The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-31
FATE IS IN BALANCE
BALFoUR's GOVERNMENT MAY
 BE TURNED OUT.
February Second the Rink of Englan February 9 the King of England Will Open One of the Most Im-' Portant Parliaments in
 Many Years.

London, Jan. 50.--King Edward ysin open in full state February ?. what promises to be one of the most interesting and important sessions in the history of the British parliament, .sstt,
 Every nation p the world Is Fneterislly. eoncerued in. the divisions that win occur shortly in the House of Commons and on their result the future policy of tho British empire must lsrgsly dcpens,
 No Fovefussleut of rsesat Aln3ee has aver faced the LeaisE tstfc under such altered coalitions. Since Parliament ads jouruad th June last not only has the e1ninet been eutitsiy reeptAtlAleted but the party lines Have been completely brokeIf.
 Seven distinct factions will fake seats in the, House of Commons Tuesday, name lS: The followers of Premier Balfour who favor policy of tarIff retaliation, but %ho object to projections; the Chamber lain party who insist that protection Is necessary to the unity of the empire; the out and out free traders who are op- posed to any tinkcring with the fiscal system John Redmond an d the Irish party make the seventh faction. In view of this; complex state of affairs, largely due to events since parliament last met. the moat aAtute politicians frankly con fess ,thefnselves to be at sea.
 The Duke of Devonshire. Lord Ave bury, Mir. Goschen, Sir John Gorst, Lord George Hamilton, Lord Hugh Cecil Wins ton Spencer Churchill and many others Identified with the present party in power will be Mir. Balfour's most bitter Oppo- nents the moment the finance question is raised. That will come quickly, for John Morley intends introducing an amendment to the Kings speech on this point It is possible. though hardly prob- able that MT Morley may turn out the government.
 The debate is likely to take up several days. Strenuous efforts are now making to get the free trade unionist members not only to abstain from voting, but to openly join the liberal force in the op- position lobby. However, even if this is accomplished and the Duke of Denvon- shire's followers make common cause with the Liberals under the leadership of Lord Rosebery. it would not constitute which exists between Sir Henry Camp ll-Bannerman and the Liberal ex-Pre- mier
 The best informed persons say that even in the event of A temporary coaiition of all the free trade forces, the Irish party has the deciding vote and all indications point to John Redmond keeping MT. Bal four in power. But as Mir. Redmond does not make definite pledges the Irish Sarty throughout the session is likely to be an uncertain factor.
 Besides the amendments by Messrs. Morley and Redmond the government will be attacked on the war committee This will be taken up by w. S.. Robinson. lib- erai. Another amendment will be moved by David Lloyd-George. liberal, denounc- ing the governments recent educational act. A few months ago these topics would have attracted intense interest and might have driven the government into corner. Now they are almost forgot ten. the question of the hour-free trade vs. protection-which has put British pol itics at sixes and sevens. Many mem bers of the House of Commons scarcely know the.r own mind as yet on the vital topic end several are undecided as to which side of the House to sit when the King convenes parliament next Tuesday.