New-York tribune., 1892-11-27
BY CABLE TO THE TRIBUNE,

Tnndon, Nov. 26.-As the political news Of the
~..k in Great Britain is of little Importance this
.a.ms convenient moment for a brief survey of
m. political situation. Since the accession of Mr..
gladstone 10 power for the fourth time as Prime
Minister of England, his Government has
MEN Government for something over three
uanths, and some very curious things have hap
,.ned 1t began life with one marked and
unusual advantagc-it could not be turned out
,or six months. Parliament was not sitting.
True: but there is a parliament which never
.dourns, and Mr.. Gladstone has already found
that he has TO reckon in more ways than one
with the people of England and not as he once
xemed disposed to believe, with section of the
seople of Ireland only His Ministry is both
stronger and weaker for this discovery. Whether
he himself is stronger or weaker is another
question.
When he formed his Cabinet he opened the
doors wide. lie invited sixteen colleagues TO
walk inside. The number is unusual, but not un-
precedented. large Cabinet has sometimes TO
he formed, when the number of really able and
leading men in the party is large, or when there
are conflicting sections whose claims have 20 be
recognized. The latter condition existed, but was
ignored In no sense is this Cabinet Of COM
rromise The former condition did not exist at
all The great majority of really able and lead
ing Liberals declined to follow Mr.. Gladstone In
1886. Out of the seventeen members OF whom
this Cabinet consists there arc beside MI Glad
stone himself not more than three men oil
the first political rank. The rest are items
and Mr. Gladstones real if rot avowed OBJ
ject in composing a Cabinet of seventeen
Ministers was TO provide himself with majority
that could be depended on for any work he wanted
done lie has three or four colleagues ana q
dozen obedcnt servants
II must be borne in mind that an English Cabi-
net is a democracy not like the American, an
antocracy. Questions are really put TO the Vo'S'
and Prime Minister may he and has been voted
down IN Cabinet by the men whom he appontco
to the Cabinet That is the danger against which
Mr.. Gladstone sought 10 provide He meant NOT
merely TO reign, but 10 govern. The only thing he
forgot to take account of outside opinion. lie
has been reminded of its existence in the most
striking way, and even his masterful will has bent
before the viii of the people without even a
House of Commons TO give expression to It,
will take three Instances; Uganda, Ireland
and Trafalgar Square. 1t is Uganda which has.
without any help or good will of his, strengthened
Mr.. Gladstones Ministry. 1t is Ireland which
has weakened it already, long ere the coming OF
that day of doom which is to sc this Govern
logic of events and the law of political life. 1t
Is Trafalgar Square, including al labor questions
under that name which, without either much
strengthening or much weakening the Ministry,
has shown its subscrviencc 20 the breath of opln-
ion oven when the opinion is that of "A claSs-the
opinion Of an aggressive minority, and not of the
majority.
Uganda was a touclstone. The majority Of
the Cabinet, and probably the majority Of Mr.
Gladstone's party, wanted TO abandon IT, Lord
Rosebery whom the Radicals would have kept
out of the Cabinet if they could, was resolved TO
retain il. He never had any sympathy with that
nolicv of scutte which is the foundation OF Radl-
,alism in imperial matters. Their imperialism
consists in not having any. lie wanted Uganda
As A base from which 30 war against the slave
trade He understood its future commercial value.
He understood the difference between mailing the
fag once hoisted to the mast and hauling It
down He had at first little or no support IN
the Cabinet. lie was obliged 10 tcmporzc and
10 suffer letter 10 90 out from the Foreign
Office, signed not By him. but by the Permanent
Secretary, which pointed plainly to ultimate sur
render.
Then the moral forces which undcre the poiti-
cal began 10 stir. There were meetings. dcputa-
tons discussions in the press, and widespread
agitation among religious and dnt-slavery bodies.
II came 10 be seen-cven NIr Gladstone saw-that
there is in this country IA solid body Of settled
opinion hostile TO scuttling hostile TO the aban-
donment OF grave imperial responsibilities
Backed by that, the Foreign Minister proved
stronger than the Irime Minister backed by
docile majority in the Cabinet itself The East
African Company steps out, but British Com
missioner steps in. Money Is 10 be found troops
are TO be sent. and Uganda is TO be British and
j. fiG-
fed. and that it is which lends a much-wanted
moral strength 10 this Ministry.
But when you turn from Uganda 20 Ireland, the
public conscience Of England is certainly not
satisfied. 1t il, to say the least, pcrplcNed 1t
sees Ireland governed by a political partnership
between "a Roman Catholic Archbishop and an
English frec-thlnkcr-Dr. Walsh and Mr.. John
Morley 1t does not appear that any Great de
gree Of content confidence in any section of the
Irish people has been as yet the result of this
singular combination. The loyal minority the
million and 4, half OF Irish Protcstants, are
anxious. The majority, which, if not disloyal, is
loyal only on condition Of having its own way, is
split into two unequal sections. The larger sus-
pends is Judgment, the lesser il almost openly
hostile
The abandonment Of coercion was Mr.. Morcvs
fret trump card The Nationalists care little.
What is called coercion, meaning the emf )rcencnt
Of the law against agrlran outrage and other
crimes. had under Mr.. Bafonr, done IFS work,
and by Mr.. Balfour had been put on the shcll'
save in few small districts IT may be revived;
it may even have 10 DC revived hy Mr. Morley
himself His neat cXpoi was to appoint com
MISSION intended 10 prepare th" way Tor 'h'
restoration 10 their oh farms Of those cNlctcd
tenants who had cntcrci into and carried out
successful movement against the payment oi lndI-
cial rents Nobody thinks that commission slc-
cess. II was appointed commission 0i partsahs'
and It's head "A respected and able English Judgc'
Sir James Mathew, scandalzcd all England by MS
sbdicaron not only of judicial functions out u
all p. ,o,nc, 10 impartiality The Irish LANDLORDS
h,, bofn cuclI a