DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17757#0006
Yol. LXXXVIL] INTRODUCTION. [July to December, 1884.
PAGE
and “Bill tlie Giant-Killer,” p. 247). When Parliament
assembled, therefore, there seemed every prospect of pro-
longed contention and possibly of a political crisis. Suddenly,
however, “a change came o’er the spirit of” the partisan
dreams. The Franchise Bill quickly passed in the Commons
by a majority swelled by the accession of the Parnellites to
140. By an accident so happy it was by some suspected
of being not wholly accidental, a surreptitiously obtained
copy of a provisional draft of the Government scheme of
Redistribution saw the light in the “ Standard ” News-
paper (see Cartoon, <e The Bag Fox,” p. 199). Commu-
nications were opened between the two parties, and friendly
negotiations resulted in a happy agreement which seemed
to satisfy everybody. Lord Salisbury and Sir Stafford
Northcote met a special committee of the Cabinet, con-
sisting of Mr. Gladstone, Lord Hartington, and Sir
Charles Dilke, a draft of, the Government Redistribution
scheme was submitted to the Conservative leaders, modified
in some particulars to meet their views, and it was agreed
that upon this jointly shaped Measure being placed before
Parliament and passing a second reading, the House of
Lords should pass the Franchise Bill, leaving the Redis-
tribution Bill to go through the further stages in the
ensuing Session of 1885. In accordance with this under-
standing Mr. Gladstone introduced the Redistribution
Bill on December 1st, the second reading followed on the
4th, and on the same day the Franchise Bill was passed by
the Lords.
The details of the Redistribution Bill will perhaps appear
more fitly in a subsequent Summary. Its chief feature,
however, is the multiplying of single-seat constituencies,
boroughs with less than 15,000 inhabitants being merged
in adjacent county districts, those with more than 15,000
and less than 50,000 being allotted one member each, and
those between 50,000 and 165,000 two members, whilst
urban constituencies with more than 165,000 inhabitants,
and all counties are to be divided into districts, each having
a single member. The single-seat constituencies are warmly
opposed by the advocates of proportional representation,
and Mr. Courtney, one of the most ardent champions, has
in consequence resigned his office as Secretary of the
Treasury.
The House adjourned on December 6th to February 19th,
1885.
In the Autumn considerable discussion took place regard-
ing the state of the Navy, declared by certain papers and
sundry officials and ex-officials to be in a most unsatisfac-
tory condition (see Cartoon, “ Ruling the Waves,” p. 163).
The First Lord of the Admiralty, Lord Northbrook, had
gone to Egypt on a Financial Mission, but on his return
his attention was vigorously invited to the matter (see
Cartoon, “A propos,” p. 235), and it was subsequently
announced in the House that an outlay of some £5,000,000.
to be spread over five years, for ships, ordnance, and coaling
stations, had been determined on by the Admiralty and
the War Office.
The conference of the European Powers on Egyptian
affairs referred to in our last Summary, assembled on the
28th June, but the English financial proposals did not
meet with acceptance by the French representatives, no
common determination was arrived at, and the Conference
was rather summarily dissolved by Lord Granville. Lord
Northbrook was despatched to Cairo to inquire further
PA3&
into the financial position, but the suggestions made by
him on his return are understood not to have commended
themselves to the Cabinet, and at any rate have not been
made the basis of their publicly avowed policy. The scheme
which they ultimately agreed upon, involving a change in
the Law of Liquidation, and a loan advanced by England,
has been submitted to the Powers, and been unfavourably
received by them, though no formal answer has yet been
made to it. Meanwhile, on the advice of this country, the
Sinking Fund of the Dnified Debt has been suspended,
as a temporary measure to meet immediate necessities.
This involving a breach of the law of liquidation, the
Egyptian Government has been prosecuted before the
International Tribunals by the Commissioners of the Public
Debt. Judgment has been obtained against the Egyptian
Government, though not yet enforced, and as Russia and
Germany have urged their claims to influence on the Caisse,
the financial difficulty appears to be rather complicated
than relieved by recent events.
Nor are political matters in that much vexed and much
vexing region in a ha.ppier condition. After the with-
drawal of General Graham and his troops from Suakin,
Osman Digna soon made head again in that region, whilst
the forces of the Mahdi beleaguered Khartoum, exciting
grave fears in this country as regards the safety of the
heroic Gordon, who was there maintaining his ground
splendidly, but, as was felt, precariously, alone and unaided
against tremendous odds and amidst the most disheartening
circumstances. The Government in August had obtained
a vote of credit for preliminary expenses in case it should
become needful to send an expedition to Khartoum for his
rescue. This expedition was, in September, finally deter-
mined on, Lord Wolseley was placed at its head, and the
Nile route was chosen in opposition to the opinion of many
who declared their preference for the Suakin-Berber route.
The progress of our troops up the Nile by whaleboats,
though admirably carried out with the aid of the Canadian
boatmen, is of necessity slow and arduous. Meanwhile,
news from Gordon has been infrequent and of the most
doubtful and sometimes disquieting character. Reports
have been circulated from time to time of the fall of Khar-
toum. These appear to be unreliable, but whether the
expedition will reach that city in time to secure the safety
of its heroic defender is a question which painfully agitates
the minds of his admiring and anxious countrymen.
The treaty proposed by the British Government, recog-
nising the claims of Portugal on the Congo, and making
provisions for freedom of trade in that region, was not
favourably received, either in the country or by foreign
Powers, and was eventually abandoned. Another proposal
to establish an International Commission to regulate naviga-
tion and commerce on that river also fell through. In the
autumn, on the invitation of Prince Bismarck, what has
come to be known as the West African Conference met at
Berlin, at which representatives of the several Powers
interested have endeavoured to deal with the same subject.
That Conference has not yet concluded its sittings, but it
seems to have been decided to place the Congo, though not
the Niger, where England has prior and special claims,
under international control, with security for commercial
freedom and equality. The International Association, also,
has secured the recognition of all the Great Powers.
The Angra Pequena question has caused some friction
-
PAGE
and “Bill tlie Giant-Killer,” p. 247). When Parliament
assembled, therefore, there seemed every prospect of pro-
longed contention and possibly of a political crisis. Suddenly,
however, “a change came o’er the spirit of” the partisan
dreams. The Franchise Bill quickly passed in the Commons
by a majority swelled by the accession of the Parnellites to
140. By an accident so happy it was by some suspected
of being not wholly accidental, a surreptitiously obtained
copy of a provisional draft of the Government scheme of
Redistribution saw the light in the “ Standard ” News-
paper (see Cartoon, <e The Bag Fox,” p. 199). Commu-
nications were opened between the two parties, and friendly
negotiations resulted in a happy agreement which seemed
to satisfy everybody. Lord Salisbury and Sir Stafford
Northcote met a special committee of the Cabinet, con-
sisting of Mr. Gladstone, Lord Hartington, and Sir
Charles Dilke, a draft of, the Government Redistribution
scheme was submitted to the Conservative leaders, modified
in some particulars to meet their views, and it was agreed
that upon this jointly shaped Measure being placed before
Parliament and passing a second reading, the House of
Lords should pass the Franchise Bill, leaving the Redis-
tribution Bill to go through the further stages in the
ensuing Session of 1885. In accordance with this under-
standing Mr. Gladstone introduced the Redistribution
Bill on December 1st, the second reading followed on the
4th, and on the same day the Franchise Bill was passed by
the Lords.
The details of the Redistribution Bill will perhaps appear
more fitly in a subsequent Summary. Its chief feature,
however, is the multiplying of single-seat constituencies,
boroughs with less than 15,000 inhabitants being merged
in adjacent county districts, those with more than 15,000
and less than 50,000 being allotted one member each, and
those between 50,000 and 165,000 two members, whilst
urban constituencies with more than 165,000 inhabitants,
and all counties are to be divided into districts, each having
a single member. The single-seat constituencies are warmly
opposed by the advocates of proportional representation,
and Mr. Courtney, one of the most ardent champions, has
in consequence resigned his office as Secretary of the
Treasury.
The House adjourned on December 6th to February 19th,
1885.
In the Autumn considerable discussion took place regard-
ing the state of the Navy, declared by certain papers and
sundry officials and ex-officials to be in a most unsatisfac-
tory condition (see Cartoon, “ Ruling the Waves,” p. 163).
The First Lord of the Admiralty, Lord Northbrook, had
gone to Egypt on a Financial Mission, but on his return
his attention was vigorously invited to the matter (see
Cartoon, “A propos,” p. 235), and it was subsequently
announced in the House that an outlay of some £5,000,000.
to be spread over five years, for ships, ordnance, and coaling
stations, had been determined on by the Admiralty and
the War Office.
The conference of the European Powers on Egyptian
affairs referred to in our last Summary, assembled on the
28th June, but the English financial proposals did not
meet with acceptance by the French representatives, no
common determination was arrived at, and the Conference
was rather summarily dissolved by Lord Granville. Lord
Northbrook was despatched to Cairo to inquire further
PA3&
into the financial position, but the suggestions made by
him on his return are understood not to have commended
themselves to the Cabinet, and at any rate have not been
made the basis of their publicly avowed policy. The scheme
which they ultimately agreed upon, involving a change in
the Law of Liquidation, and a loan advanced by England,
has been submitted to the Powers, and been unfavourably
received by them, though no formal answer has yet been
made to it. Meanwhile, on the advice of this country, the
Sinking Fund of the Dnified Debt has been suspended,
as a temporary measure to meet immediate necessities.
This involving a breach of the law of liquidation, the
Egyptian Government has been prosecuted before the
International Tribunals by the Commissioners of the Public
Debt. Judgment has been obtained against the Egyptian
Government, though not yet enforced, and as Russia and
Germany have urged their claims to influence on the Caisse,
the financial difficulty appears to be rather complicated
than relieved by recent events.
Nor are political matters in that much vexed and much
vexing region in a ha.ppier condition. After the with-
drawal of General Graham and his troops from Suakin,
Osman Digna soon made head again in that region, whilst
the forces of the Mahdi beleaguered Khartoum, exciting
grave fears in this country as regards the safety of the
heroic Gordon, who was there maintaining his ground
splendidly, but, as was felt, precariously, alone and unaided
against tremendous odds and amidst the most disheartening
circumstances. The Government in August had obtained
a vote of credit for preliminary expenses in case it should
become needful to send an expedition to Khartoum for his
rescue. This expedition was, in September, finally deter-
mined on, Lord Wolseley was placed at its head, and the
Nile route was chosen in opposition to the opinion of many
who declared their preference for the Suakin-Berber route.
The progress of our troops up the Nile by whaleboats,
though admirably carried out with the aid of the Canadian
boatmen, is of necessity slow and arduous. Meanwhile,
news from Gordon has been infrequent and of the most
doubtful and sometimes disquieting character. Reports
have been circulated from time to time of the fall of Khar-
toum. These appear to be unreliable, but whether the
expedition will reach that city in time to secure the safety
of its heroic defender is a question which painfully agitates
the minds of his admiring and anxious countrymen.
The treaty proposed by the British Government, recog-
nising the claims of Portugal on the Congo, and making
provisions for freedom of trade in that region, was not
favourably received, either in the country or by foreign
Powers, and was eventually abandoned. Another proposal
to establish an International Commission to regulate naviga-
tion and commerce on that river also fell through. In the
autumn, on the invitation of Prince Bismarck, what has
come to be known as the West African Conference met at
Berlin, at which representatives of the several Powers
interested have endeavoured to deal with the same subject.
That Conference has not yet concluded its sittings, but it
seems to have been decided to place the Congo, though not
the Niger, where England has prior and special claims,
under international control, with security for commercial
freedom and equality. The International Association, also,
has secured the recognition of all the Great Powers.
The Angra Pequena question has caused some friction
-