Lord Rosebery asked on Tuesday how matters stood in regard
to the Delagoa Railway, and Lord Salisbury replied
that the action of Portugal had been very high-handed and, "in his opinion, very unjust." It had been directed, however, in the first instance, against the Portuguese Company, which only employed an English Company as its agent to find the money. Portugal would, however, be held responsible for any loss to British subjects. We are not quite so sure of that. The action of the Lisbon authorities is vexatious, and may be oppressive ; but the principle that the British Government should recover private British debts is a most dangerous one. We might have to act upon it in cues where, action would be impossible, or to draw the ugliest distinc- tions between debts due by powerful States, and debts owing by weak ones. The conduct of Portugal in East Africa fully justifies a sharp lesson, if not a serious change of policy ; but our action should be based upon her political conduct and her almost avowed hostility to Great Britain, and not upon a doubtful breach of faith with private speculators in railways. As we read the papers, she has not even broken faith, but only placed a harsh construction upon an imprudent though customary bargain.
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