Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-12
LIBERALS SEEM CONTENT.
They Believe There IL . Certainty Of . ma
jority.

jority.
There is an air Of contentment and repose
about English liberal circles. Although not
achieving the success they anticipated they feel
that there is . certainty Of some majority, and
the assured prospect Of Office Las a soothing in
fuence after last weeks strain. Groups at the
National Liberal Club now discuss the con-
stitution Of Gladstone's ministry. They rather
shun illusions to the perplexity Of the party
with small majority composed of diverse ele-
ments. 1t Is taken for granted that the liberals
will cohere on the home rule bill and that the
Irish sections will accept Mr.. Gladstone's
scheme. The bill will be expedited immedi-
ately on the assembling Of the house OF COM
MONS and the house OF lords will be challenged
under q menace Of the extinction of hereditary
peers to throw the act out. The temper of the
liberals plainly points to q fierce agitation
against the house of lords should the home rule
bill, carried by the house of commons even by
an insignificant majority, be rejected.
The elections in the counties though not full
filling the most sanguine liberal expectation
gives them confidence Of having such majority
as will oblige Lord Salisbury to place his resig-
nation in the hands Of the queen a. soon as par
lament assemblies. According to a liberal esti-
mate the highest conceivable majority is 50 and
the lowest is As.
The officials Of the liberal executive tonight
duinit tuat II VIII De KOOu luck II tney appear IN
the house with 60 majority. Although this i'm
plies that no majority exists in Great Britain in
favor of home rule the liberals refuse to con-
slider the fact that Mr.. Gladstone must pass the
bill by the Irish vote as justifying the conserv-
atives in resorting to obstruction or the house
Of lords in rejecting the bill.
A Gladstonian whip, Arnold Morley, speaking
at Mansfield. said that if the lords were foolish
enough to run counter to the vote of the house
of commons they would either be mended or
ended.
No member Of either side has vet ventured to
allude to the power behind the lords, rarely ex-
ercising the constitutional right to interfere,
yet known to be ready to repel Mr.. Gladstone il
he endeavors to alter the constitution OF the
upper house without an express mandate from
q decisive majority Of the nation. The con-
servatives know they can absolutely rely on the
queen to support the lords in the rejection Of
the home rule bill as passed by any majority
Mr.. Gladstone can now obtain.
The queen and Mr.. Gladstone have never had
other than frigid official relations. The queen
only received him when business dictated for
the information of the ministry. Mr.. Gladstone
will find his opening trouble with the queen il
he offers post to Mr.. Labouchere. Yet the radi-
calls hold that Mr.. Gladstone has pledged place
to Mr.. Labouchere, whose attacks on royalty,
apart from certain details of history, have made
him obnoxious to the queen. If Mr.. Labouchere
does not get Office he will be thorn in
the side Of the liberal ministry, and nothing is
more certain than that the queen will refuse to
receive him as q minister.
The first fight in parliament will be over the
election Of speaker. A section Of the liberals
oppose the reelection Of Speaker Peel, and I'M
less Mr.. Gladstone sits on the project there
will be bot party contest for the speakersbip.
For the past fifty years party leaders have al
ways assented to reflections to the speakership.
refraining from regarding the chair Of the
house as party appointment, and probably Mr..
Gladstones customary reiterance Of precedent
Peel. 1t is different, however, with Mr.. Court
ney's post Of chairman Of committees which Is
strictly party post, and Mr.. Courtney will be
ousted.
Arrangements have been made to give the de-
feated minister, Mr.. Richie, seat, by giving
Gainsford Bruce, the new member from Hol-
born, vacant judgeship.