Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-28
THE ENGLISH SITUATION.
sALIsBURYs GOVERNMENT
frsoseie Policy Letting the Tories Down
En'Y-Churehiii Surprisingly Quiet The
Irish osestisa-naIfeurs speech.
by cable to the DIspatcb.i


eminent is skilfully feeling its way
along. Even Lord Randolph Churchill
has become prudent. Since his party
has had the responsibility of the Gov
eminent thrust upon it the young ora
tor has exhibited a surprising repressi-
bility, and has judiciously held both
his pen and his tongue. In view of the
impatieuce Of all Britons to know what
the policy Of the new Government is to
be, all this is remarkable. The only
Minister Of the new Government who
has up to date publicly addressed
his constituents is Arthur James
balfour, Tory member of Parlia-
ment for Hartford borough, which
he has represented since 1877. Balfour
is but thirty-seyen years Of age, and is
son-in-law Of the Marquis of Sails
bury. the new Prime Minister, whose
private secretary the young man has
long been. The selection of Balfour for
the important Office of Chief Secretary
for Ireland must be looked upon as es-
pecially significant, because he knows
better, perhaps, than any other per-
son the inner views Of Lord
Salisbury upon the whole Irish ques-
ton, and is the only man who has
ever been permitted by the present
Premier to speak for him. Hence Bal
four's speech has attracted profound
attention. Before his advent to power
Lord Salisbury was the most persistent
advocate Of coercion in Ireland. The
very crisis which crowded his party into
power found him actively engaged in
opposing every tendency towards Libe-
ralism in Ireland. Responsibility, how
ever, has apparently tempered Sails
bury'sviews on this important question,
and he evidently shrinks from doing
himself those things for abstinence from
the performance Of which he castigated
the Gladstone Ministry. To use an
Americanism, Salisbury feels the neces-
sity Of " letting the Tories down easy"
on the question, and Balfour is pushed
forward as the chief instrument in the
lowering process. The most striking
utteranee in Balfour's address was the
unqualified declaration that he 50 desires
not less than Chamberlain to see Ireland
governed by equal laws with England,
and to see all exceptional legislation
against the Irish people forever abol-
ished." The Radicals and Parnellites
who worried the Liberal Ministry out
Of power never stated their wishes
on this subject more tersely and fully.
Not satisfied with this bold statement,
Balfour has just caused to be pub
lisbed for general circulation brochure
on the Irish question. In this the new
Chief Secretary strongly supports home
rule for Ireland, but contends that this
home rule shall extend to local interests
only. His argument for this limit is
the favorite one Of Tories--viz.. that
it is as necessary for the general well
fare of Ireland itself as it is for
the strategic security Of Great Britain
that in all national affairs the present
state of dependence shall be maintained,
and that all concessions to Ireland shall
be based on the absolute maintenance
Of lreland's imperial control. Another
idea is elaborated in this brochure
namely, that in any new organization
Of the Government Of Ireland the rights
of the Irish Tories, such as the local
minority in Ulster, must be respected
and maintained. While itmay be said
that these statements lack definiteness,
still it must be admitted that
they indicate remarkable change
Of attitude in the Conservative
feelings toward Ireland. Not only that,
but there is an astonishing brood Of
Tory declarations of the same charac-
ter as those made by Balfour. In fact,
all the reports from the Conservative
clubs and political circles show that
Lord Randolph Churchill has become
the prophet of the Tory party on the
Irish question. His policy, which from
all present indications will prevail with
the present Government, favors the
gradual replacement Of the present ma
chinery Of the Vice-Regal Government
at Dublin Castle by the formation of
an elective central board to sit in Dub
lin and possess the power Of dealing
with all internal questions of the Gov
eminent.
Lord Salisbury has so far had but one.
interchange of views with foreign
Power on diplomatic questions. That
was with NJ. Washington, French Am
bassador. and it related to the never
ending Egyptian question. The inter-
view was forced on the new Premier
by the rush Of official advices
from the Khediye's dominion to
the effect that anarchy practically ex-
lists in Egypt that the Administration
is exhausting the treasury and is openly
hostile to English influence, and that
this hostile influence is inspired by
Borelli Bey, who is described as a
powerful adviser. lie is said to be the
private editor of the BosphOre Egypt'en,
which was recently suppressed for the
virulence Of its attacks upon England.
The protests Of France secured rehabi-
tation of the paper, and it is a
"worse conspirator now than ever"
BoreIli Bey publicly holds frequent
levees with all the Europeans hostile to
England. To add to the general con-
fusion, there is war in Tewfk's
harem. The vice-queen Of the harem
is actively interfering against the po-
litical movement organized to oppose
the addition of an English palace to
enfourdge of the Khediye.
The Cairo correspondent of the Co
logne Gazette, referring to the Egyptian
finances and to the loan Of as, 100000
recently guaranteed by the Powers to
settle the debts of the country, states
that the sum will be found insufficient
by at least s5,000,000. The English
financial houses interested in Egyptian
monetary affairs have been advised by
their Cairo agents that the loan will
fall short of the actual necessities of
the case by sum equal to els, 100000.
The spirits Of the Conservatives are
A l..