When the final surrender of the Boer Generals was announced we hoped that re haw set tha uown tO a tung perou ci peace; but since then we have settled ons little Indian frontier trouble by tore= of arms, and we ar) still engaged in two little "sores of wars," to quote the Lord Chancellor's historic phrase—one in Somaliland and the other in Venezuela No one except those Little Englander-who act on the settled principle that thi-country is always in the wrong in her quarrels with Foreign Powers doubts that the action which we have taken in Venezuela, in conjunction with Germany, was nee-ssiry for the protection of the live: and interests of British subjects; but there ig a certain amount of irritation with the Government. for keeping us so much it the dark. We our Constitution as far freer and more democratic than that of Germany, and yet it occurs again anc again that the German Government take the nation for more into its confidence than does the British Government. In th aeons tte the Cermans kno exactly what injuries have been inflicted by. enezteia on German subjects, and what manner redress has been refused. We know almost naching officially, a1 Lord Cranborse cannot or will not ever tell us when we may expect the publica tion of Parliamentary papers to enlighten We are all hoving chat -Fresiden Castro will be quickly brought to reason but with our South African experienc:
fresh in our minds we cannot hel Tealising that a weak nation is not always quick to recognise the logic of facts wher confronted by a strong one.
The Education Bill.
The Education Bill is through Com mittee in the Lords, and Lord Halifex and the High Church party have faile: to induce any considerable numbers 0 Bishops and lay Lords to join them in up setting the Kenyon-Slaney clause. The Goverament, it is true, Mas adopted amendment confirming the right of oppos to the Bishop wh~ the trust deeds of Church school confer such a right. That amenum-ut. however, simply rendes clearer Colonel henyon-Slaney's intention in moving the clause, and the intention of the Government in accepting it; ant there is no doubt the amendment will be accepted by the Commons next week when the Bill comes back to them. Thr only other amendment of importaner adopted was one carried by the Bishop and their supporters in opposition to the Government. It provides that the local tedueation authority. and not'the Church or other owners of the fabric, shall make yood the damage due to wear and tear it the voluntary schools. They were very Eably be short-lived. The Commons will round of their triumph, but it will pro-
most likely treat the amendment as a breach of privilege. Its effect is clearly to put an additional burden on the rates: and it is a principle of our Constitution that the Lords have no right ta interior in the details of taxation, whether Tmperial or local.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.