The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-21
'The Legislative Wsvh NJ ,he Ha"'
OStSfBmeut

'Ahtnet heHHeN Nv NJ W
HaSNHANIy took oHlce With ~ Immense
majority hehlnd N In tho House ~ Com.
mons. How much Ia u ilkrlv ~ r .
bliah In The present srsiion'
N may te said. ~ Conrse, for tho tib.
efals that there arc cOnlunrtufpa whom
Obstructive work Ia M less prolscwotthv
and helpful than constructive, and that
they did enough for n year when they
won their tremendous Victory ~ tho
ballot box and put an end, apparently
forever, 10 Mr.. JOSEPH CHAMnERLAtS's
agitation for q diRerential tariff. which
practically meant the imposition ~ n
duty on foodstuns coming from tho
United States and othor foreign coun-
tries. The tremendous momentum ims
parted 10 the Hberal party by IN almost
unparalleled victory Ia likely TO keep IL
In power until Mr.. CH~AMBERLAiN's fight
ing days are over. To have reestab-
lished the doctrine Of free trade on
foundations seemingly u~nshakable may
justly be pronounced an achievement
OF which, in the economical ciroum-
Z " VI plCub III III my PVAANiNNa
organization may we'll be proud.
When we turn from the negative 70
the positive side Of Its record it must
be acknowledged that the Zimmerman
Government has as yet completed next
to nothing and that v its attempts
at legislation have no bright prospects
Of success. So far, indeed, as foreign
policy Is concerned, it il to the credit Of
Sir EDWARD GREY that he has remained,
upon the whole, quiescent, recognizing
the wisdom Of adhering to Lord LANs-
DowNR's programme and combining aim
self to a logical development Of it. His
effort to bring about a definite under
standing between England and Russia,
so far as their respective spheres Of
influence in Asia are concerned, was a
natural and legitimate outgrowth OF the
friendly agreement reached with Rus
sia's French ally. The overtures made
by the British Foreign Office, however,
in that direction were based on the
assumption that a modus viuendi could
be effected between the Car and the
Duma and that the Jews would not be
subjected to atrocious maltreatment
under a constitutional regime. Since it
has become widely known that the recent
massacre at Bielostok was instigated by
Russian officials it has become patent
that the Cars Government will have
to be thoroughly reconstructed before
British public opinion will tolerate cor
dial cooperation with 1t.
OF the divers elements composing the
enormous Liberal majority there are
three which Premier BANNERMAN felt
constrained to propitiate a promptly as
possible with acceptable legislation. 1t
is significant of the change portended
in the British electorate that the first Of
these three factors to receive consider
alton at the hands of the new Ministry
was that which numerically is the small
est in the present House of Commons.
We refer, of course, to the Laborites,
whose influence is proportional, not to
the sixty seats now held by them-half
outside and half inside the Liberal lines
but to the weight in a division which
they are expected to'exercise after the
next general election. The very first
measure pressed by the Government was
the bill exempting the funds Of trade
unions from liability for damages caused
by strikes. The next project to be
brought forward was the Education bill,
framed for the purpose of fulfilling the
ante-election pledges given by Sir H.
to his Noncon-
formist supporters. 1t is well known
that this bill, after passing a first and
second reading, has encountered vehe-
ment, but as yet abortive, opposition in
the committee stage, and that a large
majority has lately voted to apply the
closure to it, so that a report to the House
may be reached in alb out a fortnight.
That both OF these measures will be
sanctioned by the House Of Lords in the
form which the House Of Commons gives
them nobody expects, though it is I'M
certain on which the new Government
will be challenged to appeal to the cleo
torate. A concession made in COM
mittee to the Irish Nationalist is sup
posed to have induced them to renounce
their opposition to the Education bill,
in which event the Premier will be less
reluctant to go to the constituencies on
that issue. For that very reason the
House Of Lords may prefer, in spite of
the resistance offered by the Bench. of
Bishops, to avoid a fight at the ballot
box on the educational question and to
confine itself to throwing out the bill
excepting trade union funds from suits
for damages. on the ground that such
discrimination in favor OF union labor
is glaringly unjust.
Meanwhile, nobody knows just what
form the promised concession to the
Irish Nationalists will take, nor is any
definite information on the subject
expected this year. Mr.. AsQUITH, the
Chancellor Of the Exchequer, in expound-
ing his budget had not a word to say
about the overtaxation Of Ireland, which,
when in Opposition, he described as an
indubitable and deplorable fact. Even
Mr.. BRYCE, now Chief Secretary to the
Lord Lieutenant Of Ireland, has failed in
some respects to satisfy the expectations
of the Nationalists. He is, of course,