The record-union., 1891-10-17
LONDON GOSSIP.
THE LEADERSHIP QUESTION NOT
YET SETTLED.
Balfour Does Not Wish to Assume the
Responsibility of the Position in
the Face Of Party Defeat.

Copy righted, 1891, by n. Y. Associated Press.
LONDON, Oct. 16.-The Conservatives
have been prematurely jubilant over hav-
ing escaped the leadership of Goschen.
The members of the Carleton Club to-day
received with shock of disappointment
kilograms from Balfour denying that he
had been offered the leadership. Douglas
Conservative denies that the Premier
has yet definitely offered the vacant post
to any member of the Cabinet. He would
not say whether it had been offered to
any one outside the Cabinet. meaning
the Marquis of Harrington. The truth
of the position, as known to the inner
official circle, is that Balfour wants Hart
Ington to become leader, with a rever-
sion of the post TO himself. Behind Bal
tours oStenslble reason is the fact that he
don't care to have his early period of
leadership signalized by a coming decisive
defeat OF the party. No one having even
casual contact with the Government
Ministers can escape the conviction that
iorebodings of grand disaster at the
next general election fill their minds, if
the decision of Salisbury is damaging to
the position of the Government
Comments of official organs of French
and other European Governments on
Gladstone's announcing at Newcastle his
intention to move an order for the evacu-
alton of Egypt awoke the Liberals lead
ers to the prospective dangers of the dec
Iaration, and semi-official explanations
have appeared putting gloss on Glad
stones words greatly at variance with
the first general Interpretation. Glad
stone, il is stated, did not mean that as
soon as he attained power he would dis
continue occupation. He would simply
look for some way for bringing to a close
the present provisional regime James
Brice, as the next Liberal Under Foreign
Secretary, has declared the same in q
speech. All tins shows that Gladstone
has again been tioundering into blunders
on the foreign policy, which his col
leagues find it necessary to correct.
The Foreign Office denies the Russian
reports. that the Pamir question will be
settled through a delimitation commis
sion. No power has conceived or made a.
proposal TO England. which it is unlikely
she would entertain.
Pierce Mahoney, NJ. p. for North Meath.
speaking at meeting of followers of
Parnell at Dublin to-day, was greeted as
the new leader. He rallied at Dillon and
% Brlen. Mahoney is a mere figurehead.
He is poor speaker, and has no known
gifts as tactician. The section has but
three men of proved Parliamentary
ability-Redmond, Leary and John
O'Connor. The tirst-named has become
the actual leader. The exasperation of
the factions increases daily. Heaiy is
especially marked out for detestation
His utterances recorded during the Kill
kenny contest about Parnell. II will
drive him into his grave or lunatic
asylum" is recalled and made much of
The feeling of the Washington Confer
ence toward the feeling of a union of
the churches has not the entire sympathv
of Methodists here. Toward the an
proaches of a Non-Conformist Council for
closer relation, the Wesleyan Council, in
session this week, gave an absolute re-
fusal.
James Dredge and Sir Henry Wood. of
the Royal Commission to represent Great
Britain at the Worlds Fair, have pre-
pared a draft of their report, eulogizing
the prospects and arrangements of the
fair, and urging wide and active partici-
patton by the people of Great Britain.
The exports from Bradford to the
United States for September show de-
crease of s323, $40, compared with the re-
turns for the same month of 1890. The
American tariff is proving ruinous to the
trade of Bradford, and the markets of
other countries do not come to the rescue.