New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-11

Tho oucniuc Of the British Parliament to-day
is marked with more than ordinary interest
Apart from the =, riOus questions Of foreign ana
domestic policy which will forthwith arise and
concerning which some declaration viii be made
in The Queens Speech. the immediate and par
,isan results Of last summers election are to be
disclosed. For this is practically the first meet
ing Of Parliament since that amazing rcvolu-
ton The brief session Of last fall was devoted
merely to supply and other routine and non-con-
tcntious matters Now the work of legislation
for the Empire is to In, taken up in earnest and
every member Of the House Of Commons must
show his colors and give Il reason for III" faith
that is in him. The division of parties when
will be revealed to-day will show. more clearly
than anything else the trend of popular pollticai
sentiment and indicate on what agnmcnts the
battles Of the next six years are 10 be fought.
II will unqucsiionably he somewhat different
from that Of the last Parliament. and different,
TOO. from what WAS expected ut the close Of last
years election.
The Government may continue TO be known
as Inionist. but the dream of a great tnionst
or National party must be dismissed. II WAS
bright dream while ii lasted. "A good enough
Morgan until after election Conservative and
Liberal Eonist leaders alike contributed 10 It's
illusions There was no longer mere alliance,
mr. condition. or fusion they assured Ms Actual
unjon had been effected: and soon the very names
Of Conservative and I.bcral-I nionist would be
heard no molc There would be- on" party, with
one name. Now, however. different note is
heard. The Duke Of Devonshirc and Mr.. Cham
bcrlain arc agreed that such union has not been
L., al I III
orcaniza,ion." they say, must be- maintained
And they speak of the Conservatives rs Their
"olIIcs' one. NOR. and Of the Government party
as an alliance Of TWO separate and independent
ORGANIZATIONS That is perhaps the most signiii-
cant fact in the whole situation 50 far rs party
politics are concerned. 1t means that the Sails
bury Ministry is Il composite Affair." and Will
remain 50. and that il must look for support 10
Il composite majority. both factions of which
it must contrivc to please 50 long as II remains
in power That this fact VIII have strong
effect upon Governmental policy and the char
actcr Of legislation is inevitable
or less present but perhaps of equal future
inheritance is the division Of the Opposition
Marty into two Last year there were those who
held that the old Liberal party Of Gladstone and
Bright and Forster must still be maintained;
while others rs srcnuOusly cOntcndcd that it
was already demolished, and that new Radical
party had taken IFS place. Neither view was
entirely right or entirely WRONG. The Liberal
party si,ll exists with Lord Hosebcry ana Sir
William Uarcour, contcnding for the leadership.
Rut II has suffered another schism. only less scri
Gus than that of eleven years ago What WAS
merely the Radical wing Of il has now become
practically IN Independent party. with Mr. Glad
stones erraiic son Herbert rs lis iigurchead bit
with the austcrc and earnest Mr.. Ilbouchere and
the somewhat purtanical Sir Charles Dixie as
! its real commanders. SO the Opposition rs well
aS the Ministerial party * IN alliance Of indie
pendent organizations. with this chief difference
between them. that the latter alliance IL the re-
; suit Of coming together. and the former Is Il
symptom Of breaking asundcr. The logic Of
events will naturally be- therefore. TO siren gthcn
the one and 10 weaken the other Although the
proverbial tendency of Government parties is
toward dslntesraton and Of Opposition parties