Evening Post. FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1885. THE MINISTERIAL SACRIFICE.

Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 9, 10 July 1885, Page 2

Evening Post. FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1885. THE MINISTERIAL SACRIFICE.

Ministers have at last yielded to the wishes of their friends and supporters and abandoned the obnoxious tariff proposals, as well as consented to greatly modify their Local Government finance measure. Unfortunately, they did not adopt this wise course until there was no alternative, save that of resigning their seats. Their party put tho issue in the plainest possible terms, that either the Government proposals must be abandoned or the Government must go out. The Ministry eleoted to remain in, and threw the proposals overboard. This choice may not have been the most dignified one, but we are exceedingly glad that in this instance Ministers did not stand upon their dignity, but preferred to take a practical view of the case. It would have been a serious disaster to the country to have had a Ministerial crisis at the present moment. No one can tell who might have seized on, and perhaps retained, the reins of power. Certainly a period of wild confusion, worse than that which prevailed at the beginning of last session, would have ensued. It is very unlikely that anything like such a good Ministry as the present one would have taken their place, and before any newMinsstry could have formulated a polioy the time necessary for considering and giving effect to it would probably have passed away. At the same time the tariff proposals were so utterly obnoxious, their operation would have been so oppressive and unjust, that the House was quite right in being willing to incur all the risks of a Ministerial crisis rather than allow those proposals to become law. The first duty the House owed to the country was to protect it from the imposition of a tariff ¦Which would have paralysed industry and inflicted an intolerable burden upon every householder.

It is a matter for congratulation that this duty has been performed without involving any greater sacrifice than that of Ministers' personal feelings. These must, no doubt, have been somewhat hurt by what has taken place. The sufferers can, however, blamo no one but themselves for what has occurred. Ten days or a fortnight ago they could have extricated themselves from the difficulties of their potation without any loss of dignity or sense of humiliation. Tfeey might have frankly admitted that they had been misled and misinformed as to the real nature and effect of the tariff proposals, and that finding these were so highly objectionable to the House and the country, they would at once withdraw them. Such an admission would have raised Ministers in the respect of the House, and improved their position in the eyes of the cuiiltry. It would have shown a proper deitjre^ce to the etrongly-expressed wishes of their own supporters as well as a due consideration for public interests. Instead of this, however, they, with an obstinacy which even yet we are unable to understand, tried to force their measure in every possible manner, and invited defeat alter dqfeat, until at hist, thoroughly beaten and crushed, they had under compulsion to accept terms very much less favourable to their own views than thoso which they might have dictated ten days ago, and which would then have been acoepted as a compromise. As it is, only the duties on spirits are retained out of all the proposed new imposts. Even the preserved bananas have been thrown overboard. Had tho Government a week ago proposed to increase the spirit duties by a shilling, or even more, and to do away with the rebate for underproof, the House would, wo are convinced, have willingly acceded to it> and • no serious objection would have been ' raised to a correction of certain admitted anomalies in the present classification of soft goods. Evon some new increased duties, which would have brought in a considerable revenue, would have been accented, we believe, as, for instance, an increase on patent medioines, vary* large quantities of which come into the country < ' and whioh could well bear a substantial increase of duty. The opportunity of making well considered and desirable changes has, however, been lost by the persistent effort made to force changes which were neither well considered nor desirable. In the temper of the House after Tuesday night's proceedings, it would havo been utterly impossible to do anything more than has been done — take what the Committee of Ways pnd Means had passed, less the bananas. Tho result of the whole proceeding is only so far satisfactory that we have got rid of the tariff, and have retained the Ministry. It would be idle, however, to pretend that the influence of and confidence in it have not been a good deal shaken by tho ordeal to which it has heen subjected. A Ministry whioh submits to be led or driven, when it should lead, must suffer csomowhat in prestigOj and such forciblo rebuffs as were administered on Tuesday night must affeot the relations between Ministers and their supporters. Every defeat inflicted on a Ministry indirectly weakens its position, apart altogether from the immediate Bubject in question. The old saw has it that " A woman, a doff, and a wnlnufc tree,' The more yon beat them tbe better they be," but thh system of treatment does not usually produce equally improving results when applied to a Government. The chastisement inflicted in this instance was, however, bo well deserved, and has been received in such a meek and contrite spirit, that wo hope it may produce beneficial rather than injurious results. Ministerial supporters should now give a most loyal snpport to those who have sacrificed so much to please them by retaining office, and the real business of the session should now progress smoothly and rapidly. The country has been relieved from the choice of ovils which threatened it, between the acceptance of the tariff or the resignation of the Ministry, and there can be no doubt that it will rejoice at retaining the services of tho latter almost as sincorely as at being reliovedfrom tho oppression of the former.