Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/116

and throughout the country with general expressions of loyalty, and in many parts of the United States with a friendliness hitherto unusual.

The Peace Conference assembled at the Hague was regarded by sceptical critics as little more than the humouring of a powerful monarch, whose army would throw the balance to the side on which it fought. The most extravagant claims were put forward by its partisans, who prophesied that the Congress would usher in disarmament partial or permanent, even if it failed to make war impossible, or at the best would lay down general principles, which there was no authority to enforce. When however it appeared from the president's opening speech that it was to turn its attention chiefly to arbitration and mediation between Powers at variance, the hope that some practical suggestions would be made revived, and its proceedings were watched with eager interest by others besides the members of the peace party.

CHAPTER IV.

Mr. Chamberlain on Old Age Pensions—Mr. Morley, Lord Spencer and Sir Wm. Harcourt on the Liberal Party—The Bloemfontein Conference—The South African Imbroglio—Mr. Robson's Bill—Grant and Vote of Thanks to Lord Kitchener in Parliament—London Government Bill—Illegal Commissions Bill—The Telephone Bill—Lord C. Beresford on British Policy in China—The Indian Tariff Bill—Youthful Offenders Bill—The London Government in the Lords—The Tithe Rent Charge Bill—The Bye-elections—Mr. Balfour and Mr. Chamberlain on the South African Crisis—Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman on the Liberal Party—Legislation by the Lords and Commons—The Niger Company and Mr. Chamberlain—The Transvaal Dispute—Debates in Parliament—Irish Agriculture and Technical Instruction—Colonial Loans Bill—Board of Education—The Indian Budget—Old Age Pensions, Committee's Report—Prorogation of Parliament—Convocation and the Clergy—The Peace Congress.

It would be difficult to gauge accurately the influence or importance of the Irish National League of Great Britain, which was this year convened to meet (May 20) at Bradford. It, however, claimed for itself to be wholly free from those sectional dissensions which distracted the Irish party elsewhere. Mr. T. P. O'Connor, M.P., who presided, may have regarded himself as outside the rivalry of the Parnellites and the Redmondites, or the Dillonites and the Healyites, but this view was not altogether shared by lookers-on. In his address, disregarding his own axiom that "American subsidies varied inversely with Irish dissensions," he assured his hearers that "the labours of the members of the league were dictated exclusively by the love which every true Irishman bore to his country, and by their unselfish desire to set it free. They therefore felt very much inclined to ask the people of Ireland why they did not act in the same spirit." Mr. O'Connor perhaps had unwittingly furnished the answer himself, for his countrymen as a body were far too logical and too practical to consent to the total abandonment of supplies from America.