THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 172, 14 April 1908, Page 6

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.

— 9 The knowledge that Sir. Asquith, the new Prime Minister of England, would have no difficulty in forming a Government, and no occasion to go outside the official circle for new material, divested the announcement of liis new Ministry:-of., most of its interest beforehand. There has been a considerable re-shuffling of offices, but the changes have gone largely upon the lines anticipated. The most" interest-, ing of the new appointments ■ were made some time ago by public opinion., People are already used to Mr. LloydGeorge as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mr. Winston- Churchill at the Board of Trade. That Mr. Morley would go to the Upper House, still in charge of the India Office, was also , a matter of confident expectation.. The fapid rise of Mr. Llovd-GeOrge to the responsible post.;which he now holds has been an interesting one, : and his advance, and that of the clever young TJnder-Secretary for the Colonies, are the natural'rewards of unusual political vigour and skill. It is not* to be expccted that Mr. Churchill, who has discharged with equal zest and effici-. ency the functions of general fighting man of the Government, will cease to be interesting to the .Dominion -now that lie has been, given Cabinet rank in an office of no near moment to; the overseas Empire. The relations between .Great Britain and the autonomous dependencies have been a burning question .throughout his .connection with the Colonial Office, and as lie always ■ overshadowed his chief, Lord Elgin, he has made it impossible for' the overseas Imperalists'to forget him or'to look without sympathetic inr terest upon .his future career. ' His abilities 'are very great, and he ,is - a very young man. so that the highest office under tlie. Crown is a large possibility of his', future. To New. ZeaInnders, -the chief point of interest in the British Cabinet is the Secretaryship of State for the Colonies. Lord Elgin 1 has" been " 'displaced ' : by Lord Crewe. This is- one of - the changes that were not expected, but we do, not regard the .appointment of Earl Crewe as of any great significance. In the past, perhaps, when 'the Colonial Secretary controlled the destinies of a cluster of inarticulate -colonies* . the person at the head of the Colonial Office was a fit subject for scrutiny, for canvass, and for expectation-not untinged with anxiety.' To-day the great forces of Imperial development are stirring,, and no hand can check them; the colonies are articulate, and no Colonial Secretary, can run counter to their policies. -Whatever effect the substitution of Mr. Asquith 'for .Sir Henry Cainpbell-Ban'nerman may have upon the Government's policy and its fortune's, that offect will not' be increased bj the new disposition of, offices', which is- iii' no wise remarkable,''nor pregnant of either gain or loss; , ; , ,