The times., 1901-06-23
LONDON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
Tory RejoicinEs Over the Trouble in
the Liberal Party.

|
| LONDON, June 22-'.The Liberal Split
| has. since Mr.. Asquith's speech on Thurs
! day. become a regular headline in the
! English journals. yet the Liberal party
| stands just where it has for months past
In reality it is no more and no less united
| Sir II. Campbell Bannerman is still the
leader of the party in the House of Com
mons. No one proposes to displace him,
or could suggest a successor equally unob-
jectionable alike to the Liberal pro-Boers
| and the Liberal Imperialists, to adopt the
inevitable nicknames.
Sir Henry Bannerman makes it known
today that he assumes no responsibility
for Mr.. Morley's speech, which Mr.. AS
quith resented as an attempt to read the
Imperialists and Roseberyites out of the
Liberal party He goes further and de-
clares that he does not disapprove the
general tenor of Mr.. Asquith's speech; in
fact he remains on the fence from which
ii was thought he had come down upon
the pro-Boer side but if he means TO
prevent the Liberal split from becoming
a reality he must so further. he must
expressly repudiate the amendment forced
by the group of Bermondsey Socialists at
the Queens Hall meeting upon Messrs.
Labouchere and Lloyd George as repre-
senting Liberalism of the Parliamentary
pro-Boer type. This adopted amendment
called for grant of complete independ-
ence to the Beers, and this is just the
point which Lord Rosebery. Mr. Asqutth,
Sir Edward Grey, Sir Henry Fowler, and
probably two-thirds of the Liberals, in
side and outside Parliament, will not con-
cede. British self-government on fed
eral principle is their recipe.
This Reputation Sir ii. Bannerman ap-
parently means 10, give. At the same
time, Mr.. Asquith must feel uncomfort-
able under todays chorus of praise from
the Tory newspapers. They clearly hope
for a repetition of the experience of 1888;
that is, another exodus from the Liberal
party similar to that which formed LIB
eral- -Unionism at the time of the Home
Rule BILL but matters have not gone to
anything like that length yet, though the
most Liberals can hope for is contnu-
ance of the outward semblance of unity
on a platform which the peacemakers
within the party define thus: Liberals
suspend Judgment about the inevitabiiity
of the war, but since October, 1899 they
have been anxious to see the war carried
on with vigor and brought TO the earliest
possible conclusion on the only terms they
think possible, namely the assertion of
what they think the unfair charges
against British soldiers, who are not re-
sponsible for our policy and who are the
chief sufferers from prolongation OF the
war On the other hand. they are not
happy about South Africa, nor can they
regard either the war or the annexation
of the Roer States other than painful
necessities.
This is not heroic and will never create
a public opinion strong enough to bring
Liberal Ministry into power, but ii is only
on some such basis that the Liberal party
as now constituted can keep together so
long as the war lasts. Then one day will
arise real leader. a second Gladstone,
with a clear mandate TO CLOSE up the
ranks and follow me-. Mr.. Asquith for all
his courage and character is not such
leader. He lacks faith and magnetism.
Do what the Ministerialists may Ireland
will not keep in the political background.
Once again the Nationalists and Liberals
have brought the Government majority In
the House of Commons tumbling down
from $50 to the thirties. and Mr.. Red
mond's urgent whip summoning every
absent Nationalist shows an intention to
pursue the advantage which the listless-
ness of the Ministerialists gives to any OPP
position.
To. add to the Governments discomfort
a section of the Ministerialsts find in the
census returns a new starting point of
agitation for a reduction of Ireland's
misrepresentation, in Parliament Ire
land. they claim. has thirty-one more
members than her population warrants
while England and Wales have thirty
members too few. The Ministers are
urged to adopt the Australian system
whereby certain principles of represen-
tation are applied automatically, within
three years after each decennial census,
and they are to be pressed for pledges
that they will not voluntarily dissolve the
present Parliament until this electoral in
justice has been redresSed.
Paderewski has set musical London !
afiame this week by his Interpretation of |
Sonata in + sharp minor yet |
world-famed pianist is his opera "AIanru."
Its production at Covent Garden has been /
much discussed since Sir Augustus Har- |
ris' day, but only now have the difficult |
ties hitherto In the way been removed.