New-York tribune., 1869-03-13
MR.. GLADSTONE'S CABINET
DISSENSI0N AMONG TIE MEMBER,
IRON OUR OWN CoRRESPONDEETl

I
| in London, as in Washington, some things filter
! through what is supposed to be an impermeabe in
closure II particular acts or facts, the saying OF
minister or some decision of the whole fifteen, be
| not positively known, the general working Of the
new machine is known, with more or less accuracy.
Few men are so constituted as to be absolute non
conductors of the intelligence with with which the
air about them is charged Mr.. Gladstones Cabinet
was constructed on the principle Of including the
men who must have places. not the principle of
combining the greatest number of strong men who
would work harmoniousy together. 1t needed no
prophet to predict that there would be jars. They
have reached that eliminating point when it has
been thought necessary to give them a semI-Oticial
denial and no man doubts any longer that some of
! the floating Tumors are, or have been. true
1t was said in defense of Mr. Gla1stOnes heterOge-
neous selection of Ministers that although he had
! brought together certain elements of discOrd the
Cabinet would be a unit on one questionable ques-
tion on which the Liberals came into oice-the Irish
Church. The defense of the Cabinet was that IL was
framed for this single object careless of the split that
was certain to come after. Well, what is tho result
Of that bit of makeshift diplomacyi What might be
expected-that the Irish Church was the very first
question on which dissensons broke out in the Cab
met. The Wings mutinied. That aristoclacy of
Liberalism, which Mr. Gladstone tried to conclate
/
leaders, took the st moment to prove that its lber-
alism, even on this one settled cardinal principle
Of Liberal policy, was only skin deep. Society
makes 1t the fashion TO DO eCclesiastcal the
Queen has scruples about her oath; the great
families have scores of younger Sons and de-
pendents quartered the Irish Church. The
members Of the Cabinet who specially represent
society reflected its apprehensons. Lord Clar-
endOn is the nominee of the Queen, and Lord Caren-
dons conscience seems TO be more or less in Her
3laestys keeping. a clique was speedily formed,
including Clarendon, Lord Granville, and Mr. Chi
chester Fortescue, who began talk fGompromise of
hardships ofeXp6dency, ofyested of venerable
immunties and nobody knows what else-the whole
set Of phrases which constitute the stockintrade of
such weak knucd politicians az houushed in America
IN and about 1850 and unhappily did not all perish
from Oh the earth ia that dismal year Of compromise
and concession, Thesemen professed themselves the
most ardent of all for Discstabshment, Mr.. Glad
stone having made that word the keystone of his
policy; but they had discovered or invented a lot Of
qualifications by help Of which they proposed to dis
arm hostiltics and conciliato prejudices and make
the work easy. They did not venture TO propose
that the scheme of discndOwmcnt should be separ-
ated from the act of disesablishmcnt but they con-
trived n beautiful plan of Reeudowment Details Of
this will not burden YOU with, only partly knowing
them myself, and doubling whether they had ever
any complete development in the minds of their
author or authors They have ceased 20 be very im
portant having been Unsigned, politely but summar-
Nv 10 a limbo ont Of which they will never reappcar.
Lord Clarendon though ho may have been the
mouth piece of the Queen, and Lord Granville,
though he were ten times n Leycson-jower, and Mr..
Chichester Fortcscue, with his residuary egateeshp
from Earl Russell. discovered that on the whole Mr.
Gladstone was Prime Minister; that he, and not
they nor neither of them was TO direct the policy of
the Government and that the Irish Church was TO
20 down the steep path appointed for it, don't
suppose there was any wrange, or even that it was
found needfnl TO put the matter in any such blunt
way as have stated IT, But the meeting was very
short-liyod
Mr.. Bright also is said TO have had his expert
cnccs. The personal relations between Mr.. Bright
and Mr. Gladstone are so close, and the political
sympathics OF the Premier follow rapidly the lead
Of his greater colleague, that disagreement be-
tween them is likely TO be serious But Sir Brght's
instinct told him. as he frankly said to his Birming
ham constituents shat he could do bis special work
better out OF oico than in. lie does not like TO go
in raccsOr il in them likes that the traces be kept
tight and the machine be going all the time ahead
by help Of steady pulling. Needless TO explain that
this is not the theory of prlcticed olice-holdcrs.
]
what comes Of it. how much ahead it will do TO
90. and what people think Of such extraordinary
progrcss Mr. Bright is said-I give il purely as
| sidewalk co,sip-is said 20 have brought forward
several distinct proposals OF reform In matters quite
outsldc his special department and 90 have expert
euccd the sensation OF surprise on finding them all
/ quietly shevcd The same yeracous authority
represents him rs having been oyeuueds also in
somo matters pertaining TO his own oficc-notaby
/ ON the question whcther Government shall acquire
the Irish Railways Mr. Bright is against that plan
as hc is against the doing Of any act of Government
which does not within its strict administrative
or police functions lie is opposed, for instance TO
the scheme adopted by the last Ministry of buying
! MP the teegrapls. measure now supposed to have
been so far consummated that the new Ministry can
not rccedc from the bargain entered into by the old.
! Mr. Bright is credited with attempt TO explode
| that whole nTrangemcnt-and well he might desire
TO auuul contract by which the Government agreed
To pay about 40 per cent for the telegraph prop
| erty than at "a fair valuation 1t was worth. Bnt on
thls as the Ish railways he has been controlled
His annoyance at these checks broke out in the re-
| markable speech week before last Mt the Fishmon-
gers Banquet There and elsewhere ho has not hesi-
tatcd TO express his dissent from the known views
and declared policy of his colleagues, and his impa-
ticnce At the disappointment OF some OF MS hopes
lie puts certain restraint upon himself, which ls
evident enough in every speech short or long, dely
cred since his official life began but who could feter
those lips so long accustomed TO speak out the un
checked purpose aud opinion of that dauntless soul'
Twonights agohcsp spoke some part OF hs mind freely
10 the Associated Chambers of Commerce, whose
representatives are meeting in London, and invited
Mr. Bright to dine. His acceptance Of such an inyi-
taion was rather notable fact, since the gentle
men who were his entertainers are the avowed pro-