THE Bay of Plenty Times AND THAMES VALLEY WARDEN.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1841, 21 May 1885, Page 2

THE Bay of Plenty Times AND THAMES VALLEY WARDEN.

"The Spirit of the Times shall teach me speed.' KING JOHN, ACT IV.

THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1885

ENGLAND SOLD

Should the agreement come to, between'the Eepresentatiye^ of Eussia and England, respecting the Afghan question, result in the honorable 'avoiding of war all sensible people will be satisfied. Yew persons; desire war- for its own sake and the benefits for which they betimes consent to engage in it, do not always turn out as they were expected to do. At the same time most men have an instinctive feeling that, unless a National quarrel be settled on honorable considerations, it will, like, every other quarrel not only be tevived but will ' be renewed with increased animosity. And this is precisely the apprehen- < sion that is felt concerning the alleged ' eatisfactoriness of the agreement in question. In the first place the suddenness with which, after all the warlike demonstrations, it was arrived at has a suspicious appearance, and tends to shake public confidence as to its permanent validity. It looks, moreover, as if it had been resorted to for the purpose of averting a political crisis in England. There ia in all the incidents connected with it very suggestive evidence of a plan to defeat the motion of censure hanging over the heads of the Government. Government could not close their ,; ©yes to the probability of Jbhe Yotebeing

carried' and[in that event they would have had no choice but to resign, as to have appealed to the Country would in the circumstances have been folly. On the part also of the Hussian Representatives it was well known that, the advent of the Conservatives to power meant for Icussia diplomatic humiliation or a gigantic struggle for which she was not prepared. It was thus desirable for the representatives of both Powers that they should come to some understanding quickly if an adverse decision in the House of Commons was to be averted. Hence the transaction was timed so as to enable Lord (Iranville |to make his announcement in the House of Lords in the course of Monday, the 11th, in anticipation of the debate in the Commons' House that same evening. Accompanying this was the statement that the Viceroy of India fully concurred in the agreement ; as, so great is the confidence all parties have on his judgment, the announcement without his approval would have little effect. Hence the care which was evidently taken to be in a position to make known his approval, On this twofold announcement being made it must have been evident to all that the Vote of Censure would be lost. Those of "the Liberal party who were wavering m consequence of their dislike of the weak policy pursued and would have either, absented themselves or voted against the Q-overnment would then see their way to support them. And the same may be said of the Kadical section of the party who were'opposed to war. under/ any circumstances. By this skillful lnanoeurermg the Government succeeded in defeating the Conservatives; but, as will be seen, in order to secure this victory, the Groverninent allowed themselves to be beaten by the Eussian diplomatists. To see how this came about and also to understand how the consciences of the profenedly most upright and honorable men are swayed by party considerations to the disregard of National interests it is only necessary to mark the reservation which characterised Lord Grranville's representation of the agreement. Two daj r s after it had been made, Mr Gladstone intimated to the House of Commons that Earl G-ran-ville had qualified his statement by announcing that the agreement was referred to the Czar for his approval. That this reservation was intentional there cannot be a doubt. Had the qualification been mentioned along with the agreement it would have deprived the latter of its value and the vote of the Commons would in all probability have been other than it nroved to be. It is no wonder -therefore that it was kept back till the decision of the Commons had been given, although it is rather astonishing to find such men as Granville and Gladstone resorting to anything but a creditable siippressio veri. The ca"se therefore really stands thus ; that, for sake of party considerations and with a view especially to securing the best possible chance of a victory at the forthcoming election, the Gladstone Ministry have succumbed to the Eussian diplomatists, and, after all their sturdy professions of maintaining the honor of England and the integrity of the Ameers, dominions, have consented to eat the leek. And, now, the bitter fruits of their spiritless and selfish surrender are already beginning to show themselves. The Czar has them in his power and he is determined to have them on the hip. He is taking his time to tell what he thinks of the agreement and it may be concluded beforehand that he will approve it only with certain conditions- which will be advantageous to Eussia. It is indeed reported already not only that he has refused his sanction but also that he has given the English Government a slap in the face by thanking Koinaroff for his Penjdeh attack- and presented him with, a sword. Thjere is nothing astonishing in these reports even if they be correct in all particulars. Even more humiliating circumstances may soon be disclosed in connection with this patched-up arrangement of the Afghan difficulty. How the Eussian Court and Army will chuckle over the advantage they have in every way gained over England can easily be imagined. And the gall which the English people have thus been made to drink is made more bitter by the reflection that the cause of the disagreement still exists and that ■ the conflict which has through selfish considerations been postponed will yet and it may be soon have to be faced under the greater disadvantages which the present concessions have created.