THE IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 20 February 1901, Page 3

THE IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

(BV ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH —COPYRIGHT.) (fee feess association.) Received this day, at 10 55 am. . London, Feb. 19.

In tho House of Commons, John Dillon moved an adjournment as a protest against Balfour’s long standing rule that tho foreign underplay should not reply to a question which had not been notified. The motion was rejected by 204 votes to 149. Tho smallness of the Government majority is explainable by a complaint of several liberal unionists that: tho rule was too rigid, and by various abstentions.

In tho Commons on the debate on the Address-in-Roply, Mr Winston Churchill mado his maiden speech, in which he justified tho South African war. He said that it was conducted with unusual humanity. Whatever Britain had lost in doubtful friends at the Capo, wo gained ten and twenty fold in Canada and Australasia.

Lord Oranbourno said that tho friendly representations mado to tho Russian Government in regard to the Shaahaikvvan railway have been largely successful. Assurances have been given that tho Russian agreement with China in refer-

enco to Manchuria was a mere modus vivendi with the object of preventing disturbances. No sequestration of territory or a Russian pro ectorato was intended. The restoration of the Niuchang railway was promised. It was also aided that Russia was not aware that any Government desired to send an expedition to Taiyucnfu.