The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-03-13
From the GLOBES special correspondent.
FOREIGN LETTER.
ENGLISH POLITICS.

LONDON, Feb. "a, 1874.
London has been startled from her usual
composure by the announcement in the
journals that the Parliament of 1S6S-the
church and settled the Irish land question
which introduced the ballot, abolished the
system of the purchase of appointments in
the army, and founded a national education
was at an end Mr.. Gladstone and his
cabinet have appealed to her Majesty, the
Queen, and she, upon their advice, has
agreed upon an immediate dissolution of
Parliament.
The sudden proclamation has taken the
nation by surprise, since one and all had
taken it for granted that the approaching
session would be allowed to drag itself
along to the end before the Premier should
give the signal to disarm.
The reasons for Mr.. Gladstone's move
ment are set forth in a very able message
to the electors at Greenwich, in which he
desires their votes for the coming term of
office in the words Z" In the new Parlia-
ment | respectfully solicit the honor of
representing you; and holds before their
eyes certain lures which the liberal party
propose to practice should they be elected
to the trust and good will of the people
The appeal to the country is of signal
Importance, and very justly has aroused
the latent energies OF politicians to high
pitch. Mr.. Gadstone's address has three
purposes combining to one end 1t sets
forth the reasons why the present momen-
tous decision has been taken. 1t justifies
the policy of the government in the past,
and it announces the measures for the flu
ture upon which the leaders of the liberal
party base their claim to renewal of con-
fidence.
Mr. Gladstone's step was brought about
by the complications, in ministerial circles,
of Mr. Disraeli and the conservative party,
and the former minister has resolved to
bring to climax the question, whether the
government still possesses the confidence of
| the country, or to ascertain whether there
| is or is not conservative reaction and a
tendency among the people for change of
sway. The manifesto is truly a stroke of
| diplomacy, and by its flavor of frankness
cannot fail of producing a favorable i'm
preston,
The liberals have had forty years of
government, and for the forty years before
that, counting back from 1880, England
was governed almost without intermission
by Tory principles. A comparison of the
two periods is an additional weight in the
liberal pan of the national balance, while
certain facts of acknowledgement of late
tend to facilitate the rise of the conserva-
tive side of the scale.
In fact no response has been ELECTED from
the conservative party, and no display of
| life is made, IT we except a card inserted
this morning in the newspapers from Mr..
Disraeli to his supporters, stating that "her
Majesty having been pleased to direct that
Parliament should reassemble on the 9TH of
February, trust that you may find it con-
yenient to be in your place on that day"
Most of the measures of the late ministry
have been productive of such happy results
that any other ministry, now coming into
power, would not venture TO retrace a
single step that has been taken. Such is
the general popularity expressed concerning
the past government.
After touching upon the yexed question
of national education, which, by-the-by,
possesses little of interest for foreign minds,
Mr.. Gladstone whets the edge of his
eloquence upon his bright propositions for
the future, which of themselves are sutii-
cient to dazzle, vacllating commonalty
into acquiescence.
To begin with finance, the Premier be-
lieves that the time has come when II is
practicable to accomplish the total repeal
! of the income tax. No word need be said