Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1879-09-20 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

LOW) BEACONSFIELD AT AYLESBURY.  A REBUKE FROM "THE TIMES." Commenting on Lord Beaconsfield on the agricultural depression at Aylesbury, The Times yesterday (Friday) says :—" It might have been expected that Lord Beaconsfield, in presiding at the annual dinner of the Bucks Agricultural Association at Aylesbury, would take the opportunity of making a general statement upon public affairs. This expectation has been only satisfied in part. The Prime Minister did not allude, even in the most distant manner, to the political difficulties of the Afghan situation. He entered at length into the question of agricultural distress; but, important as that question is, we cannot think its aborbing interest supplies any good reason for neglecting to gratify the reasonable curiosity of the nation concerning our policy in Afghanistan. If Lord Beaconsfield supposes that the political situation can be materially affected by giving extraordinary prominence to a discussion of the land question and by refraining from any observations whatever on the Cabal disaster and its consequences, he is altogether in error. The farmers of Aylesbury are troubled in spirit by the misfortunes of their class, but even they cannot shut out from their thoughts the anxieties which have filled the national mind for nearly a fortnight. We must all feel that the land question can wait, and that, in fact, it will ripen only in its own way and in its own time. The Afghan difficulty will .not and cannot wait. We have not pressed impatientlyupon the Government fcr a hasty declaration of opinion while the public mind was in an excited state and the facts were imperfectly known. But after nearly a fortnight's reflection the Government must have determined, I not, indeed, upon the details of the policy to be pursued, but upon its main principles. There can be no longer any reason for re! tioence. There is, we believe, considerable danger in protracting a mysterious and in, explicable silence. The silence of the Government gives a loose rein to suggestions and speculations of all I kinds, which would be checked at I once if the opinion of Her Majesty' Ministers and the consequences of Sir Louis Cavagnares murder were frankly stated. At such a crisis a Government ought not to seem to wait upon events, and to give the impression that it may be swayed this way or that by supporters or opponents, or led on by its own subordinates. At such a time it is a delusion to suppose that reticence will be interpreted as indicating sell-possession and resolve. The Government might do good service by firmly laying down once more the lines of a policy to which the country may memain faithful. It is disappointing to find that the Prime Minister, in the most elaborate speech he has made for many months past, deemed it more important to pursae his economical con troversy with Lord Hartington and to expatiate upon the unappreciated excellence of the Agrizultural Holdings Act.  The Wigan cotton spinners have submitted to a reduction of 5 per cent. The Is'ew York Herald predicts storms between the 22nd and 24th. South-east and north-west gales.