New-York tribune., 1899-02-05
THE NEWS OF TWO CAPITALS.
LONDON.
HARCOURT AS THE LEADER OF THE
PROTESTANT UPRISING.
THE RrTUALTsTIc CONTROVERSY rs THE
POLITICAL QUESTION OF THE DAY
NOTES OF ART AND THE DRAMA.
lpy cARLE TO THE rRlBrxE.I


Osborne Council for the approval Of the Queens
speech is held i've days before the meeting OF
Parliament-a longer interval than usually oc-
curs-and the contents ~ that speech were re-
vealed 70 the front Opposition bench four nights
tn advance. instead Of being reserved for the
night before the opening scene in Westminster.
Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman entertained his
Liberal colleagues last night. and the political
situation discussed in detail. as II would
have been II he had been the tituar leader. and
mis- colleagues had been dining with him on the
eve Of Parliament. Lord Kimberley will enter
tain a small group Of Liberal Peers on Monday
night. and the usual Ministerial banquets will
come on with large and brilliant reception at
Devonshire House.
Precedent viii be closely followed al the Lib
cral meeting at the Reform Club for the elec-
tion Of Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman as OPP
position leader in the Commons All the condi-
tions Of the famous meeting in the same library
when Lord Harrington was chosen will be
scrupulousy reproduced Sir William Harcourt
will not be present. since he has started sud
denly for the Riviera with Lady Harcourt. The
only detail not known with precision is the part
which Mr.. Morley Will take in the opening
scenes Nobody is authorized to say whether
he Will stay away from the Liberal meeting at
the Reform Club and from the first meeting OF
Parliament. hut he is known 10 be deep in lit
erary work and # is assumed that he will be
seldom in his place during the session
The Liberal whips in re-enactng the scene Of
Lord Hartington's election apparently do not
concern themselves with the main moral OF that
political episode He was chosen leader. but
he never became Prime Minister since Mr..
Gladstone resumed his functions as soon as the
party returned TO power That precedent is
I eoffo h. f.ff,
Henry Campbell Bannerman will serve the pur-
pose Of leading the Liberals in the Commons
during the transition period. but the real ques-
ton Of party leadership will remain unsettled.
with the claims Of Lord Rosebery and Sir Will
lam Harcsurt as closely balanced as
Sir Williams letter in to-days Times" on
the Church crisis has a fairly jubilsnt ring, and
| every paragraph indicates that he is conscious
| OF his advantages Of position and has no idea
Of effacing himself from politics. Indeed ne
cannot DO this since he has become the real
leader Of what is known tho Protestant party
in the Church Of England. and will have
powerful following both sides Of the House
whenever the real burning question in English
| politics comes up. and all keen observers agres
that Il cannot be kept down. Sir William Har-
court has been much clev@rer than his oppo-
nents have been willing 20 admit IN deyoting
]
ters Of religious politics They began by mock
ing him as a disturber n religious peace. and
an imitation OF the bad manners of the sensa-
tional Kensit but they no longer laugh at him
/ The great Protestant meeting in Albert Hall
/ has convinced them that the disestablishment
/ movement has received tremendous impulse;
/ that religious questions are bound "a come up In
Parliament and that Sir William will be the
real leader Of Protestant England in the de-
bates which may upset the Unionist Govern
ment. we'll intrenched as II now Is In the strong
/ holds Of political power
Mr.. Balfours tolerant mind is not suited for
the controversies which are now waged with
passionate intensity, his appeal 10 the sense OF
/ Justice and reasOnableness of the English people
/ IN the question Of university education in Ire
/ land Is now regarded all sides as ill-timed,
and his references 10 the conflict now in progress
/ in the English Church and bis prediction that
the Liberal party will take up dsestablishment
as the question on which IL will have the best
/ chance Of carrying the country have impaired
great Impetus 10 the religious agitation Mr.
/ Balfour is al his best when ne discusses with
! sweet reasona bleness a comprehensive question
! like Ango-S Saxon unity. but he is az his worst
as a practical politician when he takes up ques-
tions Of religious politics He loa;hes ntoerant
| discussion. talks in dreamy generalites ard
! delivers himself into the hands Of a practised
controyersialist like Sir William Harcourt
II any one has labored under the deluson that
! the latter has retired from public life. to-days
/ remarkable letter will open his eyes II is in
Sir Williams most effective debating and knock
down style: Mr. Balfour is mercilessly chsfed;
! Canon Gore is terribly punished for denying
that the English Church Union had anything TO
/ do with the Hoborn Town Hall protest and de-
! clarng that two hundred clergymen would reoel
against Episcopal authority: the Bishop Of Lin
/ coin is hayed for attending services conspicu-
Gus for illegal practices. and the Bishops as
body are arragned FOR deliberately shielding
/ lawbreakers inside the Church and preventing
bv their veto the prosecution OF notorious Of
tenders This vigorous and outspoken letter is a
direct challenge 70 the Bishops and the Govern
ment 10 take up question which they are un-
prepared to settle.
Bv his cleverness In raising the religious ques-
ton and heading the movement against the
Bishops the ex-Chanceilor has enormously In
creased his political influence. Lord Rosebery
cannot lead the Liberals back TO power with
imperialstic policies which do not differ from
those with which the Unonists are Identified;
Sir William Harcourt has the Nonconformsts
solidly with him and he represents large
body Of Churchmen OF both parties who insist
that obedience TO the law is the price that must
! be paid for the Established Church, and that II
this primary obligation be repudated dses,ab-
! lishment must come.
! Apart from the religious controversy, which
/ has settled upon London like thick yellow fos
and put everybody out Of temper, there Is un-
| paralleIed duness In foreign and domestic az
! fairs The Macedonian cloud is no bigger Than
| II was a week ago. and the French situation is
as confused as ever. The decision OF the Aus
tralian Premiers IN favor ~ federation has been
hailed as good omen FOR the future OF the
Empire and Lord Tennysons appointment as
Governor OF South Australia has been described
as an Indirect tribute TO literature.
The financial situation both here and IN Berlin