New-York tribune., 1901-08-26
A STAGNANT SESSION
CHANCES BACKWARD AND Fopv.r
IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.
WEAK GOVERNMENT AND
A DEMORALIZED
OPPOSITION.
Inndnn A,,nr,.A a.

L"UuOHs august IL
The session of Parliament is ending t,r,.',
ously with beggarly record of IegisIat,1's
dustry. 1t has been occupied uainIv with *
clai supply and baffied inquisitiveness. ~
oulk or the time has been devoted To hr.,.,
appropriations. and these were finally cIosr~~.
IN classes without adequate debate The n-,,
iege OF asking questions has been abused sv,
temat1cally. and a small group of Radicals u,t,
the assistance OF the Irish members, has soush.
10 emoarrass the military administrator, a,
South Africa by unavailing demands for jn-or
nation respecting the conduct Of the war o..
eralizations are dangerous but it is safe N .,
sumo that whatever may have been the roo,,,,-
OF factious minority time has been vases
with prodigal recklessness in meddlesona a.
quisitiveness. by which suspicious were exc,ta,
abroad and the Boer interests alone aided ava
abetted- The Imperial Titles. the Pacific CabTa
the Factories Amendment, the Naval Work.
the Educational Extension and the few o,ha.
measures enacted make up a legislative recor,
Of the fimsiest character Such legislation a.
there has been has been uncontroversisI ana
simple in construction. yet the session ba.
dragged along to the middle of August with and
less discussion and with minimum of profit y,
the nation
Senator Depew draws a striking parallel bA.
tween the political conditions in America
and Great Britain. He finds in each cor,-
try powerful government and united uartv
carrying out comprehensive policies with III.
support of the national legislature and with
the direct sanction of public opinion; and ar
rayed against it a faction rent Opposition
wrangling among themselves and incapable n,
pulling themselves together on any question ot
practical politics. II there be any flaw In ths
parallel, would say that it lies in the relatiy,
strength OF the two governments. The Mckinley
Administration has not been weak either IN
conducting or in financing a foreign war and
in personnel and practical efficiency it has bee,
one OF the most capable executive governments
in American political history. The Salisbury
government has not been a strong and success
full administrative machine. 1t could neither
forecast the magnitude OF the war. nor conduc.
1t effectively. nor finance it with any degree OF
success. nor profit by the lessons and warnings
in attempting a reorganization OF the military
system. Lord Roberts and the colonies saved ths
empire from destruction in a conflict with two
little stock-raising republics after Aldershot and
the army corps had broken down; and Mr. Brod.
rick has planned for the future security of ths
kings imperial domain an artificial paper schema
for six corps without knowing where he Is 10
find the recruits. Between Republican method,
OF financing foreign war large scale and
Sir Michael Hicks-Beach's hand-to-mouth policy
OF borrowing piecemeaI and wiping out IN two
years the results OF the economies and retrench.
nent OF sixty years In the reduction OF the na.
tional debt thereis is wide gap. With the single
exception OF Mr.. Chamberlain there Is not a
strong master Of administrative business IN the
British Cabinet. and the conduct Of legislation
in Parliament has remained IN weak hands. Ths
majority for the government remains over
whelming and the general electorate has not
finched: but these results are due less TO the
inherent strength and capacity OF the govern
ment than TO the patriotism OF the country in
war time and TO the feebleness OF distracted
Opposition. The country has not ventured ito
swap horses In crossing the stream" especially
when the Liberal hacks were baIky and many Of
them heading In the wrong direction.
The weakness Of the Opposition has been In
deed national misfortune. From the outbreak
Of the war there ought TO have been on the Lib
eral side patriotic acceptance Of a situation
for which II not responsible on moral
grounds. A united Liberal party following crit
ically every stage Of military operations and
directing attention 10 every flaw IN the national
arnor would not only have kept the govern
ment on it's mettle but would also have regainsd
the confidence Of the country. The nation need
ed an efficient. vigilant Opposition when the
military system breaking down at many
points. 1t has been inpractlcable for the Lib
eral factions 10 unite upon any policy at hons
or abroad They have been fighting among
themselves and carrying on an ineffective que
rilla warfare against the government. They
have reproduced the tactics OF the quarrelsoms
Irish factions and Of the Boer guerillas instead
of displaying sterling English patriotism and de-
manding vigorous and successful prosecution OF
the war and the strengthening Of the defenees
of the empire. II the Opposition had been prop
erly led it's criticism Of the military and hnan-
cfal incapacity OF the government would have
been destructive and it would have been heavily
reinforced in the general elections and the way
opened for its return to power in the early
future Feuds and intrigues have undermined
Liberal influence. Resentful factions have ez-
pended their energies in internal strife Ther'
has been no combined attack upon the govern
ment in open and honorable warfare. Tnei'
have been petty raids by Radical bands. Win
incessant sniping at Mr.. Chamberlain, and que
rflIa attempts at obstruction The conduct OF lh7
demoralized opposition has been utterly uN
worthy of the glorious traditions or the sfe~'
progressive party once led by Mr.. GIaGstone'
The close Of the session, with its wasted op-
portunities for both government ana Opp0'i
ton. leaves little ground for optimism respecN
ing the conditions of English politics IN the ih.
mediate future The next session viii open aoou.
the middle OF January, but with the reVeis U
the coronation and the most brilliant SeasOH
London has known for many years no 4es's'@
tive work of the first Importance VIII De '9AeA
I'D. Financial supply and few Hnoeuo1
measures like those rapidly enacted durhs I-'
last week will make UP another record oI VS.
lative incompetence. and the amlaoie anu eaS'
going leader of the Commons VIII get on
comfortably he can with systematic
tion by the Radical and irish groups
ment will be kept in the background anu