Yesterday. with she Prime Minister's speech at Sheffield, the cie.t campaign on the fiscal question began. Curiously enough, however, the interest what Mr. Balfour to say. great as it was, was far excelled by the interest in some questions to which he made no reference at all, but to which it was hoped he might. First among these the startling statement made by Lord George Hamilton on the previous day that when be tendered his resignation to Mr. Balfour he was absolutely ignorant that Mr. Chamberlain hiad resigned. and of the "*consequent elimination of all thst related to preferential tariffs from the Government Programme "—a1 ignorance which was evidently shared by Mr. Ritchie. The second was the reason for the delay in filling up the Cabinet vacancies. With regard to the latter. Me. Balfour, though he said nothing in his speech yesterday, has to-day, in addressing the Conservative agents, let some light on to the m: All the world knew, of course, that Visco Milner hind been summoned from the Continent to have an interview with Mr. Balfour in Downin Street; and no one could possibly doubt the object of that interview. Mr. Balfour was engaged in Cabinet mending; and obviously if he offered an office to Lord Milner it woul that of Colonist Today the Prime Minister hut the offer was made and th Lord Milner destined but he assured his hesters that the refus:!
not due wrooment of Punt er with the policy of the citter in regard to Home 2 Colonies.
Was it an Intrigue But the question of questions for the moment is the transaction which a journal has denounced a Vand pitiful and which most even of the Connals admit is in need of ex-ion in. order to remove the first disizreerble impre: sion. "The solution of enigma," says the Standard." "will be waited with the liveliest expectation... It certainly is desirable that we should know something more than we do present." What we do know is that Mr. Chamberlain tendered his resignation on the Sth, that it was clearly the intent 2 of Mr Balfour and Mr. Chamber!
meeting of the 15th ths should he accepted, Mr. Tialfour ame_time, in the words of Lor George Hamilton, eliminating food taxes from. the Government programme; that inet of the 15th met and rose in nce of these facts, and that Mr. Ritchie did not know of Mr. Chomberresignation till the 17th and Lord George Hamilton not till the 18 resignations having then been accepted. It is pretty clear that Mr. Ritchie would not Tave resigned had he known the frets and Lord George intimates pretty clearly that neither would he have resiened.- TI Times," i rk"ble defence of transaction, says that if, Mr. Ritehi Tard George did not know of the rei other members of the Cabinet di eves of mast people this is the warst elemen fa the trimscetion, Tt mokes th in with the story told some dass noi generally ere related by more th: news pay respondent before George's letter appeared. Accord Chamberlain was deter of the Free Tewing it himself: a object be sdzemed that, th nething of his own resignation and of the consequences until they bad themselves resigned. But he and Mr. Balfour were both st anxious not to lose the Duke of Devonshire, and therefore the facts withheld from, some' of his eoleagues were revealed 0 him.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.