New-York tribune., 1902-03-09
NEWS OF TWO CAPITALS.
LONDON.
COLLAPSE OF ALTERNATIVE PARTY
SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT
NAV RESORT TO COERCION IN IRELAND
CONTINENTAL POLITICS sTAGNANT-
INTEREST IN ROYALTY
Ccopyrrrht. 1902. By The Tribune Assooiation)

E
rondon March S-The State government
.rovs more torpid as opposition languishes and
rAabeus The ministers are doing little but
,.bsn Lord Rosebery and Sir Henry Campbell
72annernau between them have dished the Lib
sral reunion the ministers content to do less.
The Education bill. naturally will be dropped
&c 2 most inconvenient measure. which can
hardly fail 10 create a bad feeling among the
1-nonfs-s The Irish Land bill may also be de
ferred. as contentious proposal which will
only tend 70 unsette what has been half settled.
let the dinner hour be fixed and the week end
outings be facilitated. and the jaded ministers
viii he enabled 10 shake off the influenza. This
* the random talk among the government
ranks. and no legislation apart from the money
grants is expected before after the coronation.
What is implied is the complete collapse Of the
alternative party system of government. The
faction rent Liberal party has gone from bad
to worse. and the ministers are released from
the ordinary restraints of vigilant effective op-
position.
Despte the premature announcement Of the
substitution Of the coercion Of ireland for the
legislation programme. there Is reason to be-
lieve that the ministers have been frightened
bv the steady progress Of Mr. OBrien's power
ful league. and that belated attempt may be
made 10 erapple with it. This Will be a re-
~
eminent record Of ineficiency and ineptitude
The postponenent of the Education bill after
three unsuccessful attempts to reorganize the
system Of primary and secondary education VIII
bs discreditable when the local authorities
throughout the country are demanding evolu-
tion from chaos 10 order in the existing arrange
rnents but the reversion TO the coercion Of Ire
land will be a confession that the policy OF
smothering the island with kindness is q failure
should be challenged a few weeks before the
coronation festivities, but the Unionist journals
are already denouncing him frenzied
fanatic. describing the intimidation now exist
ing as equal 10 the worst forms OF boycotting Of
Mr. Parnelrs time. and calSag aloud for the
suppression Of the United Irish League, and for
tbrottling the fast growing hydra Of tyranny
and anarchy.
The ministers without doubt seriously dis
t,lrbed by the condition Of the island. MI
O'Brien's powerful organization has taken ad-
vantage Of the opportunity offered by the
sgrarian agitation. The Unionist ministry had
supposed that it had brought the Home Rule
movement 10 an end by establishing local gov
ernnent and enabling landlords 70 sell out 10
tenants on reasona bic terms Purchase. where
81 had been arranged. has unsettled the dis
tricts where the landlords have been unwilling
10 dispose Of estates, and a new conflict has
opened with the resources of the United Irish
League behind The discontented tenants. 1t is
easier for the government to revert to coercion
than to accept the principle that land reform
has been carried so far that it must be taken
further, and purchase rendered compulsory.
England is not unique in the temporary abate-
raent of ministerial efficiency and the paralysis
Of legislative functions. Continental politics
are also stagnant. The German Government is
unable TO effect a compromise between factions
respecting the Tariff bill, and the revival of the
mercantile and industrial interests Of the en-
pire is prevented by the prolongation Of the ex-
listing uncertainty. Count Won Bulow only
epeaks resoIutely on foreign affairs, and this
is because diplomacy is under the personal di-
rection of the Emperor Austrian approaches
n Russia are continued but the diplomatic
coalition is hampered by the antagonistic race
forces Of the dual monarchy. The Italian Cabi-
net. after being rebufed a fortnight ago, has
pulled itself together and is nervously awaiting
z vote Of confidence which will involve the
necessity for making dangerous concession
10 socialism. Cermany's nominal allies on the
Continent cannot be depended upon in Euro
pean crisis and II is not strange that the En-
raror has avoided an open rupture with England
over the Boer war. and has promoted the resto-
ration Of good feeling with the United states
V, shreuvd diplonatists assert with confidence
Beers in the hope OF conciliatlng Holland, and
drawing the Dutch people, with colonial posses
sions inferior only to England's, into the Ger
man Eronire But another Bismarck might
learn by costly experience that the day for small
States is not ended, and that the Dutch would
hold out IS tenaciously as the Beers for the
rrinciple of separate nationality
The growth OF royal prestige when legislative
rT1z Cra1 al
lin and Vienna. where one Emperor controls
ns,iona1 noIicfes and another Emperor holds to-
gether the discordant confederation Of nations
and races. The same tendency is disclosed In
England. where public interest in Parliament
and confidence in the ministers have shrunk' ana
where the social prestige Of royalty Is rapldly
becorajng. sacross net Nothing happening IN
South Africa or at Westminster rivals the royal
progress in Devonshire and the coming historic
ceremonial IN the Abbey IS a subject OF puDI4'
interest What is proved wherever the KING
goes in England is the fact that the ornamental
or ceremonial side Of monarchy has acquired
a new lustre and glamour, and appeals 10 Iile
inaginations as well'as 20 the loyalty or SUD
jects
To-davs functions include the presentation Of
the China medals the launch of the battleshiP
Queen and the laying Of the first keelplate OF
another naval Ieviathan When the last royal
salute has been fired the King and Queen VIII
be entertained over Sunday at Lord Mount Egg
cuulbe's country place, where the foundations
date from the reign Of Mary. and where the
battery overlooking the was built TOT ue
fence against the Spanish Armada, ana supse-
quently rearmed with guns from captureu
French frigate. The King and Queen VIII cele
brate on Monday the anniversary of their wed
ding by dinner party at Marlborough House