National Republican., 1886-08-02
Snlisbury's Cabfnet.

The appointment Of Henry Matthews,
rotary in the tory cabinet, affords great sat
isiaction to Lord Churchill and the eight
inr gang" Matthews is supposed to be
able to Jump up at q moments notice and
make rattling, argumentative speech in
reply to any one, on any subject. Hitherto
however, successful lawyers have generally
been failures in the house OF commons,
from the time Of Ersbine down to that OF
Sir John Holker, and Edmund Burke once
said that lawyers brought to parliament
only the washings Of their empty bottles.
Matthews is probably the keenest and
most vituperative Of English lawyers, but II
is amusing to read that he owes his new
position partly to the gratitude Of Queen
Victoria for the eloquent manner In which
he yindlcated the amenities Of social and
domestic life in his speech against Sir Charles
Dixie.
About twenty years ago Matthews him
self was correspondent in divorce suit
and his conduct upon that occasion forms
one Of the stock stories OF the London bar.
It is stated that lie swore a negative which
more than surprised the profession and the
public. The recollection Of this episode did
not interfere with his laceration Of Dixie.
A morning contemporary, referring to
Lord John Manners, describes him as one OF
the "best postmaster generals England ever
had" This is very remarkable statement
Any one with ordinary perception, who
had ever seen his lordship, could never sus-
pect him Of being the "bestn at anything,
even the management Of the postofIice.
lie is the second son OF that
great duke whom Disraeli held In such con-
tempt. When some connding friend said
that Dlsraeli ought to be a duke, Dlsraeli,
ir his blandcst tones, replied, "Why, Rut-
land is a duke !" Lord Manners was one
Of that band Of young men who, about the
year 1910, were known as ''young England
ers, whose object was to perpetuate the
age OF chivalry-Cervantes notwithstanding
with blue ribbons, primroses, tourna-
ments, and the rest Of It, In connection
with this movement Lord Manners made
whatever fame is ever likely to be asso-
ciatcd with his career. lie published In
1s41 a volume, entitled "England's Trust,
Hnd other Poems.n He was 90 at the
time, and had graduated from Cambridge,
so that be might be supposed to have
learned something. But Lord John was,
and is, yeritable English Bourbon. The
most important lines his volume Of poems
contained were
Let wealth and commerce, laws and learning
die,
But leave us still our old nobility.
He is one Of the poor relations OF the
tory party and as his family connections
are valuable political allies, Lord John OBJ
tains an Office.
II is an excellent reason for calling W.
ii. Smith to the War Department "that he
controls all the railway book stalls In Eng
land" In the last tory administration MIR.
Smith was Secretary of the Navy, but he
never succeeded in making half such repu-
tation in that position as was afterwards
conferred upon him when he became the
hero Of II. NJ. s. "Plnafore." Ills money
enabled him to defeat John Stuart Mill
IN The contest for Westminster, and labor
ing man, a member OF Mr.. Mills commit
tee, referred to the fact in a speech made
after the result Of the election was declared.
"Men Of Westminster" he said, "you
have disgraced yourselves eternally. You
have turned out the man that wrOte the
great papers and the great books, and put
in his place the counter-jumper who sold
them.n
There are FIVE lrshmen In the new minis
Try, excluding Lord George Hamilton, who
can scarcely he called an Irishman because
his father owns property in the tranquil
island. Their names are, in the order Of
merit John George Gibson, Hugh Holmes
Edward Gibson Lord Ashburnel, Hon
David PluIket, and the Marquis Of London
derry.
The Gibsons are brothers and sons Of
solicitor (real estate agent) in Dublin
Personally we are inclined to think that
except Lord Salisbury, John George Gibson
is the ablest man In the government. He 4
many years younger than his brother thu
Irish lord chancellor, but OF infinitely NOR,
ability. They are both graduates of Trinity
College, Dublin. Holmes and Plunke
belong to the same university. London
derry is the only insignificant man of th
crowd, and We will dispose OF him by re
producing the cabled comments Of the New
York Times:
In comparison with the appointment OF tn
Marquis Of Londonderry tobe lord lieutenant Q
Ireland everything else that England has dan
in Ireland for tie Last EoOre of years appear
udeious and statesmanlike- In this selection
tory denseness and maleYolenoe have equall
come TO u climax. What the name of Juda
Iscariot was to the early Christians, what tn
name of Benedict Arnold was TO the CONT
mental patriots the name OF Castiereagh is t
the ears OF every Irish nationalist. Lor
Salisbury must approach the most auxiousl
delicate part OF his work by sending as tn
vice regal bearer of the tory message To Ire
land the grand nephew Of loathed briber an
betayer. Gould political insanity go :
madder lengths? Even the tory press of Lor
don, slayish as 1t is In its fealty to party. ha
scant words OF praise for this most unwise sc
lection. The most interesting com
ment is that of the SdnddrJ
which says that all that is known &
Londonderry is that he comes of q stoo
famous for its honesty and intrepidity thin
this illustrates 10 the point Of absolnbo refine
ment the tories intellectual and moral gras
of Irish history. The only Castlereagh VIII
ever raised himself out OF the limits Of inedl
ocritY was the misercant who attested his hon
esty by Boosting, in his correspondence of tn
corruption by which he purchased the consen
of the Irish parliament TO the union, and ex
hiblted his intrepidity by cutting his owi
throat, 1t Is related that when this inIamou
suicide was being buried in Westminster Alb
hey vast crowd on the outside set up such a
exultant roar that the tumult Interrupted th
funeral services within the abbey. II Castle
feGgh's duh young nephew sucseeds In qniI
ting Dublin without hearing another such
savage yeil OF hate he win have cause to b
| thankful.
Yet American newspapers, well informe
upon most subjects, refer to this tor
administration ms ''strong and wise, thong
perhaps not brilliant.n