Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/26

 18] ENGLISH HISTORY. [feb.

business, Mr. James Lowther (Isle of Thanet, Kent) renewed his protest against the valueless sessional order, which declared it to be an infringement of the privileges of Parliament for a peer to concern himself in the election of members. Mr. Balfour opposed the motion on the grounds previously stated by him, and the motion was rejected by 359 to 90 votes. The debate on the address was opened by Captain Bagot (Kendal, Westmorland) and Mr. W. F. D. Smith (Strand), who were followed at once by Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman (Stirling Burghs) in his new character of leader of the Opposition. He complained that the Government had not responded to the Czar's rescript with the readiness and alacrity which might have been expected, and in this connection he challenged the Ministry to show what pro- gress had been made towards establishing a good understanding with Russia, which he believed to be the key to the situation in the Far East. Mentioning what he called the strange pilgrimage of Lord C. Beresford, he asked whether he had gone to China as an emissary of the Government. If the London Government Bill was likely to facilitate the work and sustain the power of the London County Council the Opposition would give it their assistance. He criticised the omission of overcrowded and insanitary dwellings and of old-age pensions, and thought a more prominent place ought to have been given to the question of agricultural holdings. Mr. Balfour (Manchester, E.), in reply, reminded the House that bills were not necessarily mentioned in the Queen's Speech in the order in which they would be brought forward. With regard to the question of the aged poor, he admitted that if this Parliament were to come to an end before it had been dealt with in some manner, the Government would be open to criticism. He assured the leader of the Opposition that no time was lost before a reply was sent to Russia, couched in language of the warmest sympathy. In China our progress had been constant and steady during the last year, and our relations with foreign Powers in the Far East were more satisfactory than formerly, and there was much less mutual suspicion. He saw no reason to doubt that the policy of the " open door " would be successful, and that we should have our full share of those concessions upon which so much stress had been put. Lord C. Beresford had not gone to China as a repre- sentative of the Government, but on a purely commercial mission. While upon the subject of foreign affairs, he took the opportunity to announce that in future the Under-Secretary would decline to answer questions in that House without notice. This change was necessary in order to obviate possible diplomatic misunder- standings.

The general debate on the speech from the throne was con- tinued by several speakers, who for the most part pressed the Government to give further information on the future of the Soudan, and on the exact purpose of the Anglo-German Treaty. On both these points the Under-Secretary of State, Mr.