Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/27

 1899.] The Address in the Commons : China. [19

Brodrick {Guildford, Surrey), declared that it would be undesir- able in the interests of this country to say more for the present. Ten sittings were then devoted to debating amendments proceeding from various quarters of the House, in accordance with the received parliamentary privilege of " grievances before supply," and although these prolonged and resultless discussions were seriously criticised in the Press, in the House they were recognised as justifiable in view of the restrictions now placed upon the debates on the estimates. Sir Ashmead-Bartlett (Ecclesall, Sheffield), led the way (Feb. 8) with an amendment tirging the Government to take early and effective measures to assist the Chinese' Government in maintaining the territorial in- dependence of the Chinese Empire, and especially of the province of Manchuria, in accordance with the unanimous resolution of the House passed in the preceding session. A divergence of opinion among the most bellicose Tories at once became mani- fest, for Mr. Yerburgh (Chester) " dissociated himself absolutely " from a policy which would certainly involve us in a war with Uussia, and he was strongly in favour of coming to an under- standing with that Power. From the other side of the House Mr. J. Walton (Barnsley, Yorkshire, W.R.) contrasted, to the dis- advantage of Great Britain, its position in China as compared with Russia, in commercial as well as in political influence. Replying on behalf of the Foreign Office Mr. Brodrick dis- criminated between the resolution of the previous session and that now submitted. The former was an academic assurance, while the present was a direct guarantee. He did not believe that the maintenance of our trade and the realisation of our wishes were advanced by speaking with jealousy, still less with hatred, in that House of any Power. The Government recog- nised to the full the absolute necessity of maintaining British interests in China. Month by month during the past year they had seen advantages gained and restrictions removed. The non- alienation of the Yang-tsze Valley and the opening of its water- -ways had been obtained ; and the Government proposed to send an officer to survey and see how far navigation was possible. The four treaty ports mentioned last March had all been opened or would be open within a month. The opening of Nanning had been made effective within the last few days. The ports occupied by Russia and Germany were both open as treaty ports. British firms were acting in conjunction with German firms in the construction of one trunk railway. The Hankow-Canton line concession had been obtained for a British and American syndicate. To British capitalists concessions had already been granted for 2,800 miles of railways, involving an expenditure of some twenty millions of capital. The right to advance the Burma railway 700 miles had been obtained, and numerous coal and mining concessions had been granted ; so that it was unfair to say that British industry and capital had been squeezed out of China. Sir Edward Grey followed, and although he held

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