, 1874-03-07
THE "AVIS."
@s~s-
CHRTSTTANSTED, ST CROTX,
SATURDAY, 7rH MARCH 1874.
-~>~ 90
THE ENGLISH CANVASS.

The Packet arrived here Saturday night.
but as our news via America. given in
last issue reached to the Goth, It is of
course not tor such but for fuller details of
what we have already given that we have
to wade through all that enormous mass
Of electioneering done in England which
was the alI-engrossing subject since the pre-
vious mail. The result is known. How
now was it brought about? From the
commencement of the struggle, saws the
Correspondent of the n Y. Herald, writ
ing from London on the 9TH of February,
that is in the beginning of the canvass, it
was easy to see that the majority of the
Liberal Parry would not be content with
the programme developed by Mr.. Glad
stones address to the electors of Green
witch. His policy, therein set forth, was
essentially moderate, economic and utiIi-
tartan it carefully avoided all external
interests and addressed itself exclusively
to the taxpayers. 1t was entirely by fnan-
cial measures that Mr.. Gladstone hoped to
achieve a majority and recover his waning
popularity. ITO the pretended c0nscrva-
tive reaction" lie SAID, 81 oppose a pro-
gramme which may be resumed in these
words-inancial reform and liberal %union.'
Other members of the Cabinet, notably
Mr.. Lowe and Mr., Stansfeld, seemed also
to attach the highest importance to the
question of economy. Mr.. StansfeId, adj
dressing his intended constituents, declared
that ifany such reforms had been promised
by a less earnest or a less competent man
there would have been good reason for
laughing them to scorn Nevertheless,
it was impossible for the blindest follower
OF the Premier not to see that even on that
ground Mr.. Gladstone would encounter
strong opposition, as in the strong distrust
of which the Tories would not tail to take
advantage. 1t was not only the Conscrva-
tives who attacked the projects so much
admire by Mr. StansfeId. Certain liberal
organs, prominent among which were the
Times and the Morning Post, echoed Mr..
DjsraeIIs criticisms. The Premier pro
missed to abolish the income tax, to tighten
local taxation aud to lessen the duties on
certain articles of general consumption.
1t was evident that a surplus Of rs, 900, 900
would not be sufficient to carry out these
reforms. so it would be necessary that
those who would profit by the abolition of
the income tax must be prepared for other
dues destined to facilitate an equal redis-
tribution Of taxation. in a word, it looked
like a question Of an entirely new system
of taxation, of which Mr.. Gladstone had
not even limited at the outlines, leading
people to think that he had in view the
immediate effect of an apparently large con-
cession to them more than any real %allevia-
ton of the imports which press so heavily
on the taxpayer
The question of Irrational education was
another apple of discord thrown into the
Ministerial camp. Mr.. Forster having de-
clared that he saw no reason for modifying
his opinion in regard to the religious cha
racter which the state ought to give to
primary instruction, and Mr.. Gladstone
having expressed himself very nearly in
same sense, it seemed to any sensible look
er-on impossible that the Ministry could
count on the support of the nonconformistS.
As for the Irish electors their attitude was
entirely hostile to the Cabinet which had
declined to listen to the cry for "Home