The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-08
Is Dissolution of the british Par
lament at Hand?

Although last Wednesday evening Mr.,
BALFouB succeeded in carrying the adj
dress responsive TO the speech from the
Throne by a majority Of 90, several later
Incidents have indicated that the dis
cordant elements of his party cannot
be much longer held together and that
new general election must take place at
no distant day.
In the course of the proceedings the
Ulster Unionists and some of their sym
pathizers representing British consutu-
ences, DESTROYS Of expressing resentment
at the conciiiatory attitude maintained
toward Home Rulers by Sir ANTONY
MACDoNNELL, Under Secretary, and to
a certain extent also by Mr. WYNDHAM,
Chief Secretary TO the Lord Lieutenant,
left the House in a body, and thus cut
down To 4i the Ministerial majority
against an amendment to the address
moved by an Irish Nationalist Some
days afterward that majority was re-
duced TO "a and obviously would have
vanished had a dozen members trans
ferred their votes from one side TO the
other simultaneously came the report
that Mr. BALFoUR, Welding to pressure
from uncompromising Unionists, had
decided to accept Mr.. WYNDHAMs resig-
nation The Premier gave notice OF
such acceptance on March 8, and it is
expected that the acceptance of the res
ignations Of Earl DUDLEY, Lord Leuten-
ant. and of Sir ANTONY MACDoNNRLL,
which also are understood to have been
rendered, will not be long delayed The
post of Chief Secretary will, no doubt,
be given to some one thoroughly accept
able to the Ulster Unonists.
Another sign of the Governments wish
to make the next general election turn,
not on Mr. CHAMBERLAIN tariff policy,
but on the Home Rule issue is its refusal
to read Lord HUGH CECIL and other
Conservative Free Fooders out of the
party. il seems that the other day a
concerted effort vas made TO force Lord
HUGH CECIL TO resign his seat for Green
wich, on the ground that be had ceased to
reflect the views Of his constituents, but
that he was supported in his declination
TO retire by the chief Government whip,
whom public letter repudiated the pro-
posal that he should act unfairly" toward
brilliant member Of the Unionist organ
ization simply because he happened 10
differ from some other members on the
fiscal question. This letter, which OBJ
vously conceded TO all Conservatives
entire liberty of action with regard TO
the preferential tariff project, naturally
provoked Mr. CHAMBERLAIN followers,
who have been further irritated by a
letter in which Mr.. BALFoUR declares
that, important as may be the issues
raised by proposed changes in the ma
tons fiscal policy, they should not be
permitted to obscure the fundamental
principle of the Unionist party.
The unmistakable effect Of such declara-
tons is to thrust the projected fiscal re-
form into the background We scarcely
need say, however that sidetracking is a
game at which Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN can
play "a well as Mr. BALFoUR. As we
have formerly pointed out, he controls
absolutely the Liberal Unionist Asso-
citation, and is apparently preponderant
in tho Conservative Association also. It
follows that a nod to his adherents in the
House Of Commons would cause them
either to refrain from voting at all on a
critical division, or else to march into
The Opposition lobby In either event
the Government would be beaten over
whelmingly, and would be constrained !