The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1885-09-22 00:00:00

Monet (Emig Expren.

Domil ESTER, BEPTEILBER thbd, lAN.

fotts.

Mr. Gladdens's exhaustive review of the political
situation in twenty chapters, eight relating to the
past and twelve to the future, is, of course, intended
as something much more important than an address
to the electors of Midlothiaa, being really • manifesto
to the constituesciest at the United Kingdom. Eves
when reviewed in this light, it would be a composition
of extraordinary extent, rivalling in that respect the
Messages at Anterioan Presidents to Congress ; but
we must consider that this document has probably been
prepared to 'Ripply the lack of rad addresses, the ex.
Premier prudently intending to husband his vocal
powers in the forthcoming electoral campaign. At
all *yenta, it is convenient for all parties to have Mr.
Gladstene's views met forth in such a methodic form.
His references to =Wets for future legislative action
will, of amine, be of most interest to the majority of
readers. The right hon, gentleman mentions four
subjects as requiring, from • Liberal point of view,
immediate legislative treatment—namely, Praha.
mentary procedure, local government, land law, and
electoral regietration. The first and the last of these
may be considered as merely supplementary branches
of Parliamentary reform; that is, of improving the
machinery of representative legislation ; but the other
two went important subjects on which to employ the
machinery. Without being revolutionary, Mr. Glad-
stone's views on local government and land law are
Radical enough to satisfy most of his supporters. Four
other rubjecta, to wit, House of Lords Reform, Church
Disestablishment, gratuitous education, and Irish
Home Rule—the ex-Premier mentions merely to
deprecate with pregressive intensity the idea of deal-
ing with them at present, if at all. Bat, perhaps. it
may be said that only isa regards Home Rule does he
put his foot dowu in • thoroughly determined manner.
Altogether the right hon. gentleman has supplied
what his party needed—a programme with which to
go to the constituencies; and it will now be for the
other side to offer the country an alternative or rival
syllabus of policy.
Perhaps, if Sir William Harcourt had spoken
twenty-four hours later at Plymouth, he would have
refrained from expressing Ws agreement with Mr.
Chamberlain on the subject of gratuitous education.
At all events, in expressing his avowal, the ex-Home
Searerary has placed himspeU distinctly in 'drawee of
the Liberal chief, for such Mr. Gladstone shows his
hoagies of remaining, while he deprecates gratuitous
education even mere strongly than be dons Church
Disestablishment. If this and some other questions
are not to be placed on the official Liberal programme,
it will only cense a wade of energy to discus them
at present, and Liberals will have quite enough to do
without entering upon unpractical political disserta-
tions and speculations. Battles are not won by every
soldier, or even every onion, fighting independently
"on his own book." But that consideration dors not
seem to influence Mr. Chamberlain, who in his
Friday's 'peach at Inverness, while advocating
Church llisestabliahment, and the application of
accleeisstical revenues to the provision of free educa-
tion, affected to recognise in Mr. Gladstone's mani•
hole an encouragement to such ultra.Radiesl
proposals. His appreciation of this document was
different from that evinced by M. Goschen at St.
Leonard. on the tame day, the latter TOf-glii.iol he
Liberal chief's moderation and agreement with Lord
Ilartim,.aa.

CLING Reginald Smith cornett forward again in
defence of the Established Church. His letter is
landed " Diaratabliahment." hat, strange to eay, the
bnerien of it is the robbery, confiwation, and arab e
tine which are to follow in the wake if Disestabli.h•
ment, via, Thiendowinent. To Ibiteatablishment
Gabon Smith appears to hare no ohjsetions sinct•
orge• now. It is the pnapective lons to the Church
of potmda, shillings, and pence that meems from hi.
letter to really trouble him. And an it is with almost
all who come forward in defence of the E.tablished
Church. Pounds, shillings, and pen., is the cry And
the complaint, both first and last. Surely thou? who
are in favour of Diseatablishment will never be won
over by amnia. which ate... evidently prompted by
• hankering after the loaves AIIII fishes. nere is
much—very much —that may Is, rightly urged in
favour of an Histablished Church, but higher ground
moat he taken than that of merely tttt inry con-
ooderstiona.

We (Sinwinr.l) understand that the hearing of the
vari,DIIA appeal. Against decisions liy lkiog
Barristers in the Registration Court '1 tttttt mnee
on October 2 ith, and will In. proceeded with dr do en
diem, so am to get the whole of the disputed imints
disposed of in time for making what alterations, if
any, may be necesaary in the new registers Special
arrangements are being made for tho hearing of the
•ppeals in reelect of the numerous clrims tin hrlialf
of the military in garrison times, on which eistflirt•
lift decisions hare leen given hy different if...rising
Barristers. Ti,.'... appiesl. will it lendisid, or
taken find, on account of the large niiinher of claims
involved.

If., thoroughly itenpunin lli.raeli critshed the
Tory party beneath his feet, says 1t0..'.. I. is shown
by the fact that they hare not risen from the dust yet.
The real Comm-stire power in the country is still
that of the dead man. The Tory party exists only
by the green memory of the defunet Lord Beacons.
held. The Primmer Leagues which have sprung into
existence all over the country testify, not to the popu-
larity of the living faith, hut to the ;similarity of its
dead high priest. It is not to. much to say that the
Conservative party lies buried in Lord Ileaoonsfield's
grave —the politicians who hold power to-day under
the triple rule of Churchill, Salisbury, and Parnell
are not • party; they are a mixed mob, without one
guiding principle in common except the first principle
of hclding on like grim death to all they can Fret. Bat
this is not a principle in rule with, a principle to win
and keep public confidence with. Neither Churchill
nor Salisbury can ever be • real leader of the pamile
the policy of each is al wide apart as the poLea and
both are aristocrats whose sympathies are with all
that in the interests of the people must soon be swept
away.