It would of course be easy to over-rate the significance of this union of hearts. It is @ very few years since France and England—as Lord Rosebery, who was then Prime Minister, has told us—were on the verge of war; and if anything happened to bring the interests of the two nations into conflict, the men who have been making themselves hoarse with shouts of "Vive la Franco" and " Vive Low-bette" (the French President) would berendy enough to shout Jingo songs. But there isa very genuine significance in itali the same. The French are really liked by the English, and there is hardly an Englishman living who does not rejoice at the good understanding which has been arrived at between the two natio The only misfortune is that the Germa ephebes have been doing their best to foster the idea that the celebration tended in some measure as a menace, or at least asa warning to Germany; and the Anglophobes in Germany have behaved even worse than the Germanophobes her In the midst of all these events considerable sensation has been caused by the announcement in a newspaper that the King is to meet the Kaiser during the visit which he pays to the Continent nex wok. Other newspapers have flatly and almost indignantly contradicted the nouncement; but it is certain that Germany as a whole would rejoice that such a meeting should take place; and surely thie country has something to gain and nothing to lose by anything which would tend to a better feeling between the two countries. Cordial friendship with France does not necessarily imply enmity to Germany; if it did, there are many who would not have taken the prominent part they have in the present festivity Parliament Prorogued.
Parliament has been formally prorogued, and Mr. Balfour's Government is safe for another six months. Un Monday the "Daily Telegraph" grew quite hysterical over another reported plot on the part of the Liberals to gain another victory by means of a snap division; and whether owing to their excited warning or to the more sober effects of the Government Whips, the Unionists flocked up to town in such numbers that in several divisions their majority exceeded a hundred. On Tuesday there was a most interesting Parliamentary duel between Mr. Asquith and Mr. Balfour. Mr. Asquith had mo-t carefully prepared his speech in order to principles of the Constitution, and all prove thee by. the laws of ethics, the the precedents, it was the duty -of Mr. Balfour, as he had obviously lost the confidence and support of the country, to dissolve Parliament or resign. Mr. Balfour, who is always at his best when in a tight place, made in reply one of the most effective speeches he has ever delivered. He did not attempt to deny that, for the time at all events, the Government was unpopular in the country, or to con-coal his belief that a General Election at ponents in power. But he dealt with the the present moment would place his op-
problem in the most graceful and airy way, gently chaffed his opponents and while insinuating that all the Foreign and Colonial Powers were in dismay at the prospect of the advent of a Liberal Government assured his opponents that he did not share these fears, '*IEI shared the views of these ill-informed or half-informed. persons," he said, 'I should think very ill of the British Constitution because under the British Constitution such mutations of party are inevitable and necessary. 1 have never been a pessimist about right honourable gentlemen who sit upon that (the Front Opposition) Bench, When they come to occupy this I have no doubt they will rub along somehow. If they add neither to the glory nor the stability of the country, at all events they will, I dare say, get along without any fatal degree of discredit." In conclusion Mr, Balfour repudiated as utterly unconstitutional the doctrine laid down by Mr. Asquith. - "The Government," he declared, "derives its authority from nothing but the majority of the House of Commons." From this, and from the whole tenour of Mr. Balfour's recent speeches we may be sure that there will be no dissolution this year, unless some. thing unforeseen ari The Peace Negotiations, Woe are, of course, all watching with keen interest the progress of the peace negotiations which have just of ened at Portsmouth, in the United States. There are very few here, however, who look forward with any degree of hope to a satisfactory termination of the nogotiations. Russia has lately been stiffening lip, and showing loss and less conciliatory disposition. Japan, on the other hand, has given no evidence whatever of a disposition to take less than her spokesmen have consistently declared It is evidently part jettied policy to let the world know that what she 3 she means. Months ago, when her friends were advising her against demanding an indemnity she declared through her statesmen that she had a just claim to be paid at the least the cost to which she had been put to enforce her rights and that she would not forego this claim. If therefore, it is true, as we are led to believe, that Russia is determined not to pay an indemnity, the negotiations would seem to be hopeless from the first.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.