The question of the Liberal leadership has been brought to the front this week by a definite announcement from Sic William Harcourt that he intends to retire from Parliament at the next dissolution. The resolve has been ed with genuine regret by all political parties, for as a great parlia-montanan and a fine orator of the old school he will be greatly missed at Westminster. But the announcement was not altogether unexpected, and the regret of the Liberals will be tempered by a certain relief from embarrasment. Sir William is seventy-five. He has retired from the Liberal leadership. Ho was hardly possible as Prime Minister; he could not have been expected to accept a lower office; and Liberals have the example of Mr. Gladstone to remind them how much trouble an influential ex-leader may give when in an irresponsible position. Lord Rosebery has been coming to the front again, and next week ho is to address a great Free Trade meeting in Neweastle. The party is, however, a little tired of his shiily-shellying, and there is a strong sectioniopposed to his ro-adoption as loader. The general belief therefore is that if the Liberal hope at the coming General Election should be realised, the next Premier will be either Lord Spencer or Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman. Sir Henry has gortainly of late led the Opposition in the Commons with remarkable skill, and Liberal Imperialists are disposed to forget his taint of " Pro-Boerism."
The King's Indisposition.
His Majesty, who was to have been present at a Philharmonic Concert on Wednesday night and the Hackney Horse Show at Islington yesterday, had to cancel both engagements, and this naturally led to some sensational lines on the evening paper bills. His Majesty is, however, suffering from nothing worse than a cold in the head; and as the weather for the last two or three days has been simply beastly, he certainly did wisely in taking all precautions. At the great celebrations at Cambridge on Wednesday, when His Majesty, accompanied by the Queen, opened two big blocks of Uni-j versity buildings, including new Law and Medical Schools and the Sedgwick Museum, he rode ina closed carriage and wore an overcoat under his academic robes.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.