The sun., 1903-06-06
Mr.. mberlain' Troubles.

That Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN's proposal to
revert to a protective tariff would en-
counter vehement opposition on the part
of British Liberals was to be expected.
No other issue would have united so
quickly and so completely the two fac
tions of the Liberal party. Lord ROSE
Berry, Sir EDWARD GREY and Mr. AS
oUITH are as resolutc in their adherence
to free trade as are Sir HENRY CAMPBELL
BANNERMAN, Sir WILLIAM HARcoURT
and Mr.. JOHN MORLEY That is an out
come of his new departure which Mr..
CHAMBERLAIN must have taken for
granted, but he can scarcely be prepared
for the resistance threatened by many Of
his fellow Unionists and on the part of an
important colony.
The Endorsement of Mr.. CHAMBER
LAIN protective policy by Premier Ball
FOUR has not availed to convert all of the
Unionist leaders into protectionists. 1t
is reported that several members Of the
Cabinet will indicate at an early date their
disapproval of the proposal to tax inn
ported breadstuffs, and Sir MICHAEL
HORSEBACK, lately Chancellor of the
Exchequer, has announced the intention
Of taking an active part against the prof.
ect. If the Unionist free traders can
muster some seventy votes they can an
nihilate MIR. BALFoUR's majority in the
House of Commons, provided, Of course,
the Irish Nationalists should cooperate
with the Liberals. 1t s not only possible,
however, but even probable, that a desire
to secure the passage of the Irish Land
Purchase bill in an amended form will
cause the Nationalists to support Mr..
BAIFoUR, just as it prompted them to
save him from defeat at one stage OF the
discussion OF the Education for England
bill. But the present Government could
not afford to depend permanently upon
Nationalist votes and should the revolt
headed by Sir MICHAEL HIcKsBEACH
acquire considerable dimensions we
may expect to witness an early dissolu-
ton of Parliament We are unable to
understand how Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN can
hope to secure a mandate from the con-
stituencies when he will have to face not
only the reunited Liberals, but a wide
spread mutiny within the ranks Of his
own party.
Even in the Colonies, for whose benefit
protective tariff is ostensibly proposed,
approval Of the project is by no means
universal. Mr. SEDDoN, the Premier
Of New Zealand, indeed, welcomes the
plan; but New Zealand is Of no great
consequence considered as a prospective
market for British manufactures, mas
much as it contains less than a million
inhabitants. In the Northwest Prov
inces of the Dominion the people are
naturally pleased with the proposal to
give their grain preference in the British
market; but Canadian manufacturers
have not been wrought to feverish en-
thilsiasm by Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN's S scheme
an indispensable feature Of which is such
a modification Of the Canadian tariff as
shall enable the products of British fac
tories to enter the Dominion on more
favorable terms. As for Australia, Mr..
REID, the leader of the very strong op-
position il the Parliament OF the Com
monwcalth, has declared himself inflexi-
bly, opposed to the suggested Imperial
Zollverein, and there are indications that
the followers Of Mr.. BARTON, the Prem
ier are by no means united in favor of
the plan. If so important factor in
the British Empire as the Australian
Commonwealth declines to sanction
Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN's scheme it will, of
course, fall to the ground
There is another point of view from
which Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN's proposal is
likely to be criticised The good will of
the United States would be more useful
to the United Kingdom than would any
strengthening of the ties connecting the
self-governing colonies with the mother
country. Should our people find their
nreadstufis barred out OF the British mar