THE POSITION IN ENGLAND.

Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 106, 7 May 1885, Page 2

THE POSITION IN ENGLAND.

Tho cable news reo-Jvcd from Home is terribly perplexing and confusing. For instance, we yostorday published an Association messag3 dated London, sth May, stating that stocks were falling. This evening we publish a Router's message of the samo dato announcing that stocks have risen two per cent. At first sight it would appear almost impossible to reconcile suoh contradictory statements, and it would be so if tho two massage i wero to bo taken as having been sent in the order in which they woro received. Probably, however, the message last sent wa3 the first to arrive. Messages often do orosa on the lines, and us a rule the Association messages arnvo here in somewhat less time than Router's do, as they come direct from London without having to be translated and re-transmitted from Australia, as Renter's messages all have to be. Probably the explanation of the disorepanoy is this. Tho official announcement of tho agreement to arbitrate on the Afghan question sent stocks up. Thon camo tho rumour contained in the Association messacto, that Lord Dufferin had rosigned ths Viceroyalty of India, and this caused an immediato fall in the market. It would naturally do so, for suoh an event as the Viceroy's resignation, if arising from his disapproval of the policy of tho Government in agreeing to arbitration, would, under present circumstances, bo extremely likely to bring about a Ministerial crisis, and prevent that polioy being given effoot to. Tho Conoorvativo party is decidedly opposed to Mr. Gladstone's proposals, and his polioy is to be traversed in iho House of Commons to-night. It will be remembered that on the' last vote of want of confidence the Ministry only commanded a majority of 14. Wo have heard that the English Press condemns the concessions made to Russia, and that the Liberal party generally 13 dubious as to tho wisdom of the policy of its loaders. Tha Continental view of the situation 13, we aro told, that Russia has gained a diplomatic victory over England. Under all these circumstances the resignation of Lord Dufferin could scarcely fail to turn tho scale against the Ministry. Lord Dufferin ia a Liberal of very great influence. Ho is a former colleague of Mr. Gladstone's. Ho haa boen Governor-General of Canada and Ambassador at bt. Petersburg and at Constantinople. Hia influe-.co with hia party, of which he ia is reoognised as the ablest diplomatist, is onormous, and if ho declared the agreement with Russia to bo injudicious, contrary to the understanding he had arrived at with the Ameer in thoir recent interviews, and dangerous to the safety of India (and some or all of these reasons must necessarily apply to justify his aotion in resigning the tho Vice-royalty at tho present junoture), there can scarcely bo a doubt that a very larga section of the Liberal party would accept his judgment, and refuse at any cost to ratify a polioy of whioh he so strongly disapproved. In that oase a defeat of the Gladstone Government and a complete ohange of policy towards Russia would almost certainly ensuo The rumour of Lord Dufferin's resignation is, however, at present, unconfirmed, and may bo a mere canard.