The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1902-07-14
PREMIER SPEAKS AND
Is LOUDLY CHEERED
Believes That He Will Have the Regard
and Confidence Of Those With Whom
He Works-Mr. Balfour Meets With
Great Reception When He Enters
the House of Commons-PoIitical
Situation Is Thought to Be Changed.
lBY ASSOCIATED PRESS |

tpi hSSo'lAl Id PRESS,J
London, July I4.-Sir Michael Hicks.
Beach has resigned as chancellor of the
exchcquer.
Perhaps never has a change of PREMIER
ship been effected with so little disloca-
tion to business, either public or private.
as accompanied the transfer OF the seals
Of Office from Lord Salisbury to A. !.
Balfour. The occurrence had no effect
whatever on the stock exchange. The only
other change in the cabinet thus lar an
nounced is the chancelorship OF the ex-
chequer, though other are foreshadowed.
The public showed little interest in the
meeting of Mr.. Balfour's followers which
was summoned for noon. The new premier,
when he entered the conference room of
the foreign Office, accompanied by the
Duke of Devonshre, Sir Michael Hicks
Beach, Lord Londonderry and others, re-
ceived quite all ovation. When Mr.. Bal
four rose to address the meeting all again
stood up and cheered the new chief.
Mr.. Balfour referred to the loss of the
services of the chief, who for nearly SO
years had been engaged in active political
life. No one, he SAID, would bcgrudge
him his well-earned repose, though his loss
was irreparable.
premier, that the gap he has left can
be filed, but the place he has left must
be occupied and it is because the king
desired me TO do my best to take that
position that / have asked you to meet
me today.
Il have accepted a great task and a
heavy responsibility, certainly not from
overweening belief in my own capacity,
but because / am sure or at least have
every reason to believe, that in attempt
ing to carry on this work | will have
the most important qualification any one
can have. namely, that regard and con-
fdence OF those with whom he works."
Tribute to Salisbury.
After warm tribute to Lord Sails
bury by the Duke of Devonshre, Sir
Michael Hicks-Beach rose and said there
was no one whom he would more gladly
or more readily have ACCEPTED as leader
OF the party than the man he had followed
as leader for more than seven years.
But Lord Salisbury's retirement was a
break with the traditions of his past politi-
cal life. Two years ago he had begged for
personal and for political reasons to be re-
lieved frAn Office, but he had consented at
Lord Salisbury's instance to retain it to
the end of the war.
Mr.. Balfour had been good enough to en-
press the desire that he should continue to
act with him as his colleague, but had
admitted that the request and circumstances
mentioned require d consideration. He
could only say that if for the moment he
retained the Office of which his tenure
could not be any possibility be long, it
would be because he desired to show that
he entertained as fully as any of them,
spirit of loyalty to their new leader and
desire to give him, whether in or out of
Office, his best help in the administration
of affairs.
J. Austen Chamberlain, financial secretary
to the treasury said:
my father bids me to say to you, Mr..
Balfour, that you VIII. find in him a col
league equally attached to you by private
friendship and pure regard and that in
offering you his support he feels he may
speak also in the name of the whole liberal
unionist party of the house of commons"
After Mr.. Chamberlain had delivered
his message the conference dispersed.
On entering the house of commons, sub
scquently, Mr. Balfour met with a great
reception, not only from his own SUPPORT
crs, but from the members of the opposi-
tion.
The resignation of Sir Michael Hicks
Beach caused intense surprise. 1t was
generally taken to be almost more i'm
portant than Lord Salisbury's, and was
regarded in some quarters as being di-
rectly due to the more important voice
which Mr.. Chamberlain will have in the
new cabinet.
John Redmond, leading member of the
Irish party in the house of commons, said
to a reporter of the Associated Press:
ut will have more immediate and ma
terial result than Lord Salisbury's retire
ment Sir Michael Hicks Beach was an
excellent check on Chamberlain, who is
now practically all powerful. do not re-
gard the general situation as being at all
changed by Lord Salisbury's disappearance
from active political life"
Several other changes are likely to
occur, including the retirement of Earl
Cadogan, the lord lieutenant of Ireland.