The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-10-06

War. succeeds Lord George Hamilton as Secretary for India; Austin Chamberlain, Postmaster General. succeeds Mfr Ritchic as Chancellor of the Exchequer; Alfred Lyttleton, Recorder of Oxford, succeeds Joseph Chamberlain as Secretary for the Colonies: H o. Arnold Forster Secretary to the Admiralty. succeeds MT. Frederick as Secretary for War: Graham Murray, Lord Advocate of Scotland. succeeds Lord Balfour of Burieigh as Secretary for Scotland; Lord Stanley. Financial Secre- tary of the War Ofiice, succeeds Austen Chamberlain as Postmaster General
 DevonshireA Letter.
 Late this evening the Duke of Devon. shire's letter to MT. Balfour, to which the foregoing was the response, was com municated to the press. It Is as follows: My dear Balfour:
 T have since ws last met. felt .ncreas- ing doubt whether had been well ad. vised in consenting to separate myself from those of our colleagues. whose res- ignattons were rendered and accepted last month, but until some new development in the situation should have taken place, have not thought 1t necessary to trouble you with these doubts. The speech, how. ever. which you delivered last night made it necessary for me to finally and defi- nitely decide whether I am so far in agreement with yourself on the question of the fiscal policy as to make 1t possi- ble for mo. with satisfaction to myself or advantage to tho community. to remain q member of your government.
 Fl must especially, as the representa-. tive of the government in one of the Houses of Parliament. in forming this de- cision. have regard not only for the def- mite statement of policy container in your speech but also Co the general tone and tendency. As to the former 1t was pos sible to arrive at a clear understanding by previous discussion, but as to the lat ter no judgment could be formed until c declaration had been actually made.
 Beyond All Necessity
 ''I was prepared by our discussions for your statement that you desired to ob- tain the sanction. of the constituencies for a reversal of the doctrine that taxation should never be imposed except for pur- poses of revenue. and this Is no doubt the principal and most definite statement in your speech. But you may remember that told you that thought 1t would be very difficult to make this statement the foundation of a great announcement of policy. inasmuch as was not aware of any law or constitutional principle in which this doctrine was embodied. I ad- init that you have succeeded in making this declaration the basis of a great po- litical announcement, but in my opinion that announcement has been extended very far beyond the necessities of the case. %
 "It was unnecessary, in my opinion, for the purpose of the statement to which I had assented, to assert that the con- troversy of ls46 which you described as the great law suit between free trade and protection, is of no interest whatever to us, except historical point of view. Nor can'I think that 1t was necessary to assert that you desired to reverse the fiscal tradition, to alter fundamentally the fiscal tradition that has prevailed during the last two generations
 Will Encourage Protectionjsts.
 q had hoped to have found in your speech definite statement of adherence to the principles of free trade. and the ordinary basis of our fiscal and conmer- cial system and an equally definite repu- aiation of the principle of protection in the interevty ipf our national industries. But in their absence cannot help think ing that such declarations as those which have quoted cannot fail to have the eff feet of materially encouraging the ad- vocates- of direct protection in the con- troversy which has been raised through out the country and of discouraging those who like me, and hoped yourself. believe that our present system of free Imports and especially of food imports, Is, on the whole, most advantageous to the country, although we do not contend that the principles on which 1t rests pos- 5ess any such authority or sanctity as to forbid any departure from it-fOr suffi- cient reasons.
 No Longer Open Question.
 You have in your second speech said that this subject could no longer be left an open question among the members of the Government, and I think have said enough to prove to you that there Is no such agreement on the general question as to make 1t possible for me to be a exponent of your views or those Of the Government in the debates which must inevitably take place in the next session of Parliament
 T cannot adequately express the deep regret which l feel in separating myself from a Government with which believe myself to be in sympathy on all other matters of public policy, or the anxiety with which I anticipate the wide division which, fear. must result from the un- scope and strength of your of yesterday. in the ranks of the Unionist party. but holding the opin- Ions which l have endeavored to express, no other course Is open to me but to ask you to place my resignation in the hands of his majesty.
 T am, Yours sincerely,
 ''Deyonshire