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82
THE POWERS AND CHINA.
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[August 10, 1997.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
their old policy of getting in foreigners to This habit of mistaking his own private the rescue in the event of any serious sentiments for those of the nation, though internal outbreak, and (what is more im-strong in Sir H. CAMPBELL-BannerĆAN 1S”, portant) thrusting them aside, when once not with him original, but like most of his the immediate difficulties have been sur other peculiarities is modelled on his mounted. The marvel is that they have former Chief GLADSTONE. The influence been able to pursue these dangerous tactics of a stronger mind than his own, the late successfully for so many years; and it CHARLES PARNELL had forcet GLADSTONE requires more than Chinese optimism to into introducing his celebrated Home Rule hope that they can be kept up in Bill, firmly believing it was his own off- perpetuity. Hitherto the jealousies between spring; and when the House of Lords foreign nations have enabled the Chinese to contemptuously kicked it down-stairs took succeed; but it is clear that these are now the action as intended for himself in person. much less to be relied upon than they were It is said of Lord RAGLAN when he was in formerly. Foreign nations are seeing the command in the Crimea, that when hesitat- advantage of joint action and are willing to ing about any decisive stop, his first self set rivalries aside and join together for their inspired question was ;-" what would the common good. Of course there is room to Duke have done?" and it is certain that hope that even in these circumstances, they the first thought of the present Minister is not, might deem it to their advantage to assist what is best to be done, but what would the Chiness to put down any serious Gladstone have done? Lacking, however rebellion that might arise, but it can hardly the grasp of mind of his great leader, he is be supposed that they would do without unable to recognise the perspective of the some guarantee of improvement in the in- land scap, and mistakes the petulent ill ternal administration of the country; which temper which made him reject in a fit of is the cause of such disturbances periodically childish ill-humour the Lords' amendments recurring. This would probably menn some- to bis but hilf matured scheme, as a gagɔ thing in the form of material assistance thrown down to the Electorate at large. and the present day, who would be likely to offer such assistance or who could render it with any effect would be Japan. If matters however are allowed to drift to this point and Japan be allowed to thus obtain a footing in China, it is obvious that the time would arrive when she would require a quid pro quo for mer assistance-and would in all likelihood obtain a permanent position in the country, or at least as strong a footing as she has secured in Korea. If affairs should reach this point, it is doubtful whether Europeau nations and the United States, wearied as they are with China's repeatedly unfulfilled promises of reform, would be disposed to offer the sime opposi tion to Japan that would be made to the like action on the part of one of themselves
(Daily Press, 5th August). It is very well for foreign nations and Japan to combine with the object among other things of keeping China together; but it is difficult to see what can be done in this direction if China will not or cannot make some bona fide effort in this direct on herself. Nobody is so unreasonable as to suppose that the necessary changes can be introdu- ced into an Empire like China without due time and careful preparation. So obviously is this the case that European nations and the United States have concurred in recognising that China is entitled to full consideration on this ground, and have been unwilling to force her (as an energ tic American papir once put it) to "hurry up with her reforms." This, however, has now been going on ever since the Treaty of Tientsin-that is for close upon half a century-and China does not seem much nearer the kind of reform that is required than she was then. What is wanted, both for her own benefit and that of foreign nations connected with her, is such an improvement in her internal administration as will secure her solidarity and prevent her
Since the passing of the Reform Bill, it at any time becoming so broken up that she
has ben the policy of the Radical Party would become a prey to any nation who
when in power to weaken as far as possible might be enterprising enough to step in
the influence of the House of Lords by and establish itself over some portion of her
making it a refugium infirmorum, ›whereto vast territory. So long ns China can bolt
were consigned politicians of inferior water, together even in a somewhat squashy, not to
or who had been used up, and whom it was say rotten, mauner, it is P ssible for
convenient to lay by. This came to be European nations to treat her with so much
euphemistically called promotion, and was consideration that she can manage to keep
unfortunately followed all round. Some of going. This for many reasons it has been
the wiser heads of the House saw with regret found by European nations desirable to
the process of watering going ou, but their d; and Chinese statesmen have been
fears were considerel as dictated by un- astute enough to avail themselves of the
worthy jalousies. The result is a House situation; and to make but the minimum of
too large to carry on any continuous business efforts at reform, trusting to the turn of
and largely deficient in that personal events to get over any difficulties which
influauce which at one time made the might arise. Of late there has been some
Chamber of Peers the embodiment of awakening to the true state of affairs-a id
the best spirit of the nation. When there- at least the more enlightened among the Chi.
fore young politicians like Mr. WINSTON nese recognise that unless China can secure
CHURCHILL sneer at the personal character something better than at present exis's iu
of many belonging to the House, would be her internal adui «tratiou, the day must in-
(Daily Press, 6th August.)
well to remember that for most of this is to evitably come whe.. his policy of abstention Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, with be blamed, not the House itself, but tint out- will be no longer poss. e. Notwithstanding true Chinese bombas, has at last sent off his side influence which for the last seventy all their conceit and self-satisfaction, many fire ships for the destruction of the House years has been assiduously bent on lowering of the chief Chinese statesmen hava heen of Imrds. With true Chinese indirectness
its personal statu.... Tuis lowering of the unable to disguise from themselves this very amidst much smoke and throwing of in-personal stamina of the body is b no means obvious bearing of the subject. Indeed the discriminato stinkpots, the fleet of fire confined to the Lords, bu: i even more history of the past half century shows that ships has passed harmlessly by; and not a marked in the Commons, with the not the Chinese have all along been fairly particle f damage been done, nor a half alt gether desirable result, that to a large alive to it. Their hope his always been yard displaced. The most ex raordinary and increasing extent the momentary power that if things became seriously disturbed part of the display is that the con tituencies is thrown into the hands of the Ministry for in China, European nations (and more on whose account the Prime Minister pro- the time being. In fact government is especially Great Britain) could be relied fesses to by acting, look on with the most taking huge strides towards bureaucracy. upon to come to the rescue, and set the perfect indifference; as calmly and unmoved, house, if not really in order, at least suffi- indeed, as they did the withdrawl of the ciently 80 to enable treaty relations to Governmeut from its own Education Bill, continue as little disturbed as neel be- because forsooth the Lords had introduced and then da capo-the same old song goes some useful amendments in a bill, which on again until the next serious outbreak!
every one not belonging to the peculiar and another setting of things together by clique owning Sir H. CAMPBELL-BANNER the aid of the foreigner. It was thus after MAN, Mr. BIRRELL, and Dr. CLIFFORD, the Taiping Rebellion and has been the confessed were improvements and necessary. same in other minor instances sinc. Indee, It is difficult, seeing the utter indifferenc, little as it was suspected, there was probably if not dislike with which the Minister's some idea of the kind underlying the ex- fulminations were received by the country, traordinary conduct of the Chinese in firing to imagine the frame of mind in which he upon the foreign shipping indiscriminately still holds to the idea that he represents the at the time of the Boxer outbreak. They nation, and the childlike simplicity with probably had a shrewd idea that foreign which he would apply the torch to a con- nations generally would not combiue fortitution which it has taken a thousand any serious bostilities against them; and that for the sake of having some one to negotiate with, they would be willing to come to easy terms after any reprisals they might jointly take-as in effect proved to be the case. However this may be, there is good reason to believe that the Chinese still rely upo
COMMONS V. LORDS.
years to build up, and which it once destroy- ed could not again be replaced for poes bly au equal number of centuries;-anu alt this not because they had not the interests of the nation at heart, but simply because they had hurt the feelings of Sir CAMPBELL Bannermay and his isolated clique.
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Some sense of this seems to have hovere i
over
the House of Commons during the debate: in fact its strongest arguments against the Lords, were really despairing forecasts of its own growing impotence. The Minister spoke of the presumption of an unelected House daring to çjustituta itself the mouthpiece of the country; but had the House of Cominous any greater right to represent itself as embodying the will of the Nation ? It was very evident from the dislike evinced to any mention of an appeal to the country, that members of the Goverument side of the house felt considerable twinges of conscience as to their having any right to speak on behalf of their constituencies. Sir H. CAMPBELL- BANNERMAN too felt he was treading un very thin ice in speaking of the unrepresenta. tive House. Had he as nominal head of au unelect d Cibinet any better ground to assume that he represented the Nation ? The whole motion was a mere Cabinet one, in no way askel for or suggestxd by the
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