The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-08-06
The Weak Policy of Lord Sails.
bury in the Approaching
Crisis.
lie Lacks the Backbone to Pur-
sue an Aggressive Policy
That Might Win.
The Conservatives Overlook Favor
able Opportunities for strength
ening Their Position.
The English Situation.

LCopy-i1ht 1872 by New York Associated Press.
LONDON. July 29.-When the members
of the cabinet separated yesterday it
was practically decided that the speech
from the throne at the opening of the
new parliament would be limited to a
blank intimation that parliament had
not met for the transaction of the bust
ness of the militant section of the cor
servative party who want to combat the
opposition. The al'outrance feels thor
oughly e~xasperated at the abandonment
of what they believe to be the strong po-
sition of both for otfense and defense.
Lord Salisbury is to visit the queen
Monday previous to to the final cabinet
council for the consideration of the ex-
act form of the speech from the throne.
Powerful influences will in the interval
be brought to bear on the queen and
cabinet ministers alike to try to induce
Lord Salisbury to adopt a holder policy.
\. proposal which is finding large ac-
ceptance at the Carlton club is that
the government open parliament by an
nouncing the introduction of a franchise
reform bill. including such redistribution
of seats as will correct the present alb
normal system Of representation. The
conservatives having no reason to fear
the "one-man.one-yOte" measure. if ac-
companied by redistribution on the
principle Of equal electoral districts of
taxation and representation going to-
gether. are now tiercely alive to the fact
that the Salisbury government has
weakly lost the chance to carry the re-
distribution bill favorable to the party.
The one-man-OGe-vote measure when
passed Will affect 100000 votes. throwing
them chiefly on the liberal side. The re-
distribution of seats based on liberal
principles would increase the number of
English members by about 40. mostly
conservatives and Scotch by twenty and
would reduce Irish representation by
twenty mombers. Many unionist mem
bers are now pressing Lord Salisbury
and other cabinet members to defy the
opposition to make franchise reform a
single item of the queens speech and the
whole business of the session appealing
on defeat. But Lord Salisbury has not
the pluck and stamina required for this
course. Intimate friends of the prime
minister confess he is weary of the Office
and wants rest. His liver and kidneys
are out OF order and any one seeing his
pasty face. bent shoulders and languer-
JUS walk would pronounce him deficient
in e~nergy-the sort Of man certain to
shirk a bold policy and unfit TO grapple
with the most momentous crisis in the
country's history.
Appeals now being made to him and
his colleagues to challenge the liberals
on franchise reform have some ministe-
rial support but a majority of the mem
bers of the cabinet appear to rely upon
an early breakup of the Gladstone gov
ernment through a rupture of the in
ternal forces on which it must rest. 1t
is Just barely possible that Lord Sails
bury will yet be persuaded to throw
down the glove before the opposition. If
he does so it will inspire the unionists
with rampant courage and enthusiasm
which they have never yet shown.
The McCarthyites and Parnellites are
possessed Of an idea that if Mr.. Glad
stone. after passing "one man one vote
and,other measures Of the Newcastle
program and went to the country and
got a British working majority. home
rule would become smoke. Now having
him on the hip, they will throw him I'm.
less be makes home rule his first and
final aim. The McCarthyites at the
plenary meeting or Wednesday IN the
rooms at the house Of com
mons will reatfirm this policy.