Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-06-14
REBELLION.
Revolt of British Conservative
Members of Parliament
Against Some of the Ministry's
Measures.

Salisbury Not Unanimously Supported ny
His Notwithstanding the Stand
Taken the Government Rsfuses to
Abandon Certain Important Measures.
A Caucus Held in London.
LONDON, June l4.-The caucus of the
Conservative party, called to consider
the preset status of matters now before
parliament, was held at the Carlton
club Thursday. Lord Salisbury, the
prime minister, announced that the
government would not abandon the
tithes bill, the licensing bill nor the
Irish land purchase bill.
In order to cope with the business
which is now blocking the proceedings
of parliament, bills which reach an ad-
yanced stage during one session would
be resumed at the next session ct the
stage at which they had been left at the
proceeding session, subject to the reso-
luton of the house. Right Hon. James
Lowther, Mr.. Robert William Hamburg
and others condemned such a course of
procedure. They declared that it
would initiate a bad system of legisla-
ton. The matter was discussed for
half an hour, when the caucus separated
without adopting any formal resolution
on the subject.
Everything points to the certainty
that the caucus ended in q row. Upon
the questions Of procedure and the ad-
visibility of shelving one OF another of
the important bills now in various
stages of parliamentary advancement,
not only the cabinet, but the unofficial
leaders of the Tory party, as well as the
voting contingent Of the ministry in the
house of commons, have for some time
past been divided in opinion, while the
pressure of tho constituencies upon their
representatives, also variously directed,
has increased.
The caucus, it was asserted by the
dictators of the ministerial policy would
restore harmony, but the bitter discus
sion which characterized the conference
and the failure of the meeting to reach
any definite conclusion denotes widen
ing of the breach to an extent threaten
ing hopeless division in the ranks of the
party on pending bills. 1t is announced
that another caucus will shortly be
convened when a further attempt will
be made to subdue the refractory ele-
ment: but the determined attitude OF
the cabinet minority and their adherents
gives very little encouragement TO the
majority that their efforts will be sue
cessful.
In addition to the parliamentary re-
bellion against the headstrong policy Of
the ministerial leaders in regard to
| pending bills, the government has o
very serious difficulty to confront In
dealing with the defiant postal and po
lice employees, and all politicians agree
that the case requires delicate handling
The wisdom of the action of Postmaster
| General Raikes in reducing the wages
of fifty postmen by five shillings week
and suspending 150 more for attending
a meeting OF the new union Of postottiot
employees, Is seriously questioned.
The action of the men was IN detianct
of positive prohibitory order, it is true
but the question which the postal de
partment will find the greatest difficulty
in disposing of, to the satisfaction Of the
electors, is that of the justice of the
order, and it is certain that in the gen
eral strike of the postmen, which II
greatly feared as the result OF Mr.
Raikes' arbitrary course, the striker
will receive a measure of public suppor
that will astound the authorities,
Information comes from reliable
source that the government has decided
to abandon the land purchase bill fol
the present session. AS result Of tn
Conservative caucus, thirty Tory mem
bers of parliament have revolted agains
the ministerial :sciicyy ann are treating
with the Unionists for the formation oi
cave. The discomfort with the actioI
of Home Secretary Matthews In Eegart
to the police department is very general
and will have great influence upon tn
| next elections