New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-06-21
MR. GLADsTONE'S FALL
TIRE DEFEAT OF THE BUDGET AND HOW
IT CAME ABOUT

lstry hrsJ knew they were IN danger OF oeicat ou
the Budget. An hour and q half later they had
been beaten by IL votes. At noon on Tuesday tine
Cabinet met and resolved TO resign. Tho decision
was known before 2; before it had been ans
nounced to the House of Commons by the Prime
Minister. SO that within much less than twenty
four honrs the strongest Ministry of modern DAYS
had passed from period of absolute security through
the brief agony OF unforeseen peril to utter ruin and
to that enforced resignation which a messenger Is
at this moment hurryina northyard to place IN
the hands of the Queen of Balmoral.
The utter unsuspiciouspess of immediate danger
In which the Ministry was wrapped up Is no torious
aware as they were of the hostility to the Budget
I had @ carious proof of it on Monday. when met
q member of the Government and asked him about
the coming Budget debate that evening. "Oh," he
said, there's only four-line whip out, and don't
know whether l shall have to turn up for the
division or not" Later in the evening met an
other Liberal high in the confidence of the Govern
ment at the French play. He was going down to
vote. but had heard nothing of probable defeat.
The Tories themselves said not to have ex
pected to win. Very likely Sir Stafford Northcotc
did not and it is pretty certain he hoped not But
from an early hour on Monday evening Mr. VIM,
one of the Tory whips, was passing and repassing
between tho House of Commons and the House OF
Lords and comforting with Lord Salisbury. His
movements presently attracted the notice OF Lib
cral peer who took tho trouble to walk over to the
other chamber and warn Lord Richard Grosvenor
of what was going on. His warning was received
with easy tranquility, and disregarded. fet Sir
Charles Dixie quite early in the debate had thought
IL necessary TO notify the supporters of the Govern
mont that this question was one of life and death.
Why in that case, were no steps, or no adequate
steps, taken to make II question Of life and not
question of deathf The question is one to which
will give clear little later. 1t is enough
to say here that Minister may feel it his duty to
make such an announcement without strongly hop
ing that his warning will be needed. He as well
rs ANYBODY. knew that the House had but lately
resumed its sitting after n fortnights vacation;
that many Liberal members were known to be still
in the country, and that no efforts, no sufficient
efforts were made to bring them up
The Budget itself was known to be unpopular,
thoroughly unpopular. not less unpopular in its
modified form than IN its original form. The re-
duction of the extra duty on spirits from two
shings to one shilling per gallon had satisfied no.
body The new beer duty was more odious STILL
1t fell directly on the brewers. great and small.
The increase WIS not enough to warrant an In
crease in the selling price. 1t could only be met out
of the pocket OF the brewer or ont OF the stomach
of the consumer by such deterioration in quality
as should recoup the brewer. The fact that
the wine duties were left untouched gave pretext
for the cry that the Government were LAYING
fresh burden on the drink of the poor while they
loft the luxury of the rich as it was before Lib
erals were overwhelmed with protests from their
constituents The beer interest and the spirit IN
terest are enormous They are not only enormous
but the publcans and distlers and brewers are the
best organized among all the classes OF this country
-. ~rCf
millions on whom that iniquitous Impost sits heavy
suffer In silence, because they have no collective
voice. I know of Scotch member who voted on
Monday for the Government in the teeth OF tele-
grams from every district of his spirtdistillng and
scirlt-drinking constituency. every one OF which
WINS a menace of future punishment If he did not
resist this Budget But he was the exception IN
resisting. The majority of the sixty or seventy
Liberals who abstalned from voting did so In
obedience to just such mandates from irritated
constituents whose business was threatened. one
of the few who it was known, meant to vote with
the Opposition urged to content himself with
abstaining 81 dare not answered he. "lt is as
much as my seat is worth" And he named single
potentate in the trade whose opposition alone would
he fatal This man had telegraphed him in so
many words TO take his choice between opposing
his Marty on this question and osingssnot his seat
the SOFT of screw which was put on. The pressure
of the caucus is nothing TO the twist which tine
licensed victualler can give when he likes
The Government therefore. whether they chose to
take or not had ample notice. Their answer would
he that they expected opposition bat not detection
They saw even now that they don't thnA the Tories
meant winning. The Liberal Whips took ordinary
nrecautions: no moro. Now that 1t Is all over,
they profess to be astonished at the number oil
recreaut Liberals D,dueting pairs and those who
had good excuses, rhae remain ut least forty LID
eral absentees who took no part in the division.
The London organ of the Ministry in Its rage prints
n black list OF sixty-two in capitals But this Is
undscrimnating. Forty are quite enough 10 ac-
oount for. and IL makes matters worse, not better
IN cxarg,rate the Liberal discomfort. Some OF the
forty arc believed to have deserted the Ministry
not 30 much on account of the Budget as because OF
their continuing dislike to its policy, or want Oh
,ollcv. Names might be mentioned. Certain it is
that In ordinary times the Liberal party wouid not
deliberately have renounced power ana aoancoheo
Its leaders because of mere beer.
Certain IL Is, also, that the Government would
not IN earlier days have taken the line it took on
Mo,dav The House could hardly believe its ears
rhon Il heard Sir Charles Dixie proclaim it ques-
tlon of life and death. Butt ucredulity had to
vanisb whom Mr. Gladstone, winding up the debate
at 1 In the morning in speech OF the utmost
gravity and weight repeated the phrase From
that moment the die was cast. Liberals who voted
with tho enemy, or who, though present, aostained
from voting knew perfectly well that the Ministry
would stand or fall by the result And that brings
me back to tho question said would answer,
why Ministers took no adequate steps to make sure
of victory. rs they might almost certainly have
done.
The answer is. They courted defeat. The Prime
Minister is the only or almost the only Minister
who regrets 1t. and he regrets 1t not because he
wanted to stay in Office, but because he could not
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