St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-20
A Bill That Has Proved Dis
astrous to Many Old
Parties.
A More Moderate Scheme
Would Have Suited Con-
Servatives Better.
The Majority Of Newspapers
Commend the Action Of
Mr., Richie.
By Cable to the Globe.

BY cable TO the Gl0De.
LONDON, March 19.-The launching
of Mr.. Ritchie's local government bill
in the house of commons tonight is by
far the most risky venture the Tories
have yet made, and its consideration
and ultimate disposition are fraught
with great danger to the party in power.
That portion of the measure dealing
with licenses for the sale of beer and
spirituous liquors is the most dangerous
of all. Nearly all of the previous gov
ernments that have meddled with this
question have come to grief, even Mr..
GladstOne's having been forced to give
way to Lord Salisbury on the question
of raising the tax on beer. Remember
ing the fate of its predecessors, the gov
ernment has
ALREADY COMMITTED ITSELF
to abstentiou from disturbing the exist
ing licenses, promising that the bill
shall apply only to those which may be
granted after the bill becomes law, in
the hope of appeasing much of the Op-
position, but the granting of absolute
powers to revise and issue licenses to
the newly constituted county councils
will create storm that may prove over
whelming. The Liberals will push the
bill to the utmost limit of their ability
to forward it, in the firm belief that
both the Tory and Unionist parties will
split thereon. In any event the govern
ment, in advocating the bill, pays un-
willing homage to the principles OF
home rule, and the measure even goes
to the length of granting female suf-
frage under certain conditions. The
one provision of the bill which will
meet with pretty general favor. how
ever, and possibly may serve to remove
the curse from some of the measures
bad features, is that which abOlisheS
THAT MONUMENTAL FRAUD,
the London board of public works. The
preparations for the reception of Queen
Victoria at Florence are almost COM
plete, and her majesty's pOstponement
of her departure from Windsor until
Wednesday has given the Italians time
to make such improvements in their
original plans as may suggest them
selves. The death of the emperor of
Germany, and the now certainly fatal i'll
ness of his son and successor, may in
some degree initiate against the recep-
tion: Possibly, though, the queens in
timation that she would prefer an air of
somberness to pervade the ceremonies
will tone things down, but it is intended
to make the occasion a notable one in
the history of Florentine gala days.
The statement published this morning
that Lord Salisbury offered to confer a
dignity on Mr.. Chamberlain, which the
latter refused, tells
ONLY HALF THE STRRY.
1t is true that the offer was made, and
that also it was rejected, but not for the
reason implied-that Mr.. Chamberlain
was too modest to accept the honor. The
fact is that the premier offered the
Birmingham statesman barOnetcy,
which Mr.. Chamberlain declined be-
cause he did not think it sufficient to
requite the service he had performed,
and for the additional and still stronger
reason that he regarded the rank as a
wonderfully inadequate recognition of
his Self-esteemed greatness. The BOu-
langer fever is subsiding in Paris. Its
decline began with the departure of the
general for Clermont-Ferrand to ar
range for his final withdrawal from the
military command at that place, but
possibly it may revive on his return.
Still it is doubtful if it ever again
reaches its former intensity.