Tae news from home by the mail throws a little more light on the posi-lion of the Gladstone Government in the middle of May. On the 18th of that month Lord Randolph Churchill bitterly attacked the Government when moving the omission of a sum in supply. His object was to bring on a discussion on the Blue Book on Afghan affairs which had just been issued, He showed that Mr, Gladstone had no authority for saying on the 13th of March that an agreement had been arrived at with Russia, in virtue of which the Russian troops would not advance, On the morning after Mr, Gindstone bad made the statement Lord Granville telegraphed to St, Peters-burgh to know whether Mr, Gladstone had been correct in making that state. mont, which was known as the onered covenant.". When Sir E. Thornton replied to that despatch, he told Lord Granville that when he called upon M. de Giera that gentleman had several people with him on business, and he could not obtain admittance, bat was told to call again next day, When he did. seo M. de Giers next day he received from him a statement which differed considerably from the sucred covenant, The position was altogether not a nice one forthe Buglish Ambassador. Ho wns required to negotiate with M, do Giors an agreement which the Proimier alrendy affirmed in the House had been made; the Russian Chancellor would not receive him till next day, and when he did sce him would not give the Agsurances necessary, to make Mr, Lord Randolph was justi of this position," Ido not know whioh is the more to be deprecated in the diplomacy of this country at the present moment, the fervid imagination of the Prime Minister or the weak inoptitade of the Foreign Secretary." The Premier's answer te (his attack was very weak, and the London Correspondent of the Glasgow Herald, strong Gindstonian paper, gives a pitiable picture of Mr. Gladstone's flustered condition while Lord Randolph wae speaking and the woakness of his reply, Ho spoke under much unmannerly interruption, which however we fear was partly caused by his own potalant manner and the threats to introduce new rules of procedure to prevent his being interrupted. He alluded to Sir Miolael Hicks Beach as taking " part in the interruptions, which drew from that gentleman an expression of regret that they should have occurred. And ao few minutes afterwards Mr. Gladstone said of them,—They matter very little to a person whose future intervention in political conflicts is much more likely to be mensured by weeks than by months, and certainly by mouths more than by yours." This was al. first considered to mean that Mr. Gladstone intends an -early withdrawal from public life; but, as the the remark does not ueear 80 precise a meaning, and indeed for many years past Mr. Gladstone has from time to time made use of similar Janguage "without any immediate result, And so it will probably be this time. The Blue Book bad evidently produced most unfavourable impression among the independent Liberals and the general public, Then, as regards Irish affairs, Sir Charles Dilke and Mr. Chamberlain were threatening resiguation if anew Crimes Bill was introduced by the Government, The Pall Malt Gazelle says in a lender on the crisis which this was enid to be producing, that "the Government would not go to pieces. It is only our majority at the next general election which will be destroyed." 'I'he telegrams received on Taesday show that the Government were willing to make every possible concession in the Chancellor's Budget taxation proposals in order to rati office. Wo should say that at last the Gladstone Ministry fell because the country was sick of them, and their multiplied blunders, and the Badget proposals were so unpopular, that their subservient majority did not dare to support them. Woe notice that Mr. Gladstone hoped to close the ses this month, bat the change of Govern-mont will make a delay of a few weeks necessary. 'I'hore is very little br 8 to be done, as few bills of importance were introduced this session, The Chancellor may not require to find revenue for this year to tuke the place of the proposed wine and spirit duties, og there is m balance of some two millions unspent of the Vote of Credit. Supply was probably completed, or nearly 80, when Mr. Gindstoue resigned, and the few votes which will require to be taken when the new Government tuke thole places will be easily obtained, The Commons is adjourned to the Gth of next month to allow of the re-elections of the Ministers who sit. in that House.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.