Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-13
The Absorbing Topic in British Po-
litical Clubs Just Now.
SOME EVEN THINK HIM INSANE.
He Is Anxious for Speedy Dissolution of
Parliament and
GENERAL ELECTIONS IMMEDIATELY
rBY CABLE TO THE DISPATCH.

" uSO sAAOA5 tuiS CuIlOuo
philosopher, who treats them with con-
tempt which he does not attempt to con-
ceal, and which they repay by making him
look ridiculous as the leader of the House of
Commons. The Government has been
placed in the minority several times this
week, due to the resentment of the Tories
against this so-called leader.
The prestige of his administration still
envelopes Mr.. Balfour, and this, coupled
with the fact that he is Lord Salisbury's
nephew, has so far prevented open mutiny.
Balfour is fully as superstitious as Disraeh
was, but he has none of the tact, good
humor and untiring watchfulness of the
House of Commons which enabled the great
Tory leader to mold the party to his will.
1t is a painful thing to place on record in
The DISPATCH, but it is positive fact
that Balfour does not care button for the
House of Commons. Last Thursday he
outraged its finest feelings by appearing in
dirty boots and mud-spattered trousers In
stead of being In his place when important
business is going on he is lounging in the
smoking room or hiding in the library.
As Obstinate as a Mule.
He should be as supple as a professional
courtier, but is as obstinate as mule. He
has imported into Westminster the auto
cratic methods of Dublin Castle and his COL
leagues and subordinates dare not remon-
Strate with him.
The clerks of the House, learned men
on all matters appertaining to parliamentary
procedure, are afraid to offer advice to Mr..
Balfour, with the result that be is in per-
petual muddle, and public business makes
no progress. Nevertheless, Mr.. Balfour is
n+ al I ro tho ,,riri1apo
of & DISPATCH reporter the other night to |
gaze upon the right honorable gentleman at |
a moment when he was easing his feelings |
and exercising his limbs with the airy |
abandon of young athlete Tie scene was |
the smoking room staircase, whereon the |
First Lord of the Treasury, who should have |
been in the House, where an excited debate |
was in progress, was testing the condition |
of his lungs and the length of his stride |
Both were satisfactory, for Mr.. Balfour did |
not breathe very hard or otherwise show /
distress, and his last stride covered six |
stairs and brought him to the top of the |
staircase. He did not have his eyeglasses |
on, so that the wondering reporter was able |
TO continue his observations.
BaIfour's Absence Noteworthy.
Ali the members were in the House, an |
important division was about to take place,
and Mr.. Balfour noting the empty corridor, |
with evident satisfaction, grasped the ]
balustrade on either side, preparatory to |
resuming his gymnastic exercise. But at |
this Interesting moment one OF Mr. Balfour's |
Secretaries rushed into the corridor and in
formed him that his presence was urgently |
required in the House
Tell them" said the great mogul, "that J
will be there presently" and turning on
his heel Mr.. Arthur James Balfour strobe
down the corridor TO the library. He did
not take part in that debate or division, and
the Government was beaten.
Rumors of these solitary ''goings-on, to- |
gether with his disregard of his personal
appearances, inattention to business, and
his rudeness to individual members of the
party. have given rise in some quarters to
doubts as to Mr.. Baltour's sanity, but thev
are simply indications, clear enough to
those who know the man, of his disgust
with his position.
anxious for a Speedy Election.
Mr.. Balfour is vigorous enough, mentally
and physically, but he is tired of playing an
undignified part. Furthermore, he has not
had his own way in the Cabinet, lately, and
he is sulking. He is anxious, as the fight
be averted, to have general cleo
tion at once, and he is doing what he can to
compel Lord Salisbury to dissolve Parlia-
ment He will soon be gratifed. The
Queen will hold a privy council Monday
previous to her departure for the
south of France, and 1T is pretty certain
that among the documents which she will
sign Will be an undated proclamation dis
pensing with the further services of her
faithful Commons. Lord Salisbury will
fill in the date as soon as public business
shall have become sufficiently blocked to
afford him considerate excuse for appeal
ing TO the country against Liberal fobstruc-
tion," and the date will not be, distant
one.
a significant sign of the times is Pnachs
political cartoon this week entitled ''Of
His Feed" The Conservative party Is
as sick horse, whom Balfour
and Chaplin, as the two grooms, vainly try
to tempt with the oats of Local Govern
ment tor Ireland" and the hay of ''Small
Agricultural Holdings" while Salisbury,
as veterinary surgeon, standing on use
less end of the discarded blanket of 1.-THE
Majority" says: "Hum!
Seems to have wasted a bit! Wants a
Tory" 1t is only when Punch is very sure
which way the wind blows that it deserts
the Conservative party.
Too Big Army Estimates.
British taxpayers have been brooding a
good deal for week past over the figures
given in the army estimates tor the coming
year. The amount asked for, nearly Els
100000, is large enough to make deep i'm
preston upon every man who has to help
pay the bill, and criticisms, loud in as
sertions, that even this tremendous sum has |
failed to secure effective fighting machinery,
cause many worthy citizens to think harder |
than is good for their mental powers Yes
Lerday the naval estimates gave them fur
ther food for thought and additional for
bewildermenL
All parties are agreed that the mainte- |
nance of the naval supremacy of England is
! matter OF LIE and death to the country
which could be starved into submission bv
stoppage OF its food supplies from abroad.
Even Golden used to urge that the British |
navy should be 90 per cent stronger than
he French navy, and, barring France, equal
% the combined fleets of any two nations:
put critics, foreign and domestic, are agreed
hat the British navy, considering the man
ler in which 1t is dispersed all over the
world, is not more than a match for the
French fleets, and that by certain conceiv-
Ible combinations it might be swept off the
eas.
Not Question of Money.
Here again, as in the case of the army. il
S not a question of money. Sixteen millions :
hree hundred pounds sterling are to be {
pent on the British navy during the coming :
ear. and that sum is more than last YEAR, s
laval budgets of France, Germany and ]
taly combined. Everybody feels there is a
hameful waste somewhere, and taxpayers
rant to know where it is. They have felt ]
nd expressed the same desire for years past. ]
mt theT have failed to obtain satisfaction.
nd they are not likely to be more success.