Omaha daily bee., 1883-05-09
THE CABINET CRISIS

WIN oiA ih bho huuoo VI SohiluOho WV
second time by a majority of LOG
votes, constitutes q serious cabinet
crisi, and Is doubtless the first step
towards the permanent retirement Of
the Gladstone ministry from office.
The premier has been defeated on a
measure which he had made q minis.
terisl matter, and In England a minit-
terial defeat mea an immediate
change In the government or a prompt
appeal for endorsement at the hands
of public sentiment through a new
election. That mr. Gladstone does
not intend to resign Is evident from
the tenor of last Sundays csblegrams.
The only remaining cours will there
fore be an appeal to the people, such
ss was made by Dlsraeli In 1880, when
he received such a popular condemna.
ton that he resigned without waiting
for the assembling of parliament.
MI. Gladstone has been prime min.
lister of England since April %, 1880,
when he formed his cabine. and as.
sumed the chancellorship of the u.
chequer. His public service extends
over q period Of fifty years, during
which time he has twice held the reins
of government as premier. His
retirement will form an epoch in Eng.
ltsh constitutional history which will
be universally regretted by the friends
Of liberal institutions and 1t therefore
becomes interesting to examine into
the chain of events which have led to
his great defeat of Friday and Sstur-
day.
The affirmation bill has been Sc
closely connected with the personality
of Charles Bradlsugh that IL Is diff.
cult to separate 1t from his ~protraoted
contest for q seat in parliament. As
the elected member from Northamp.
ton, Mr.. Bradlaugh presented himself
at the bar of the house of commons,
refused to take the oath OF
office on the ground that
he had no belief In apersonal ID and
was expelled only to be subsequently
reelected. Upon his return he volun.
teered to make any number of oaths
required him, CONTEMPORARY observ.
ing that they had no binding effect
and nearly fought down the house
Into permitting him to take his seat
after complying with an empty
formality.
In order to provide against the re.
currenoe of such scenes as attended
the Bradlaugh contest q bill was In.
PRODUCED, amendatory to the Eng.
lish parliamentary oaths acts, which
provided that q member elect of
parliament, ''msy, If he thinks fit,
instead Of making and subscribing
the oath of allegiance, make and sub.
scribe a solemn affirmation" Had
this measure been d~lsassoclated from
Bradlaugh no arguments could have
been urged against Its adoption.
Public opinion, however, at once
was aroused. 1t was held that the
bill was introduced to meet the cir
cumstances Of the Bradlaugh case
and the religious sentiment of the En-.
glish people loudly protested against
Its adoption. After fighting off the
measure for two parliamentary SEES.
sions, Mr.. Gladstone, Ia spite of the
protests and petitions which were
pouring In from all parts of the coun.
try, boldly introduced it Into the COM
mons, Immediately after the Easter
recess and bravely championed the
bill In a speech which Is regarded as
n of the ablest oratorical efforts of
his life. Admitting that the liberal
party would lose votes by Its advocacy
of the measure, he declared that he
preferred to be on the side of right and
justice rather than e1pe6iency and in
his closing sentences made the passage
OF failure Of the bill the test of the
strength of the ministry. The defeat
of the bill was no less of a surprise to
the tories than 1t was to the members
of Mr.. Gladstone's own party.
1t Is too soon to predict the conse-
quences of the prssen. crisis. The
three elements which combined
against the ministry were the tories,
the Irish members and the non. con.
formlst radicals. Tha last, a wing of
the liberal party, Is In accordance with
the ministry on every other ques.
ton. The Irish detection was
to have been expected and
still leaves liberal majority
Of more than thirty. The conserva.
tives are In q minority of more than
one hundred In the present parliament
and have nothing to hope for, even II
Mr.. Gladstone should choose to re-
sign. Any tory ministry would be
voted down a half a dozen times be-
fore the close of the session. The
appeal to the people seems to be the
only resource of the liberal ministry,
and what the results of the new cleo.
ton will be is as difficult to prophesy
as 1t was before the memorable cam
nalpn of M~idlothSn- when tttha orapd