New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-29
LONDON NOTES.
The Political Salon IN Hot Haste
for Coalition Government.
London, May Is

s,-s A few months ago the Duchess Of Devon
sbi-e was greeted By her friends MS The wife OF
,bs incoming Prime Minister. and Lady VIM
.o-ne. Lady T7veedmoutb and other hostesses
!, sympathy with her took an active interest in
- formation OF e new free trade coalition.
7rsr-borne House became 4 political salon where
-. f-,rendirg overthrow OF the government was
discussed and the fate OF the free food Union
te.s r. Parliament decided II dinner or At even
co. ra-tes The Kings name was never men-
.io-ed. for that would have been bad form in
.,-b high circles but there was tEcit under
,.s,sing shat he DSke OF Devonshire would be
.,ceptable II courtNas 1d-. Balfour's successor
and that MT. Chanberlaias fiscal policies we're
-o+ regarded there with favor. With the next
pine Minister nominated without opposition.
he new Cabinet was made Up without difficulty
=, -be regular attendants ct the salon. Lord
,sosebery was assigned 10 the Foreign Office,
si- Henry ampbell-Bsnnernlan was raised TO
,be neerage. M. Asquith was made Chancellor
- the ExcheqUer and leader Of the Commons,
c. Edward Grey was named os Colonial Sec
.+,-- Lord Spencer was reserved for the dig
-,sss Office Of President Of the Council, Lord
-osebea was hailed as most useful ally, but
Is not rro,ided with a Cabinet seat; Mr..
r-r,e was reIegated 10 the Board OF Trade.
" Rircbie's status was left undetermined and
T,-5 George Hamilton was also hung up. but
A. ylovd-George was taken into the Cabinet. as
-saca Offering 10 the advanced Radicals. and
- NJ Burns or M BroadhUrst was meas
- for ministerial rank as q suitable repre-
..+,+;,-a Of the labor interests. sThe under sec
..-o-ysbfps were also apportioned. and seats
.-o-, liberal constituencies were arranged for
T--,,7ie- free traders Ike M Churchill. Major
seelv and The Hon. Ivor Guest
IT, g-aar ladies' became deeply interested il
~ -oIirics Of q transition period. and natural
~ we're anxious 10 have the game 60 on. Mr..
,,.lfo,,- WAS not among the loungers ar either
T,sro-sbire House or Wimborne House, and
there was play OF cross-pUrposes- Having
exhausted the resources Of dnesse and dexterity
IN futile attempts 70 keep the Duke Of Devon
sire IN the Cabinet the Prime Minister dis
nlaved consumnate tact and shrewdness in
getting on without him. playing or one faction
Of the party against the other. reorganizing the
government and holding the party together.
The great ladies had underestimated Mr.. Bal
four's abilities and powers Of resistance, and
thev had not made sufficient allowance for Mr..
chamberla.u's aexibility and astuteress- The
government persisted IN remaining in ONCE and
in commanding the support Of q large majority
Of its followers In the Commons The downfall
Of the Cabinet CT all the t-imuers was post
poned indefinitely. Il was expected every night
Gt the opening Of the session; the Budget speech
was next regarded as the signal for the I'M
pending crisis and the Licensing bill was finally
considered the occasion for an irreconcllable
conflict MI BzlfoU- went about his work with
smiling comrlacency. and by hook or by crook
kept the government together, with Z trust
worthy majority behind il. When the Licensing
bin reached its second reading and The MEM
hers on the fence were shouting 1ubilantly that
there could not be q general election until next
year and possibly not until he year after. there
was resentment in the political salon The free
trade coalition government was rot coming on
with rush, as the great ladies had antiei-
PateG Unless souethinS were done q expedite
matters It might not be formed either this year
or the next
There have been many signs this week that
the poliLcaT salon IS in haste 10 have the new
coalition in command Of the field. one has been
an homogeneous free trade meeting AZ Devon
shire House. with a heavy reinforcement % So
ciety ladies' ana political women for the common
cause Mr. Asluith and Lord Hugh Cecil fol-
lowed the Duke of Devonshi-e in addressing a
large asseublege Of members Of Parliament and
the wives Of Tories and Liberals. AIRS. Herbert
Gladstone, Lady Crewe. Mrs. Asquith, Mrs
George CORVALLIS West MIS-. BanfOrd Slack,
Mrs. Birren and Mrs. Leonard Courtney were
among the conspicuous supporters Of the Wom-
ems Free Trade Cnion and Free Trade Educa-
tonal Committee, and the septuagenarian Duke
q Devonshire was enabled 10 review his Wing
gish youth as he glanced about and found so
many Liberal women under his roof. He con-
fesseo surprise al the magnitude Of this gath
er'ng OF Liberals IN the stronghold Of Cnionism.
and his colleagues on the platform evidently felt
III al ease IN the environment. although they
protested that they had not changed their opiR-
Ions and were standing where they had always
stood Opposition 10 Mr. Chamberlain had
drawn them together. and the duke was again
among the Gladstonlsns. whom he had deserted
on me Home Rule question: NJ Asquith was
smiling upon Primrose danes. and that staunch
young Tory, LORD Hugh Cecil. with the face and
manners q. q ritualIst monk and with the pol
Sneo sarcCsns Of q man Of the world. was i'm
parting feryor 10 the political graces OF non
oollorrl-Iy. Il was an homogeneous spectacle,
VIII everybody hobnobbing with the friends.
TIE enemy" and men and women laughing with
one accord when Mr.. AsqUith asserted that Mr..
.oAanloerlains campaign lacked a few little
inings. such as logic, arithmetic and history. or
NAeh Lord Hugh Cecil. with uplifted hand. pro-
leslea that free traders must not allow the
1-ltish Empire 10 be used as d mere stage
properly IN The squalid -nelodrama OF protec-
lion"
~eahwhAe the free traders on the ministerial
s1s nave mustered in strength and announced
ne determination to vote with the Liberals on
- BACKS motion in favor Of the maintenance
ne existing fiscal system. and 10 have full
@ parade In the Opposition Hobbies. This
,-euFre has excited great interest in the po-
ia salon, where the opinion prevails that the
s-sa elections ought 10 be brought on with
Unnecessary delay. and that votes VIII be
,A ~ the thousand for the free trade cause II
chamberlain be allowed 10 continue his
~l@'sn IA the autumn before audiences Of