New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-22
THE NEW GOVERNMENT.
Balance of Porer in. the Liberal
Cabinet, but Not In the Lords.
London. December Is.

:. soes not include Lord Rosehery. and it will
4. stronger on that account. foT, while his pres
,tre snd brilliant abilities would have been
~-s.t resource of authority, his presence would
ave involved the formation Of two groups IN
are Cabinet. Lord John Russell headed Mn
s.trv with Lord Palmerston in the Foreign ONCE
- subsequently Lord Palmerston was Prime
zrin,ster with Lord John Russell as Foreign
secretary; but neither Cabinet was as stable as
:. rouId have been if there had not been two
lives Of influence. Sir Henry Camphell-Ban-
.,--nan is now without a rival in his own ad-
;-,e.rstiou ard Lord Rosebery is q force IN
-e,s-7s when new combination is requisite for
, coalition of more comprehensive kind II
,st he q dull observer who does not foresee
-,ose- fusion of all the forces OF Free Trade
.,en is now possible. and Lord Rcseeerry may
So destined 10 leadership in the future when
-f.,,fstrv Of all the talents is needed to carry
ont his principle of workmanlike enlclency
-rosrv-hile he stands outside. but does not OBJ
sfruct and embarrass his rival. His three most
s.,.tsd followers. Sir Edward Grey, Mr.. AS
18th and Mr.. Haldane have Offices Of the great
= influence and his son-in-law. Lord Crewe, Is
-,-eei6ert of the Council. If there were doubts
-ss,ectipg his attitude toward the new govern
.zsnt his speech before the Liberal League has
5snslied them He supports the government
- which the league vice-presiderts are mem
hers A truce has been declared between rae
,icus by the creation of a government in "hlch
eysrv section of Liberal opinion is fairly repre-
ssntsd. It is q party coalition with cheeks ana
safeguards for the maintenance OF balance OF
-sver and unity Of action. Such government
q zel fitted for the immediate duty of securing
T, tsrge majority in the next Parliament
- ,.nresentative character and restraining
,,ausrces of the new government may be read
when in 0ppOSt-
,,on we're drawn apart by narrow and broad
,5svrs NJ iuaperiai policy, especially during the
BoAr war. Sir Henry Campbell Bannerrnan
,,r,ssIf was a LITTLE Highlander of the Cob
S,n,ts sort, and he has brought into ofice asso-
,.s+as even rnore extreme than himself; but ne
has mt them where they will not have specia4
abilities for making their inf1uenee felt IN 'oF
sign and colonial affairs or in the management
RI the fighting services. Sir Robert heio' lhS
,o.r,sast prophet of evil during the South Afri-
ran campaign viii be preoccupied as LORD Chah-
csllnr with judicial appointments and influencen
bv the conservative environment Of the upper
house Mr.. John Morley, in the india once VIII
have IN opportunity for rivalling John Bright IN
knowledge of the greatest estate OF the efnpiio'
,n6 will have ample scope for his great admins
iratve abilities. Mr. James Bryce, as Chier sec
rstarv for ireland will be diverted from foreign
the harassing details of land settlement and
rsarine 1he peace between irreconcilable fac
lions Meanwhile the great Offices most closely
connected with imperial policy are controlled ny
the leaders Of the Liberal League. Sir Edward
Grey. with his robust character and practical ez-
perence will take UP Lord LansdoWne Wo'A
at the Foreign Office without exciting suspicion
that there will be any break in the continuity
Of British diplomacy. alr. Asquith, as Chancellor
Of the Ezcheouer will not be a blind watchdog
of the Treasury, growing continuously over
military and naval expenditures MI. Madame
is another Liberal Imperialist who VIII at1rnill-
izer the War Office on broad lines ana with IN
srbaustirIe energy: and Lord Tweedmouth, with
Competent naval colleagues. VIII not a4io" the
admiralty to be starved into inefhciency. Lord
usin. at the Colonial Office, cannot be claimed
bv any Liberal faction as either a big or Lit
.le Highlander" for he has not written letters
ror made speeches on Chinese labor or any other
controversial subject. AS a trained adrninistra-
TOR in the great dependency OF India, he lacks
neither experience nor fiexibility and may be e1-
pected 70 take I'D colonial questions with tnde-
psndence Of mind. The Ministry, as a whole, Is
strongly Radical. but the great offices have been
distributed among those who have learned TO
think imperialiy
The Ministry represents with equal Impair
tality the party differences Of opinion respecting
Irish Home Rule. The majority following the
Prime Minister himself are consistent Home
Rulers and Lord Aberdeen as Lord Lieuten-
ant and Mr. Bryce as Chief Secretary are con-
WINGED rIadstonfans. whose attitude toward the
Nationalist movement is friendly and straight
forward Yet the presence OF the leaders Of the
Rossbery group in the Cabinet is guarantee
that the Home Rule bill is not to be revived
during the next Parliament. Otherwise, Lord
Aberdeen would have been IN the Cabinet as
well as in the Ministry, and Mr.. Morley would
have returned to his old post as the chief ex-
ecutor of Mr.. GIadstone's political testament
Mr. Bryce is q most sincere. high minded and
capable statesman. but he is also one OF the
most cautious and deliberative Of men. II he
were playing golf he would measure the dis
tsnoes and argue high. low and round about
him as TO whether the bunker could be passed
at one end or the other. but he would not end
by running into it He will play a. careful, cor
rect waiting game of Home Rule. but will never
bs drawn into an unsafe and impossible posi-
tian The Prime Minister cannot have any
serious intention Of proceeding with the Glad
stenian policy although he has not considered II
Necessary 10 repel Irish support by extensively
repudisting II. He can plead with good reason
lack Of time for il when the Cnlonists nave
bssn in power for over ten years and have LETT
50 much to be readiusted and cleared away by
iheir successors I'VE must clean up the mess,
vii be the Liberal rallying cry for the general
e.sctons. II a trustworthy majority De ob-
tanned the government will be more likely to
make an early start with amendments to the
Education bill which will bring religious teach
ing in the schools under public control, than
70 force Home Rule bill through reluctant
House. with the certainty that it VIII be hung 4
~ in the Lords For this reason there is a most