Irvine Express and North Ayrshire Post. — 1886-11-12 (Irvine, Strathclyde, Scotland)

SALISBURY. Were it in power as well as in office, it might not be possible to feel the same sense of security in our foreign relationships at such a juncture as this. Brfore the last meeting of the Cabinet, it will be remembered that the Marquis of SALISBURY called on the Marquis of HARTINGTON on his way to the Council, and at the close of the meeting Sir MICHAEL HICKS BEACH visited the Unionist leader to report progress. Who knows whether or not the peaceful attitude of the Government may not be ascribed to the force of circumstances Is it quite beyond the pale of possibility that Mr CHAMBERLAIN oil his recent visit to the SULTAN, discussed the Situation with the assurance of one of the men in whose hands are the reins of power?  DOES Sir JAMES FERGUSSOU speak cMthviiro? He is in the Government, though not within the inner circle, and it is not at all improbable that he speaks of that which he knows, and testifies of that which he has heard. In this light, his address to the Edinburgh Primrose Leaguers on Friday night, may be taken as a sort of semiofficial " shading " to the lurid lights of the pictures, drawn by Lord RANDOLPH CHURcHILL. 1 Sir JAMES is, of course, quite at one with the 11 CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER in the promulgation of the series of reforms to which that statesman has helped himself, and endeavoured 1 to pledge his party. Like his senior in office, he is angry at Liberals accusing the Tories of having stolen, or otherwise theftuously appropriated, Liberal measures of reform, and is quite prepared to prove to demonstration, that Conservatives have as much right to be reformers as Liberals. Their right, no man will dispute; it is their will to reform that is questioned, and they can hardly blame the country, if it judges them from its experience of them, rather than from their unrealised promises. Still, as we before pointed out, it is quite possible to reform in the letter, and not in the spirit; and from what Sir JAMES says, we should not be surprised to find neither letter nor spirit very distinctly marked. His way of putting it is this that, while they will introduce, for example, a measure of local government, it will not be characterised by "anything of a Radical or Democratic, or a subversive character;" and he proceeds to explain that "it is perfectly easy to have institutions which wonld give to every man his fair share in the government of the country, and particularly of its local affairs, and yet lend no encouragement to Radical or Socialistic schemes." The Conservatives have already tried their hand at local selfgovernment in a small way; and it is interesting to remember their efforts at a time when their under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs is at pains to explain that they intend nothing Radical or Socialistic. It is to the Tories that we are indebted for the Roads and Bridges Act—a very useful measure in its way, huts very poor specimen ot local self-government. This measure was accompanied with much shouting,  but, so fax as the introduction of the popular element was concerned, it was emphatically a case of " utuckle din an' little 'oo." The exist ing authorities were retained in power. The " elected " are in a hopeless minority ; indeed, for all practical purposes, they are of as little use as the ratepayers' representatives at the Parochial Boards. Is this to be the model on which Local Government Boards of the future are to be framed? Are the public to have their" fair share" after the fashion of the Road Boards ? As Lord RANDOLPH CHURCHILL advises, it will be as well to wait and see before either flying into transports of gratitude or of condemnation: but I Sir JAIIES remarks are ominous for the cause of I popular representation. So far as this popular representation is concerned, it might as well not exist in the management of roads and bridges; and inasmuch as it is only Tory model in stock, the future is worth watching.  LORD SALISBURY is not lavish of his promises in the matter of home legislation. It was given to the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER to marshal] the murdered innocents of the future or to announce interesting events which are never destined to come off. Each statesman has his special role to fill. The "gods obtain conciliation and a fresh stock of hope and expectation at the bands of Lord