New-York tribune., 1905-12-24
ruRTSTM4S SACROS4NCT
AGAINST POLITICS.

- IN many hunt balls In January but
c,A~ss.n,ss is sacrosanct against politics. The
80 hes fingered In London to give the Duke
- duchess of Connaught and the Princess
<,.,-,oia a send-of to-day for South Africa be-
.,-s toining the Queen at Sandrtngham, where
~. holiday festivities follow the usual order,
-,,h a Christmas tree for the grandchildren.
s,sa.-icaIs one night, and several days Of
,oottne There will be a large company at
r,,tsvorth, where the theatricals will include
. little play by Princess Henry Of Pless and
o.her piece with Lady Maud Warrender and
,rs, M11riel Wilson in the main parts. There
20 family parties at Welbeck Blenheinl. Wyn-
~.-6. Eaton, Dalkeith. Goodwood. Blankney
ration and other great country houses, and
-,sny special trains are chartered for taking
rh-istnlas guests out OF London to-day. Lord
rsndsdowne has gone to his Irish estate with
e,esh decoration from the court Mr.. Bal
fo,- has carried to Whittingham the Kings
-ssent q Windsor uniform The Prime Min
,st.r has followed him north after spectacular
,n,personation of a political Santa Claus. with
tr.s distribution Of ministerial posts and court
snnointrnents. peerages and other prize packages
,s slicing UP a Christmas cake at Albert Hall
ztth plenty of raisins for good Radicals and Lit
lie Englanders
CRITICISM OF PRIME MINISTER.
Partisan criticism of the Prime Minister is
sc explosive es the snappiest Christmas crack
.rz The South African millionaires are angry
ovsr the suspension Of the importation Of
chinese labor into the Transvaal. which is de-
xc-hed by an excited Unionist journal as the
-,ost serious step taken by a British govern
-nent since the attempt to impose the stamp
auty on the American colonies. AS there are
eiready $4,000 Chinese on the Rand. and further
-.cruiting is interrupted only until the Will Of
g truly responsible legislature of the colony
ran be ascertained. there seems no imminent
-ssk Of the outbreak of another Boer rebellion
and hauling down Of the British flag. It is
thought however. that the government might
properly have waited until the election OF a new
Parliament before reversing q critical feature OF
South African policy. The Prime Minister'S
sneech was as bold and decisive as Lord Elgin's
order It was strong bid for the support Of
labor rather than the Home Rulers. and prom
ised the one thing disabled trades unionisra
needed. namely. the amendment OF the law Of
combination so to counteract recent judicial
decisions He has alarmed landowners by pro-
rosins LEGISLATION for taxation on ground values,
INT this IS a measure which all the provincial
municipalities want II is not improbable shat
the radical programme win attract mora votes
than Il repels Il Will create more enthusiasm
than the straight-out defence of free trade and
the equally orthodox homely retrenchmem OF
wasteful expenditures
Mr.. BALFoUR'S CLEVER TACTICS.
Mr.. BaIfour meanwhile has succeeded ike
a clever tactician In converting q defensive into
an aggressive campaign with advantages of at
tack evenly shared In his anxiety to conciliate
the Free Trade Unionists he has not given the
tariff refor1ners anything to fight for, and they
Will hardly be content with a shsn battle
against Home Rule Mr.. Chamberlain may
rouse them by a vigorous canvass In the Mid
lands where he is booked for a dozen speeches,
but they are now nstless and disheartened
sttr Radical canvass may revive their ardor and
give them interest In something besides defeat
tns IN. free traders of their own party. John
Morley in the India Office, is already asking In
olsive questions about places outside the
frontier. where Lord Curzon either foresta1led
Russian intrigue kept abreast with every
forward movement
On the main question of subordination Of mil
ttsry to civil power. he has promptly taken Lord
Curzons side, SO that the revolution IN the
Indian constitution, abetted by Mr. Balfour and
Mr. Brodrick, VIII not come on Whether LORD
Kitchener will consider his resignation a point
Of honor is not yet clear. Lord Curzon- being
vindicated by Mr.. Morley. was easily persuaded
70 decline a nomination for Parliament from
IN. CITY against Sir Edward Clarke and, except
for the sudden death of his brother-in-law, the
rector st walpoIe st. Peter would have a cheer
full Christmas
COURT APPOINTMENTS.
Outside of politics the court appointments
have been rounded out with q peerage for the
Lord Chamberlain. Lord Spencer's brother, and
an ear1don for Lord Hawksbury, the Lord
Steward and the recruitment Of a detachment
Of young peers as lords-in-waiting. A Radical
member Of Parliament is rnSde Vice-C Chamber
lair the son of a Scotch peer Controller of the
Housebold. and Earl Seton Master of the Horse.
Only two Of these appointments represent the
old wbiE aristocracy, the bulk Of which has
rone The Tory Duchess of Buccleuch remains
the Mistress Of Robes. There are peerases for
W H. GrenfeII for Lord Lansdowne's Liberal
brother. and for Sir Arthur Hayter' whose wife
has heen an fndefatigable Liberal hostess
Others nav follow, but there can be no nope OF
restoring the balance of power In the house oL
Lords. where the Liberals are out-mempereo
thirteen 10 one One recruit from the Tory sioe'
Lord Tenterden is reported, but with haolcal
programme against landholders and employers
feders+ions few accessions are probable NO
startling s,,rnrises are likely In the Foreign
Office where Sir Edward Grey IS making fne
IMPRESSION by his lucidity of mind In mastering
the complex details of new questions Inc rus
sian revolution remains source OF ahAelS'
with the contingency that large nuihOer u
British subjects may need protecIon IN Ine
worst extremity. What is an inscrutaole mystery
Is the support which the strikers In the towns
receive from the peasantry scattered over "lue
areas The Morocco Conference is deferreo py
tn. proposaI to shift it from Algeciras to Madrid
This change IS not caused by diplomatic in
trigue but by a lack of proper accommodations
&c