The Press. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1903. ENGLISH POLITICS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11690, 17 September 1903, Page 4

The Press. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1903. ENGLISH POLITICS.

Although the Imperial Parliament does not reach its natural term until 1905, tnere are not want.ng strong indications that a dissolution will take place early next year. That the Government do not intend to appeal to the couifrry pledged to Mr Chamberlain's scheme seems evident, if the report of the deliberations at the last Cabinet meeting, contained in our cable news yesterday, is correct. Pending the general election, Ministers, it is stated, will keep within the non-committal bounds of "discussions "and enquiry," the proposal to establish preferential trade relations within the Empire being indefinitely postponed. Whetner we shall ever hear any more of Mr Chamberlain's proposals probably dopends, therefore, upon the feeling manifested during the coming campaign. The " Standard " further reports that the Government is prepared to claim the right of retaliating upon foreign countries, whoso tariffs are aimed it destroying or hampering British commerce. This proposition is likely to bo popular, if only on sentimental grounds, with a considerable .section of tho electors, and is, of course, not open to the same body of objection as tho more ambitious scheme of tho Colonial Secretary. It is to bo observed, however, that, according to the same journal, this policy is not acceptable to several members of tho Cabinet. It is known that there is an important element in that body which is opposed to all modification of Great Britain's trade policy, and for the moment it is still uncertain whether tho threatened split in tho party has been averted. In any case the coming contest will be full of interest, and there are indications that the Government have a very troublous and difficult task before them. It will be remembered that they obtained their large majority in 1900 on the assumption that the war was over, and that they ought to be returned to power in order to secure a satisfactory settlement and the wise organisation, of tho new colonic. 'lTie assertion that the war was over was not borne out by subsequent events. For two years longer the clash of arms was heard on the veldt. Now, after the war, the inevitable reaction has set in. The cost of the campaign and its blunders are looming large. The disclosures before the Elgin War Commission have been damaging in tho extreme. In foreign affairs the relations of tho Government with Germany have not at all met with popular approval. The Venezuelan embroglio and the part we were led into playing in regard to the Baghdad railway, not to mention other incidents, gave rise to no little indignation. On me other hand, memory is admittedly shortlived in the domain of foreign politics, and the Anglo-French "rapprochement," hailed with intense satisfaction on either side of the English Channel, may go a long way to atone for previous shortcomings. In domestic affairs th* feeling excited over the Education Act is the most formidable influence against which the Government have to contend. If wo can trust the "British Weekly," one of tho loading Nonconformist organs in England, the repeal of the Education Act is, in Nonconformist opinion, of immeasurably greater moment than any fiscal issue. That journal avers that a fair trader who supports the repeal of the Education Act will be preferred to a free trader who does not. If only there were a homogeneous Opposition, headed by a competent leader, one would say that the Government would bo swept from their seats, as if by a cyclone, before the blast of public opinion that is rising up against them. We cannot overlook the fact, however, that the Liberals are, if possible, even more disorganised than the Government party, and that in Mr Chamberlain the Unionists possess a fighter of infinite resource, a man of magnetic personality, who strongly appeals to the popular imagination. It is early yet to prophesy as to the result, but that it will bo a Homeric combat, is beyond all doubt.

THE RHODES SCHOLARSHIPS.

We. understand that the first examination to bo held in New Zealand in connection with the Rhodes scholarships, takes place about the middle of next year, in order that the first scholar mar enter Oxford in the following October. The examination will be not go much a competitive as a qualifying examination, all candidates who pass it being eligible, "ceteris paribus, for nomination by the Professional Boards to the Selection Committee in whose bands ies the final choice. It is probable that .he official schedule of the work for this qualifying examination will not reach New Zealand till the beginning of the year, or ho middle of the University vacation. Tory little time will, therefore, be availble for candidates to prepare, themselves or any phase of the examination involving a «\owle4ge of new subjects. Greek,

for example, is a compulsory subject, though the test is only of an elementary standard. As this language is very rarely taken up by even the best of our students, and in order that those otherwise well qualified may form an adequate conception of the amount of Greek expected from them, we publish the conditions of examination, framed by the trustees for the first American Rhodes Scholarship examination, to he held about the same time. It is extremely probable that these conditions will be adopted in respect of New Zealand. In any case, the differences can only be minor ones, since this qualifying examination is based on the Oxford 'responsions," or entrance examinations. The Americau candidates will be examined upon arithmetic, cither algebra or geometry, Greek grammar, Latin grammar, Latin prose, composition, and Greek and Latin authors. Under the last head candidates must oiler two books, one Greek and one Latin, or sigiit translation, from the following list: Demosthenes—(l) Philippics 1-3, and Olynthiacs, 1-3, or (2) De Corona. Euripides—Any two of tho following plays: Hecuba, Medes. Alcestis, r>accli«. Homer—(l) Iliad 1-5, or 2-6; or (2) Odyssey, 1-S. or 2-6. Plato—Apology and Crito. Sophocles—Antigone and Ajax. Xenophon—Anabasis 1-4, or 2-5. Cassar—De Bello Gallico 1-4. Cicero—(l) The first two Philippic Orations; or (2) the four Catiline Orations, and In Verrera, Act I.; or (3) the Orations Pro Murena and Pro Lege Manilia; or (4) the treatise De Senectute and De Amicitia. Horace—(l) Odes 1-4; or (2) Satires; or (3) Epistles. Liw—Books 21 and 22. (After Michaelmas, 1903, Books Y. and VI.) Yirjril—!l) The Bucolics, with Books 1-3 of the Mne'iA; or (2) the Georgics; or (3) the /Eneid, Books 1-5, or 2-6. We note that, in the United States, candidates are admitted up to twenty-five years of age, and we believe a similar age limit has been conceded in some of the Canadian provinces. It is a matter for regret that the late local Conference did not recommend a higher limit than twentytwo, in order to allow the candidature of students who do not begin their University course till comparatively late. These students, most of them from the country, are frequently the most promising. Certainly the present age limit would, in the case of several who have proved to be our most successful University men, have debarred them from competing, had the scholarships been offered in their time.

COMPENSATION FOR LICENSES,

Mr. Chamberlain's statement as to tho prospects of early legislation in tho direction of compensation to publicans for confiscated licenses is the natural corollary of the Government's attitude on this question. In June a private member introduced a Bill giving compensation*for all liquor licenses which were suppressed for reasons other than tho misconduct of the holders. The measure provided that the amount of compensation should be the fair value of tho license and the goodwill, and should be provided by contributions from "the trade"—owners and license-holders furnishing one-third of the value of the license or goodwill, occupiers of hotels and restaurants one-sixteenth of the rateable value, and owners of new licenses an annual sum to be fixed on the granting of the licenses. There was also provision for the reduction of these contributions by moneys which might be provided by Parliament from the direct taxation of intoxicating liquor. The father of the Bill urged that if it were passed, into law it would facilitate the reduction of the number of licensed houses. A temperance reform member, while moving the rejection of the Bill, expressed his willingness that the State should give some assistance to licensees whose licenses had been confiscated, and should compel all members of "the trade" to pay a mutual insurance premium. Sir Wilfrid Lawson would, of course, have nothing to do with compensation. Mr. Walter Long, however, said the Government believed the principle to be just, that compensation should be paid when property was taken in the publio interest. The Prime Minister, though not committing himself to support the details of this particular Bi'l, asserted that, "if they laid " down the principle that when a man was "deprived of his license through no fault "of his own he must have a solatium, they "must have a fund adequate to meet the " policy of the most sweeping destruction "of licenses. Unless that were done it " was absolutely necessary to fetter the dis- " cretion of the magistrates. In voting " for compensation those on the Govern"ment side were adopting the most con"sistent, logical, and moral course." Mr. Chamberlain also approved of the principle of the Bill, which passed its second reading by a large majority. Probably, in view of the half promise conveyed in Ministers' remarks, that the Government would deal with the matter, the measure got no further. The question is, however, now definitely before the country, and unless the Government get it out of the way before the general elections, it will introduce a new and possibly a prominent feature into the impending struggle, which will add to its interest in New Zealand eves.