New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-16
THE QUEENS YEAR.
,o.cu OF PARLIAMENT-AN lNTEf-
VAL OF MINOR FIGURES AND SMALL
,o,1cIEs-THE DIAMOND JUBILEE.

,ose approach Of Parliament mas nee"
,.a nv frequent Cabinet councils ana pro-
ne'" cancellations in departments over eoV-
w. .rt measures. A year ago TINS preparatory
-. WAS neglected. When Parliament asse"
W.. o general legislative programme hao "ee"
,a unon. but no important measure hau "ee"
.,,,,,v worked out in detail. the carrier "eeHS
..a session were filled with discussion OF MINOR
NV ~ trivial Importance. When the ,a'se'
' ,ros were introduced there was egis'a'Ne
-, and little saved from the wrechase
p'o'" ,or There were plumbers of leader
Of y" errors If tactics but the primary cause
sf,,onasement was lack Of systematic prep
ton for the business OF the session i"''
',are ,s not likely to he repeated this yea
- Measures to he presented are ALREADY u'"i'"
have been considered in detail by the Cav
40, II will be a working session. with the '"''-
..ss carefully ordered in advance.
Az Arthur Balfour's explanation OF last year
-..ord If unfuhed promises was the usual eA-
. ~ q haff1ed and unsuccessful leader vi ''e
commons The Opposition had peeh uhsoiu
,.,s IN the use Of obstructive tactics ana 'he
'-ocsdure OF the House required amendment Al
P'V ,,o,rts II was Mr. Balfour's deliberate
.,agment last August that the business VI vi.
'u'. .oss,on should he preceded ny revision OF
'.,orch new method of dealing with private
.,r LEGISLATION is under consideration. Inc DID,
49,. mechanism will he set in motion. hut there
..G, he a frmer hand upon the main lever Inc
,,ax Education hill will he converted into
80, Measure Of financial relief for voluntary
-, ord Mr. Rafour will take charge or IL
= ,,a outset There will be Local Govern
-. h,u dealing with private legislative bills;
, will he AN amended Lanor Cancellation
...os,,re and an Employers Limited Liability
.,,. opd there will be other legislative projects
web tho exception Of the Education bill. there
ILL he little legislation. which can he Described
81. contentious: and unless the business or the
..ss,on be grossly mismanaged there VIII ne
,,edjtable record at the close.
ur Ralfour can hardly hope 10 evade re-
orsibility for repetition Of the faiures Oh
,hs last session. when he gained an unenVlap'e
,u,ation for ineptitude. Amiahle ana com
norahle as he is he cannot draw blank
A..t session after session upon the sympathes
.ra Indulgence Of his political followers. lie
way he no match for SO superior tactician as
O., William Harcourt. who leads defnorah"e"
u,noritv with hriancy and success nu' III
has majority Of 1o0 behind him. ana II he
fails IN conduct the business Of a second session
.atiafactorily he will qualify himseh TOT re-
,ren,ent 10 the Upper House. where depa'e II
nurelv academic The interest Of the approach
,ne session centres upon his attempt 10 retrieve
-, r.,ntation as leader With frmness in
maintaining discipline among his own followers
and with courage iii compelling faction-rent
minority 10 respect the WI Of an overwhelming
majority this ought not 20 he an arduous I'M
dertaking
sEcOND-RATE TALENT IL POLITICS.
The principal measure of the session will he
hill sor easing the financial burdens or Church-
r,er Roman Catholics and Wesleyans' VINO are
spppor,ing the voluntary schools Inc ch'ei
sgure will he a leader who is anxious TO prove
that great majority is not unmahaeeapie'
These two statements supply a luminous COM
mo,tarv unon the prosaic character of Englsn
noli,ics in n memorable year. during which the
,orrcst reign in the history Of the klngdom II |
"a no celebrated The Victorian reign has been
.l,ous for its Parliamentary orators It's con-
xNtional development and its legislative
rhevemonts hut the great figures nave dls-
,ppeared from the Commons and the issues OF
,uhrc life are dull and commonplace. Sir Will
lam Harcourt is an aggressive leader IN oppos'-
,,or. and Mr. Chamberlain is fluent debater'
IN, they stand almost alone in chamber whicn |
has been renowned for eloquence and states
manShip
glory Of the British Parliament seems to have
nassed away Medocrty fills the benches on |
either side The majority is so great that II
defeats itself The minority is so rent with |
faction tina, II IS divided into a dozen groups
o,a ,s ,ri,bout any common basis Of action
II is an interval If small issues without 'he
life giving breath If creative policies.
There has never heen a year during the VIC
t,,tr in q
,ngs Of Parliament and in the personal fortunes
n leaders has been so listless as AZ present The
Prime Minister is a High Churchman. who has
insisted upon rquida,ing his political indebted
ness to the patrons Of the denomnational
schools. and ACCORDINGLY that Is to be the chief
measure Of the session. although his followers
are anathetic and Indifferent Mr.. Balfour Is
rsnroached for absenting himself from debates
and for Incidence in neglectng To master the de-
tails Of measures under his charge: but his de-
facts nf leadership are passed over as amiapie
weaknesses and the hope is languidiy expressed
on all sides that he will have better luck this
year than he had at the last session. 1t Is gen
erally assumed that the Unionist Government
will remain IN office during the full constitutional
term and that no great measures VIII ne enact
ed during that period. It's leaders lack what MT
Disraeli described in one of his novels az tho IN
comparable gift Of exciting enthusiasm; hut
they are safe men for a dull period of English
political history. when the country has ceased
70 think deeply about public affairs.
Sir Robert Peel Lord Palmerston. Lord John
Russell Lord Reaconsfed and Mr.. Gladstone
appealed strongly 70 the imagination Of English
men. and never failed to interest them IN dplo-
matte policies or political reforms. The stage Is
now crowded with commonplace figures. but not
one Of them possesses the unique charm and fas-
cina,ion of personality Sir John Tenniel Is ac-
crsed Of growing old and Of losing his skill as
an artist He merely lacks proper subjects Tor
POLITICAL caricature. The leaders OF public lfe
are useful and experienced men. but they are not
Picturesque figures like Mr.. Gladstone or Lord
beaconsfeld They do not appeal to the eyes or