The sun., 1893-12-16
Tho Political situation in England.

Tho Political Situation in England.
Mr.. GIADsToNE's refusal to adjourn Par
lament for more than five days ut Christmas
must have convinced his opponents OF his
determination to pass the Parish Councils
bill during the present session. and thus
to leave the next session available for the
fulfilment OF other promises made in the
Newcastle programme. In view OF what it
has already accomplished. and Of what it
seems certain to effect. so far as passing
bills through the House Of Commons is
concerned, what are the actual prospects OF
the Gladstonian party?
or course a Government resting on n ma
jority made up OF diverse elements cannot
please everybody. or go forward as fast as
it's most progressive supporters wish to
see II go. More than two hundred OF Mr..
GLADsToNE's followers recently waited ON
tho Lord Chancellor. Lord HERsCHELL. to
express a regret that he had not made
room for larger number OF Radicals
among the county magistrates. Mr.. La
BoUCHERE thinks the Government blame
worthy for falling to evacuate Egypt and
for permitting Mr.. CECIL RHODES and his
South Africa Company to conquer Mata-
beleland. Then again. the so-called Fabian
Society has put forth manifesto condemn
ing Mr.. GLADSTONE because. although he
has been sixteen months IN Office the Col
lectivist millennium seems yet far distant.
Home rule. as the Fabians point out. has
not yet been conferred on London, and
ground-rent values have not yet been
transformed into public property. The
nj o1o
thing to complain OF. and they make as
much as possible of the fact that. while Mr..
GLADSTONE has pushed Home Rule bill
through the House OF Com mons. he has
neither granted an amnesty for political
offenders nor arranged to relieve evicted
tenants at the public cost.
To oil such grumblings there Is an OBJ
vious and conclusive answer. namely. that
nobody imaglnes that the Unionsts would
do anyof the things which Mr.. GLADSTONE
is chided for leaving undone. 1t is to the
Gladstonian party only that Radicals. fa-
bians. labor men. or Parnellites can look for
eventual concessions to their demands; and
II would. therefore. be an act OF suicide for
them, in fit of impatience. to cooperate
with Mr.. GLADsToSE's enemies. Moreover,
IL we turn from what some headlong re-
formers call the Governments remlssness
in satisfying every ono ut once to the sub
stantial work performed we can understand
why n reasonable and candid man like Mr.
MICHAEL DAvITT has nothing but praise
for Mr.. GLADSTONE. 1t is true that the
Home Rule bill for Ireland occupied
almost the whole OF tho first long ses-
sion OF this Parliament. To carp Mt that
I,ng IT, q L..
Liberals. seeing that the gravalnen Of the
Tory charge Is that the Home Rule bill
was rushed through without sufficient de-
liberation. Besides. even In that first
session. time was found to pass GER
tain measures serviccable TO the Eng
lish people; for instance. the Railway Ser
wants Hours act. which was acceptable to
trades-unionlst opinion; an amendment OF
the Education act; the Agricultural Fer
tilizers and Feeding Stufs act, and the Saw
ings Bank Amendment act. Moreover a
resolution was passed In favor of the pay
ment Of members OF the House OF Com
mons. an innovation essential IL the ade-
quate representation of labor In the lcgis-
lature. 1t Is also to be noted that the
Miners Eight Hours bill was read second
time, Notwithstanding the resistance uf tho
Dissident Liberals as well as OF the Tories.
In the present session, Mr.. GLADSTONE
has carried through the House of Commons
the Employers Liability bill. which alone.
ls Mr. MICHAEL DAvITT has pointed out.
would in years gone by have been con-
sidered by the trades unions and other
abor organizations as representing a fair
share OF the labOrs OF Parliament 1t is
surely not Mr.. GLADsToSE's fault that the |
House OF Lords, at the instigation OF Lord |
SALISBURY. have rendered this bill worth |
ess to the trades unionists by an amend |
nent authorizing wOrkmen TO contract |
themselves out Of It's provisions at the |
olicitation OF their employers. The other |
MEASURE which Mr.. GLADSTONE has made |
Ip his mind to pass. and for the sake OF |
Which he has cut down the Christmas holi- |
ays to the disgust aud wrath of country |
gentlemen. is the Parish Councils bill. |
Which. II not mutilated by the Lords. will
% more for the rural population OF Great
Britain than the whole mass of agrarian
sgislation that hitherto has encountered
he statute book.
In the matter OF administrative achieve
lehts the GLADSTONE Government. while
may nave disappointed unreaSonabl6
Xpectations. has undoubtedly done many
hings which would have been sought for
, vain from Tory Ministry. For example.
has organized a labor department Of the
'oaTd OF Trade. which has working men
nd women for its correspondents; It has
Ppointed additional factory inspectors.
mong whom women are. for the first time.
leluded; IL has published an Official Labor