Tne principle of Laissez faire in social politics Las recently attracted great attention in England. Lord Salisbury's article in the National Review, on the housing of the poorer classes in large cities.and towns, in some mensure, ut least, suggested a departure from the present system. He thought that the Government might very well provide some of the money by which healthy dwellings should be substituted for the rookeries and other abominations where the poor now live. That was called State Socialism by some, but whatever may be thought of the means to effect a useful end which the noble lord indicated, the interest created by his article has been very great, Such interference by the State as he suggested would be a very serious departuco from the laissez faire doctrine in such matters that hus hitherto prevailed. Mr. Goschen in an address which he delivered soon after Lord Salisbury's article appeared, chose laissez faire for his subject. He could scarcely Lave left Ube sugges. tions of his political opponent unnoticed, and therefore his criticism on them forms o part, and a most interesting part, of his speech to the Philosophical Institution of Edinburgh, Ho leant to the opinion that instend of the State providing funds by which wholesome houses for the poor should be croated, it would be better to insist on a sterner and more thorough enforcement of the individual responsibility of the owners of bad property. But ho considered it as just to prevent, and, if necessary, to punish, house. holders who let out rooms unfit for Iman occupation as tradesmen who offered putrid food for sale, Without advoenting laissez faire on the part of the Government in all social matters, ho recommended great ecution in doing anything that might tend to lessen the senso of responsibility on the pnrt of individuals and chrisses, and so throw the burden of carrying out improve. monts altogether on the State. Mr, Chamberlain has also indicated an intention of departing feom the let-alone policy in regard to the regula. tion of shipping; and, it is thought, more particularly in the over insurances that are said to have been often effected on vessels thnt are lost. An increase and alteration of the powers conferred by the Plimsoll Act cannot be considered a now departure from laissez faire, but Mr. Chamberlnin's intentions have no doubt been to some extent strengthened by the same impatience of wrong which called forth the article of Lurd Salisbury. As Mr, Goschen said in his Bdinburgh address, there were now-ndays Lonest, well-intentioned, and often noble aims which inspired the accolerated paco of legislation. Whole classes had been roused to the knowledge that in certain respects their condact of affairs was below what the ago demanded of them, But, according to the speech delivered by Mr. Chamberlain at the banquet to M. Lesseps at the Trinity House, a considerable part of the Euglish ship-owning world has not been so roused, Speaking on the occasion referred to, Mr. Chamberlain said that previous legislation had failed. The losses of ships at sen had contiuunlly increased, and for the last three yenrs they had been more than one half the amount of the new tonnage added to the marine, The average additions in that time amounted to something like 500,000 tons annunils, though Inst year 714,000 tons were added, chiefly in steam tonnage, Last year 1,303 British ships, with o tonnngo of 370,000 tons, went to the bottom, and in 1881 1,310 ships, with a tonnage of 348,000, were lost, "the largest loss of ships at sea that has over been recorded in the register of the State." Inst year 3,372 lives wera Jost in British ships at sea, These figures are certainly very startling, and will no doubt surprise most people, For a general belief, which turus out to be opposed to knots, has no doubt been entertained, that the increase of steam navigation in Jate times has lessened the dangers of the sens, and, consequently, the number of ship. wrecks. How unfounded this belief has been the figures of Mr, Cham. berlain fully prove. The Shipping Act, commonly known as Plimsoll's, has proved virtually useless to check the evil practices of many unscrupulous and {o protect the lives of sailors, Moro efficient legislation is called for, and the necessity for it seems to be acquiesced in by the press at home, Mr, Chamberlain issued a cireulur sometime ngo in which he offered some proposals for legislation to the consideration of the shipowners, He describes these as proposing that at esory port there should be a Court of first instance to deal with every question affecting the safety of ships; deal with it on the spot and prompt. ly; and to deal with it in a manner that may be approved by respectable shipowners. His suggestion is that the Court should consist of an official of the Board of Trade and a representa. tive of the shipowners. Should that Court fail to ngroe, another tribunal, which it is proposed to create, will be called in to decide. It will be a com. potent Court " with special experience, of grent authority, with power to call in scientific ndvico if it should soo to do so, and generally to occupy the ion in shipping antlers that the Railway Commissioners do in another sphere." These proposals have been rather severely handled by the Shipping and Mercantile Gazelle. It has said that the scheme propounded would not secure fair and competent courts, and that the rales guiding these would not be just and definite, It affirmed that the Board of Trade has taken up a position adverse to the shipowner, and that the second member of the Court of first instance would not be a representative of the shipowners but a nominee of the Board of Trade, It
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