, 1885-06-07
Discussions in the British eabi-
net Growing.
The War Office Desires to
Know of Sir Peter
If He Has Criticised the
Afghan Business.

The government remains on the verge O
disruption. Chamberlain, ambitious t
become an English premier. and Dixie
i~nnately Radical, still stubbornly rsfus
assent to Gladstone's announced policy o
renewing the Irish crimes act. 1t is truI
that the Grand Old Man yesterday re
treated from his original position on thi
question far enough to admit that tn
government now means only to renew thu
bill, modified, but the rebels in the cabi
net insist that there exists in Ireland to
day no reason and no prospect Of any
reason for the renewal in any form
While neither Chamberlain or Dixie have
personally stated that he will resign from
the cabinet in case the premier persists il
bis renewal policy, it is generally under.
stood that both have actually threatened
to do so, and it is not believed that the
modified policy announced by the prime
minister has in anywise altered the
threat. The quarrel in the cabinet has,
in fact, extended to other matters. The
Radical ministers are just as much OPP
posed to the plan of the electoral cam
paign formulated for the coming campaign
by the Wing meubers as they are to the
renewal Of the crimes act. The number
OF ministerial rebels on this point is larger
even than arrayed against renewal.
Chamberlain, chairman Of the board Of
trade; Dixie, president of the local gov
eminent board; Trevelyan, John Bright's
successor in the chancellorship of the
duchy of Lancaster, and Shaw Lefevre,
successor to the great Fawcett as postmas-
ter general, all insist on a Radical plat
form. These gentlemen agree that the
principal planks in the Liberal platform
should be;
First, A reform in the constitution of
the house Of lords by reducing the num-
Der Of hereditary peers and increasing the
number of life titles,
Second, A reform in the law of entail
which will work towards the division
rather than the concentration of the land
titles.
Third, A general reform in the land
laws of Great Britain to the end that the
number of holdings in fee may be
increased and titles to land DO more
easily obtaired.
Fourth, For Ireland the widest possible
measure of seli-government consistent
with the unity Of the British empire.
Fifth. Public denominational education
on the principles accepted by the Irish
party.
The Wing faction in the cabinet refuses
s~teadfastly to adopt any of these FIVE prin-
ciples in the platform of the Liberal party
for the coming campaign. hence the party
will enter the canvass weak from the lack
of cohesion. On this account it is more
than probable Gladstone will be induced
to remain in political power for the pur-
pose Of personally conducting the cam
paign for his party. The Liberals have
no other mar competent for the task.
Gen. Wolseley is engaged in the prepare
ton Of an official report on the charges
preferred against Gen. Graham, conlman-
der of the Suakim-B erber expedition, and
Gen. Mcneil, commander of the advance
force of the expedition, for neglect ofduty
and incompetence in the conduct Of their
campaign. If the report be favorable,
both generals will be subjected to special
inquiry by a military council.
The outspokcn denunclations Of the
conduct of the government toward the
British Afghan boundary commission re-
ported made by Sir Peter L~umsden, on
his way home, since his recall, have in
duced the British war office to ask hin
whether the newspaper interviews pub
lshed were correct reports Of what he
said. An answer to this interrogatory il
awaited with interest. The authorities il
the war Office undoubtedly ~sympathizi
with Lumsden, but the cabinet is exasper
ated over his singing criticisms Of thu
governments management Of the Afghan
dispute and they demand he repudiat'
them or be punished by some signal mari
of displeasure by the government. Lums
den's friends say he meant every wOrt
attributed to him in these interviews an,
that he will not repudiate a word. II,
believes, his friends argue, that the gov
eminent outraged the country and dis
graeed the Afghan boundary commission
and he will abandon his Office rather tina
retract any Of his criticisms.
The Russian report that the ameer @
Afghanistan has been murdered by hi
suite is not credited at the British foreig
Office. Couriers from Cabul arrive at Brit
ish posts on the Afghan frontier twice
week regularly. In the latest report
brought to the British agents at thes
posts there was no news of an actual dis
order in Afghanistan, but the generI
situation in the ameer's dominions hs
been described IN oil recent reports as on
betokeuing danger to his authority. Til
has been attributed to discomfort anon
the tribal chiefs over the ameer's failui
to distribute among them the sums {
money which the chiefs believed he I,
ceived from Earl Dufferin, viceroy of Il
dia. in the recent durber at Rawal Pind
with which to substitute Afghan tribe
The ehiefa have all along felt certain Al
durrahman was entrusted with a lars