New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-10

extent. While he was himself Foreign Minister,
the Prime Minister continually interviewed; when
Lord Rosebcry succeeded him, this intervention
came TO an end
Lord Salisbury went on TO explain his actual
uosition To unite the two offices OF Prime Min
lstor and Foreign Minister when the Prime MIN
lister sits in the Lords is a very different matter
lie does not even then advocate tie union as Il
General practice, but he upholds 1t III his own
case The Office Of Prime Minister Is never held
alone it is commonly joined with that OF inc
First Lord Of the Treasury, which Is, or may De- al
most a sinccuTe, albeit with salary OF S@3'OVO
a year To lead the House OF commons is a
toet enormously lahorious Lord Salisbury doubts
whether. unless some change when we cannot
forecast takes nlace it will always be easy to find
a man of that surprising vigor, and intellect ana
knowledge of which Mr.. Gladstone speaks, and
of which IN, has been an example. This hand
some compliment is oil on the waters; but they
90 not altogether subside: nor need 1t he doubted
that Mr.. Gladstone will find. or make, an oc-
casion to reply on This matter 70 what has been
said so publicly about himself.
Then continued Lord Salisbury. as TO the
question Of what advantage is derived from the
Prime Minister not being Foreign Minister had
the honor to serve under Lord Bcaconsiied as
Foreign Minister. and occupied the inverse po-
stion with regard TO Lord Iddcsleigh. My expert
cnce is having had both ends Of il, that the
Prime Minister interieres extremely little with
the conduct of foreign affairs. II is an asonisl-
ing thing TO say. Who was the ATch-JlnSo OF
i877-7s? The world has hitherto supposed that
II was Lord BeacOnsfed and how can il be said
that Lord Hcaconsded interfercd extremely little
when he threw ND everything else to 20 TO Berlin,
and at Berlin was beyond question the leading
spirit in opposition 10 Russia? An exceptional
case, no Doubt but also an extremely illustrative
case.
The work of the Foreign Office is exceedingly
heavy. Lord Rosebery, who has very great
power of work. described it as penal scrvitudc.
Lord Salisbury shoulders il all easily enough it
appcars and in the intervals of dispatch writin :
to foreign Powers finds time to govern the British
Empire. The truth is, he leaves domestic mat
tcrs very much TO his colleagues; Ireland to MI.
Balfour, the House of Commons to Alr. Smith the
Treasury TO Mr.. GOschen and so on His whole
soul. or almost his whole soul, IS given up 70
diplomacy The secret of his trouble with Lord
Randolph Churchill, as Leader of the House Of
Commons. was that Lord Randolph insisted on
consulting with Lord Salisbury, and on being
consulted by him That is why things have gone
so badly this session. The Prime Minister, occu-
pied in parcelling out a continent between Eng
land and Germany. had no time 10 squander on
the squabbles of the House of Commons Each
of his colleagues has gone his own way, save when
\ Cabinet Council was held, and somebody or
other was pulled up. But Cabinet Councils can
not be held every day, nor every week. y Prime
Minister ought 10 be Prime Minister wharvcr
else he is. and that is an obligation which Lord
Salisbury has only half recognized q. W. >.