New-York tribune., 1891-05-03
LONDON NOTES.
THE ANONYMOUS-THE DUKE OF ARGYLL
AND LORD GRANvILLE-LONDON
COUNTY COUNCIL-THE NEW
WEBSTER-NlEN OF
THE TIME.

London, April Is.
Mr.. Gladstone, not for the first time has toid
the world that he is not given to anonymous "fiV
ine. Whether he means 70 censure those VINO
are is. perhaps, left doubtful lie geher"s
aeayes things doubtful lie has. he ADDS. mace
use OF the ANONYMOUS method Of expressing opinion
only twice in the course Of thirty or lorS se"-s'
and then from altogether exceptional no0.'... .
Well. almost think it better to DC ahons MUS
than obscure; better TO say clearly "na' w
means even though the name DC oinio.ea' .s
10 put ones signature to q cloua Oh auio's
No man who ever lived has so often wr"ppeu up
his opinion In dubious phrases or. again. " quv'
Lord Salisbury. left so many loophoies thfouen
which to emerge when his opponent seeNS " pan
him down to particular declaration ;.
As for the iniouity of anonymous writing IL is,
Var the most part. imaginary. They who wouiu
male Il nm offence are men who would muzzie 'ne
nress II is subject which often comes up .
Question often asked and never yet answered "lOn
antboritv. Perhaps il is too much TO eSpecU an
authoritative answer, for it is not, Whatever .ne
enemies OF the anonymous may allege, ques'ioi
NJ absolute morals No principle is lnVoiVe"'
expediency or convenience or right 1eehng may
well enough decide in each case as 1t crises
The Duke of Argyll has phrase about the late
originality may be accorded. lie is speaking Vi
h,s friends power of uniting people or OF keeping
Them united. and he calls him "a born amalgam'
Perhaps IL is fairer 10 give the whole senuehce'
II generally is Amidst every variety OF com
position. and in many narrow passages OF puDhc
noliov Lord Granville seemed q born amalgam'
The testimony is the more striking from the Duke
of Argyll, because If an analogous expression hau
70 be sought for him, fear he might be calied
born dissolvent. The Duke is very able ana
public-spirited man, who has been found oy his
colleagues difficult to work with lie does not
readily take any point of view but his own; from
that, he sees with intense clcarness
This testimony from the Duke Of Argyll is the
more welcome because il was felt that the House
of Lords eulogies Lord Granville were some
what dry and inadequate. The Duke meant TO
have been there and il is a pity he was not' pe-
cause, Of all living British orators, he has
statelness and vigor Of style which on such occa-
sion would have served him well, and served also
the memory of the friend whom he deplores' i'uu
he was ILL., and he sends his speech, in the form Oh
O letter. to "The Times" where it will be read by
more people than would have listened to the
oration or read the report Of it, He had been
Lord Granvilles colleague in every Liberal Ad-
ministration since 1853 down TO 1886; then he
Duke is very generous He refers to the criticisms
on his late colleague as Foreign Minister, and,
while admitting that his acts created expensive
liabilities for the future" declares that Lord
Granville "never took q single step without full
consultation with his colleagues, and every one he
did take rested, and must continue TO rest, upon
the equal responsibility of them all.
IL is generous, but it is also official. or course
10 is true theoretically. In fact it Is but partly
true Neither Lord Granville nor any other For
eign Minister ever consulted all his colleagues on
all seldom on any,-of the more momentous ques-
lions that had to be dealt with. He consulted
some There is always o Cabinet within a
Cabinet. When the pinch comes. and publicity
comes, and Parliamentary discussion and the CON-
ment of the press come, the whole Cabinet is, as
the Duke says, equally responsible. The men
who never heard word about the dispatch or de-
cision which may have led England into war or
discreditable evasion Of war bear their own share
of the discredt or disgrace or glory as the case
may be- But used the word generous because
the effect of this statement is to relieve Mr. Glad
stone, and the Duke of Argyll is under no obga-
ton to say word which may relieve Mr. Glad
stone from any part of the public censure which
rests upon him in consequence of his handling OF
Foreign or Colonial Affairs while he was Prime
Minister. Egypt, South Africa. and the rest, al
the various events which during two at least OF
Mr.. Gladstone's administrations brought obloquy
upon England, were the direct results of Mr.
Gladstone's interference; or. since the word may
imply more than mean, will say interposition
The cringing to Russia, the cringing to Primo.
Bismarck, the cringing to the Beers, the genera
feebleness Of English foreign policy from 1850 u
1885, are TO be set down to Mr.. Gladstone's &C
count, primarily and mainly. Nobody knows i
nj
time one of Mr.. Gladstones colleagues, and h
manfully shoulders his share Of the discredit.
The London County Council has enjoyed on
brief moment of popularity. That singula
municipal body was believed last week to have ~
duced the taxes of London. Here they call theI
rates. The popularity, such as 1t was, has vaI
ished already. Some too curious inquirer has dis
covered that the reduction, which Is real. is du
not to economy or to good finance on the part
the Council but to the unaided operation of whS
are called economical causes. There has been a
increased consumption Of beer. and for this al
other good reasons the Government grant in al
of the rates has been increased. That Is why u
municipal budget seems little less. or the rate
the pound less which is what the ratepayer chief
cares for
1t is a melancholy fact that the Council has,
fact been extravagant, and promises TO be mo
extravagant still. 1t is body Of cranks. do n
rnean-heaven forbid-that they ore all crank
But the proportion of cranks to men of sense
undue, and even the men of sense become. to
certain extent infected by the mental and NOR
maladies Of their less sensible colleagues aroal
them The Council feels bound TO Justify it's
70 the democracy Of which it is the offspring.
Is penny-wise and pound-foolish; will not p
salaries adequate to secure the services Of go
men, and squanders scores of thousands on schen
which are experimental. unsound, and of little
no profit TO the community. Hence 1t is i'll serve
and no service is so dear that which is not goo
Hence too, it empties its treasury faster than
can be filed and thinks 10 fill it with the win
talk of such men as the McDougall and his fello
~crthies So far the people of London fr