FISCAL REFORM,—Under one of th but as his capital grows larger, so the urevly named, percentage of profit. on it will Tr was Lord Melbourne who after]? diminish, but this is no reason a Cabinet Connell at which very why he should change his business conflicting had been maintained {speech, or he would hee been told methods in a panic. Mr. Balfour ow put his back against th to confine hitnself to his duties as recognises the great evils of the pro-men, w Colonial Secretary, which he tective systems of other countries, "timatier what formed—s nid not inter and proposes some form of retaliawe swe alls: with the busi f the Chancellor tion, The freedom of trade which same thing." was the of the E it is, inst we have preserved, and in the culture under such premiers of a Cabine of which we have become the leading Palmerston, Lord Derby commercial nation of the world, he and Disraeli. On the divide, paradoxically stigmatised as "bonds Salisbury the duties of Premier sat|and—Wobblers, wherein we have gratuitously en-so lightly that it was sometimes said whose chief preoccupation is to tangled ourselves, 'The precise man-that he' hardly knew some of the prover n disruption of this ner," he concludes, "of using our members of his Cabinet by sight, his} committee of irreconcilables. With a regained liberty is a secondary issue,' work as Foreign Seer stony much laet which everybuly admires but} This is about as colourless as any-more congenial to him,' Mr. Batfour, which pleas s nobody but those who thing could be, and it is not likely to delightful and popular man as he is|tind themself in office for a few months satisfy anyone. There is no positive as leader of the House of Commons, more, Mr. Balfour succeeded in ward- recommendation in it, except the Jacks the qualities v a Premier}ing off a direct debate on the sub- vague proposal that we should "use who has ww keep a large Cebinet inflect: and he has evidently been fiscal inducements which foreign order should poss: rl he is tosfoccupied sin ment Rose in} ations thoroughly—understand," much swayed by the more vigorons!studving the question in the hope j which is not likely to satisfy the Pro-if loss cultivated int of his {of producing. which joeites. while onthe other hand, the Colonial Secretary,) would unite all the unt. Duke of Devonshire and the con-Th elements in his Cabi result vineed free traders in Mr. Balfour's Ministry was wearing out its welcome: being the pamphlet of 's Cabinet and in' Parliament will not the public were tired of its repeated [telegram gave uw agree with his emphatic condemnamishandling of the nation's affairs, day tion of free trade. It may be of and) show r ion fai great importance to Great" Britain 7 snsitltings r that it should continue to be governed berlain a t difienlty being that the per- Ir, Balfour, Mr, Chamberlain, sudden announc: ment Birmiragham manent otticials, to whom the enquiry downe, ete; bub even to he prop odd ty revolting with which Mr. Balfour stopped boon the country will not the comit discussion vated, havi ngo its fiscal system for some new evidently thought that his" sy ously reported in' favour regime the very terms of which no would a wave of anth f our present free trade one has yet succeeded in formulating.
the country: bat not A greater authority than Mr, Balfour all the prestige that his reputation mers of fifty has warned us that as a shrewd, snecesstul. and patrin-failed to se "Striving to better, oft we mar tic minister could give it, york what's well." pronouncement fell fat on the! donbred ince the above was written, we country, was met with strong op-ligence of foreign Fi have received the Reuter's telegram position in the Cabinet of which! but they were legislating for G viving the views taken by the London he was a member, and with the! Britain, and here their pr Press of Mr. Balfour's pamphlet. The strongest opposition on the part of tions were more than fulfilled: London papers agree that the only members of Parliament on hi patriotic positive recommendation side of the House. Tt will be noticed Chamberlain to hold that foreign ome form of retail a weapon that Mr, Chambertain has never fe s aust be right, and the which has often proved) more in-enunciated any definite scheme their juncus to the user than to the trusted that under the cover of the sition in the /'object aimed at, and which the free enthusiasm with which his nebulous " Mr. Balfour trade members of the Cabinet can-idea would. be received, he could: eof British trade not ement ty adopt. They. also formulate his plan in the re growth has been note that Mr. Balfour entirely ighis opponents who have tr growth of our nores Mr, Chamberlain's demand for him dawn to somes wi population." If he were preferential ti Meanwhile, it driven hint trons one position un, of took eatnsel with seems that both the Projoeites and other, until nobody knows exaeily the Antijocites a what he does propose, the only posi- this mev in the C: hope of bri tion he has unaintained being that, to who starts with a capital ing over the Wobblers to their please Cumada, fool must be taxed. ay double or treble it the fi of think
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.