance in principle of good offices in mediation, and optional arbitration in cases which lent themselves to such means, in order to prevent armed conflicts between nations ;

(6) an understanding on the mode of application and the estab- lishment of some uniform practice in making use of mediation. In order to save the susceptibilities of the Powers having grave questions of difference at stake, it was added that nothing touching the political relations of states or the actual order of things as established by treaties would be discussed at the congress. ' The only proviso with regard to the meeting place was that it should not be in the capital of any great Power.

CHAPTEB II.

The New Leader of the Opposition — Opening of Parliament — Debate on the Address — British Policy in China — The Churoh and Parliament — Land 'Law Reform — Reform of the House of Lords — Scottish Crofters — Ministers as Directors — Irish Home Rnle — Congested Districts — The Bishops and Their Seats — Egyptian Affairs — London Government Bill Introduced — Slavery in East Africa — Mr. Morley on the Soudan Campaign — The Sultan of Muscat — The Education of Children Bill — The Army, Navy and Civil Service Estimates — Affairs in China — Russian Policy — The Outlanders of the Transvaal — Eastern Africa — Government of London Bill Read a Second Time — The Peers and the Church—Secondary Education Bill Introduced — The Money-lending Bill— Old Age Pensions ana other Socialistic Bills — The Telephone Company and the Post Office — Scotch Private Bill Legislation — Bye-elections — National Liberal Federation — Irish Catholic University — Convention with France- Central African Settlement — Mr. Rhodes in Europe — Restlessness in the Transvaal — SirH. Campbell-Bannerman's Defence — Railways Regulation Bill Withdrawn.

The assembling of Parliament was preceded by a meeting of the memjbers of the Liberal party, held (Feb. 6) at the Eeform Club, to elect a successor to Sir Wm. Harcourt, whose resignation of the leadership was declared to be final. The choice of Sir Henry