New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-20
A LUCKY PRIME MINISTER
PROSPECTS OF THE SALISBURY MINIS.
TRY AT THE OPENING OF
PARLIAMENT.
London, February 4

Fortunate Is the Prime Minister who can noees
Parliament with large majority In the Com.
MONS with few political debts to be lquidated
and with a comfortable surplus in the Treas
ury. Lord Salisbury anticipate the an.
preaching session without foreboding The
Unionists strong in numbers. and the On.
position is faction-rent and demorazed The
Government contracted few obligations during
the last political canvass and Is not embar.
raised by a complex programme. The revenue
is in highly satisfactory state so that large
expenditures can be authorized for the strength,
ening of the fleet or for the relief Of voluntary
schools without an increase Of taxpayers bur.
dens. Foreign affairs alone are Of absorbing
interest. and the country is united in support.
Ing measures of imperial defence Even with
unsettled controversies in many quarters and
with South Africa in turmoil after an unsuc.
cessful revolution, Lord Salisbury can face
Parliament with a light heart
While several Cabinet meetings have been
held and the legislation Of the session has been
discussed, no authoritative announcements have
yet been made. 1t has been customary for the
Government to catalogue in the Queens speech
numerous projects great and small. which will
receive consideration. 1t Is an idle performance
since few Of the measures announced ever
be enacted during an ordinary session. and the
remainder will inevitably be dropped. Many
TniOnists favor change ofprocedure by which
the list will be shortened and programme be
produced which he carried out within the
limits Of an annual session. This practical re.
form may not be adopted but undoubtedly
the measures named In the Queens speech will
be unpretentious and practical. With the ex.
cepton OF the education bill. they will be I'm.
controversial small assortment Of safe
measures including an agricultural bill Of ques.
tonable utility, an Irish palliative of some kind
and projects OF imperial defence will be Of
fered. 1t will not be programme to inspire
thusiasm, but neither will it be revolutionary"
II may use the word that was constantly Cd
Unionst lips during the last Parliament.
The Liberal Ministers industrious
plod ling workers, but bad politicians. In order
to concate the factions which were behind
them, they introduced great measure after
another when there was no proba bility that any
bill could Be enacted 1t was not rational
policy and Il did not meet with public favor; yet
the preparation Of these complex measures re-
vesled administrative ability of high order. II
was not good politics. fer the public ceased to
take interest in the development Of party policy
when the issues were unreal and fictitious, and
when these grand projects were debated week
after week, month after month. with no prob
ability that anything would result from II. The
Liberals suffered from a surplus OF programme
WREN they lacked resources for accomplishing
any practical work The Uniorists are likely to
heed the warning. They will carry more ballast
and less sail Their programme Will be less
pretentious than the Newcastle proclamation.
but there will be neither ploughing OF the sands
nor beating Of the air. The measures which are
proDosed will not be startling projects, but they
will be enacted es laws and the session will not
be barren IN results.
SCHOOL. LEGISLATION.
The only legislative project which menaces the
pesce Of the Union!st household Is the measure
for the relief of the voluntary schools. Church'
men, Roman Catholics and Wesleyans have not
succeeded In agreeing upon common principe
OF action. Yet the Government is under political
obligations TO legislate upon this subject and 70
do something 10 redress the grievances or the
dsnominational schools 1t Is question which
nearly wrecked a powerful Ministry Twenty-Five
wears ago. and It might prove equally harassins
now If a deliberate attempt were made TO repeai
any essential principles of the Forster act. The
Duke of Devonshire. who will have greater In
fuence than any other Minister in shaping ana
controlling this legislation. can be depended upon
70 produce a measure that will be superficial IN
It's application and moderate in principle While
the dual system Of board and voluntary schools
will be retained, something Will be done TO all
each class by financial grants. and the Arch
bishop OF Canterbury, Cardinal Vaughan and
the Wssleyans will be reminded that half Loaf
or even a quarter loaf is better than no bread
II the Unionist Government were to attempt Ia
establish a common standard OF secular instruc'
ton. or to provide equality OF treatment for oil
nublIc elementary schools whether conducted by
ko.lia har he n
popular agitation against the policy. The Nom
conformis.s would take fire and the friends or the
Board schools would rally to their defence. II
would be most troublesome controversy involve
ing questions of rates and taxation without repre-
sentation and the amount OF popular control to
be conceded In the management OF denomin1
tional schools IT would be as difficult for minis
ters 70 answer the argument that no Roman
Catholic should be taxed for the support or
Protestant school, nor Nonconformist be levieo
upon to meet the expenses or Church OF ENG
land instruction, as Mr. Forster found 1t twenty
five years ago TO reply 10 similar structures ~
hardly seems credible that the Government VIII
undertake to unsettle the dual system by raising
these questions 1t will be more likely 10 propose
q mild palliative for existing evils ana 10 remove
grievances by cautious administration rathes
than by reckless legislation There was genera
complaint during the last administration 'ha'
Mr. Acland was exceedingly harsh and rigid II
his dealings with voluntary schools The inspeo
ton Of these schools was conducted in such way
as 70 involve discrimination against tnem Thess
grievances which were the real burden OF the
complaints in every quarter from the managers
OF the UNCONVENTIONAL schools, can be removed
without legislation.
FOREIGN POLICY.
troversv domestic questions are not seriously dis
cussad and little attention is paid to them
Foreign and imperial affairs hold the field to the
exclusion of everything else; and there Is No