There is some iden that the conclusion of the treaty will hasten the date of the General Election. Those who think so] surmise that Mr. ranson for not upon the historic 4 Commons was the necessity of concluding the negotiations with Japan b ivi up office. No doubt this con: would have weighed with him ever entertained the idea of resigning, and would most certainly have led him to defer his re min; but to that it was reason is to conclady that speech in his th House in which explained he his motives was an elaborate piece of deception.
Mr. Balfour is prepared to resign at apy moment that may seem most profit party. The conclusion of this treaty is the most popular thing his Government has done for a long time; and he may think it well to choose this hour of triumph for a dissolution. The Liberals have, however, to some muted his triumph by their cordial acceptance of it. Electors are pro-verbally swayed more by considerations of the future than by gratitude, and since there is no fear of the Liberals upsetting; the treaty it will probably have not much effect upon the election. Possibly, however, Mr. Balfour will be guided by the results of the pending by-elections of which there are two—and dissolve if they show a tendency towards a Conservative reaction.
As for the fiscal question, on which the election was, and I suppose still is, fought, just now we hear very little about it." Mr. Chamberlain has still to carry on his campaign practically alone, and until his autumn series of speeches open we shall hear very little about it. And the series will be " brief one, for Mr. Chamberlain has proved that his constitution is not equal to the strain he put upon it when he entered into his great fight. The Trade Unionists are holding their annual Congress this week at Han-ley, and they have again passed'a resolution in favour of Free Trade by an' enormous majority—in this case 1,253,000
Jagainst 26,000. It must be remembered however, that the S'mdes' Unionist Congress is not appointed on the principle of proportion of representation, and that this therefore means, not tht there are only 26,000 trade unionist tariff reform mers, but that there are actually trade unions aggregating 26,000 members in each of which the tariff reformers are in a majority. In addition there is no doubt a larger or smaller minority of Protectionists in every one of the other reade unions. 'This fact was brought out ing of delegates to ites, at which Mr. Markham, the. organising. secretary of the Tariff Reform League expressed great satisfaction at. the progress which, as he ullaged, Mr. Chamberlains' views wore making among trade union'
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.