New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-26
MIR. GLADsTONES ADMINISTRATION

The Liberals are bees, says Lord RoseDery, ana
the Tories are wasps. Yes but the honey is
tile proof of the industry; ana these busy bees
have as little to show for their labor as had
the wasps before them. From their hive, more
over, there rises waspish buzz OF dissension
unlike the hum of industry. Within few
DAYS the Government has been deserted by
large sections of Its followers on three ques-
tions of domestic administration. The lines OF
cleavage within the party have become more
conspicuous Radicals are more intent upon
convincing their constituencies that they have
not ceased to be Radicals than they are upon
supporting the policy of the Liberal Admins
trotiop. Discipine is impaired. There is n
disposition to quarrel over the order of bust
ness. TO attemOt the next sessions work at this
session. and to separate on vital matters OF
principle. Even Mr.. Gladstone with his per-
sonal ascendancy is unable To whip IN the
stragglers and to silence contention with
Ireland lapsing into tranquility ana no longer
absorbing the attention of Parliament, and
with the new rules and committees adopted Tor
the express purpose Of restoring legislative
efficiency, no progress is made in meeting the
practical requirements of the constituencies.
Lord Beaconsfeld's administration was con-
demned by the constituencies on two broad
grounds inactlOn ut home Hhd meudlesome
sort of activity abroad. For SIX wears all mat
ters Of domestic legislation had been persis-
tcntly neglected. A Public Worship Act which
could not be practically enforced, an Artisans
Dwellings Act which proved both costly aud
Inefficient and two feeble makcshlfts IN lllsh
education, were the mcagre results OF domestic
legislation during! Fix sessions. large sur
plus left by the Liberal Ministry had been con-
yerted into a deficiency twice rs large. and ar
rcars of floating Indebtedness had been amassed
for a new Liberal Ministry to clear away.
Nothing had been done to mitigate the horrors
of an Irish famine nor to allay by timely con-
cessions agrarian discomfort. There had been
inacton ut hOIle, and grave responsibilities
had been systematically shrlled; aud at the
same time England's obligations abroad had
been multiplied without regard for the security
of the colonies or the welfare OF Christendoin.
There had been secret treaties. costly cam
paigns, aud pretentlous preparations. Inc
Scpoys had been sent to the Medlterrauean'
Russia had been menacCd, the Sultan had been
alternately whecdlcd and duped. Afghanlstan
had been invaded, Zululand conquered, the
Transvaal wrested by force, and Europe enter
tanned with diplomatic surprises aud when all
was done, England and its dependencies were
net one whit the stronger, nor the world the
better. for the intrigues and bloodshed. the
novelties, threats and racket Lord Beacons-
field was voted out, and Mr.. Gladstone was
voted in, because the constituencies felt that
their needs in respect to home legislation were
SO pressing that they could not afford to nave
Parliament waste its time in debating questions
of foreign policy. The country required less
activity abroad and vastly more of it in do
nestle administrations
Probably there was no Englishman who nm
derstood this SO well as Mr.. Gladstone, for he
had framed the several counts of the indict-
ment on which the constituencies, acting as
national Jury, found his predecessor guilty OF
malign and Improbable craftsmanship. Yet
great M his personal asocndancy has been, he
has not been able to give that direction to his
administration which would have accorded
with his own convictions and positive pledges
and with the wishes of the constituencies A
social revolution in Ireland had to be grappled
with large and generous measures OF Land Re
form had to be provided rs au offset to arbi-
trary Coercion Acts; obstructioni tactics bad
to be foiled agrarian crises averted and catas-
trophies of assassination faced. so that 1t has
not been Mr.. Gladstone's fault if the first half
of his administration has expired, while the
domestic legislation promised by him and his
supporters in their election addresses Is still
i'm arrears On the other hand, while he has
left undone at home 80 much that he expected
to do he has achieved n conspicuous success
abroad The Egyptian campaign was of ines
Unable value to him IN political sense, coming
"a it did in the darkest hour of his fortunes in
Ireland. His administration was reinvgOr-
ateG by its military achievements, rcgaining
abroad the prestige which it had lost Mt home.
There were radical distinctions between that
campagn and Lord Beaconsficds foreign ad-
ventures, and Mr.. Gladstone was not to be
tainted with initiating his rivals policy after
vehemently denOuncing it; yet while it was
necessary and justiiabe war, it added mate
rally to the responsibilities of the Empire and
for aught that We can see Will eventually ln-
volve the annexation of Egypt. The logic of
Lord Duilerin's final memorandum from Cairo
points unerringly to that conclusion. Another
enormous addition to the territories OF the
Crown seems inevitable in the South Seas for
it does not seem possible that the pressure of
the Queensland officials in favor of the annex
alton of New Guinea can be successfully re-
sisted by the Colonial Office.
1t would be most singular caprice of Dolit
ical fortune if the Premier who denouDced his
predecessor for neglectng home interests and
increasing the burdens Of the Empire should
eventually confront the constituencies with Il
meagre list Of new statutes and Egypt and
New-Guinea as irrefutable proofs of his ina
bilty to resist Imperial tendencies. His ad-
miDstration has been weak where he hoped to
make it strong, and strong where he would
have been content to have 1t weak. What he
expected to do he has left undone, and he has
done what he had no expectation of doing.
The greatest Engishman who has arisen since
Pitt he has nowerfnlY impressed his own will