New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-12
CONSERVATISM AT WESTMINSTER

The adoption OF Mr.. Levers motion for pay
ment Of Members OF Parliament, and then Sir
Henry Campbell Bannerman's announcement
that such action would have no legislative effect,
suggested strongly the degree Of conservatism
which prevails at Westminster and makes the
Mother Of Parliaments' so trustworthy and eff
Gent an agency Of government The payment Of
salaries 10 Members Of the House of Commons
has long been a faTorite scheme of the more
advanced factions IN British politics. including
Nationalist, Radicals LabOrites (if we are to
accept that name) and Socialists. In fact. many
members of those factions could not serve in Par
lament unless they were paid, and so their con-
stttuents have privately sustained them. Thou
sands Of dollars have been contributed In Amer
lea for the payment Of shpends to Irish mem
bers at Westminster. Now for the first time an
overwhelming majority of the House declares It
self In favor of paying regular salaries TO all
out Of the public purse, Just as is done In other
countries But In the face of such declara-
ton the government, while confessing its SYM
pathy with and approval OF the principle instead
Of embracing the opportunity Of enachng the
Radical demand with cool conservatism declines
70 give It any legislative effect and pOstpones 1t
for consideration at some time in the unnamed
future.
Nor is this example Of conservatism singular.
Before the liberal accession TO Office there were
unsparing criticisms Of the governments policy
IN South Africa, IN India and toward the army.
and those who judged affairs by opposition
structures or by campaign Nominations might
have supposed the first acts Of the Liberal gov
eminent would be sweepingly to reverse those
policies, to undo all that the UnionIsts had done
and 10 do a thousand things they had left un-
done. But what do We now see? The Chinese
question In South Africa is to be left alone, to
settle itself through the deliberate progress Of
events, much as the Unionists would have left
il If they had remained in power. The Unlonist
policy IN India IS TO be so little modified that
SO expert an authority as Lord CurZon cannot
perceive any material change. AS for the army
reorganization, there is no indication of any
radical reversal Of the much criticised policy OF
the former government OF course, in these mat
tiers the Liberal policy viii differ little from
the Unionist and the differences viii probably
increase steadily as time passes, so that after q
year or two they will be quite marked, and It is
probable that the Liberals will soon take up q
number Of important projects of their own,
which the Unionists would never have under
taken. But the essential point is that the over
whelming revolution in Parliament has not
caused any comparable revolution in admins
trative or legislative policy.
That fact IS not 10 Re mentioned TO the dis
credit Of the new government. but rather de-
this country with the vast difference between If
responsible criticism IN opposition and respon-
sible construction in office We know quite we'll
too, that political prOpagandists do not really
view with alarm" one-half so much rs they
seem 10 the plans and purposes Of the other
party, and that when they point with pride" TO
their own achievements they likewise know
that the bulk OF THAR vsunted deeds were only
such as the Opposition had been doing and would
-
display the same tactical traits, though IN a
somewhat more moderate degree, We certainly
cannot condemn them for It and we must con-
cede that In matters OF change OF policy they
have learned and practise more successfully than
we the valuable art OF making haste slowly.
IL may be also that the larger number and
greater potency OF permanent officials in the
British public service conduce to the same SaIu-
tary end. AT any rate, IT is profoundly crafty
ing 10 believers IN popular government 10 see
the British Parliament, even at a time when
there Is So strong provocat!on and so unrivalled
an opportunity for sudden and sweeping changes,
rnHRzsriugly mssntain <ss sbolsntf and fuait