BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXII, Issue 149, 21 December 1906, Page 2

BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS.

SPECTATOR SUMMARY (For week ending Saturday, 27th Oct.) THE NEW FRENCH MINISTRY. On Friday week M. ■ Sarrien, the French Premier, announced his resignation, and the other Ministers followed suit. The President thereupon entrusted to M. Clemenceau the task of forming a new Cabfnet. Of the retiring Ministers, M. Bourgeois declined to return to the Foreign Department owing to bad health, and M. Poincare, the Minister of Finance, refused a portfolio on the ground of a difference on financial policy -with the new Premier. The Department* of Finance has accordingly been entrusted to M. Caillaux, M. Briand continues as Minister of Public Instruction and M. Thomson as Minister of Marine, while a new Department, the Ministry of Labour and Hygiene, has been provided for M. yivani, a Moderate Socialist. M. Millerand and M. Etienne are not included, but six members of the late Cabinet have portfolios. M. Clemenceau, the "breaker of Ministries," has formed a very strong one of his own, which in many respects is more homogeneous than its predecessor. In essentials, however, the policy of the Governmsnt remains unaltered. Of the new appointments, by far the most interesting are those of General Picquart to the Ministry of War and of M. T?ichon to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The latter was the French Minister at Pekin during the "Boxer" rising. He was an old journalistic colleague of M. Clemenceau, and his loyal lieutenant in the Chamber of Deputies. After Pekin, he went to Tunis as Resident-General, where he has been a gr-eafc success, and he will carry to 'the Quai d'Orsay a political administrative experience as well as a Parliamentary record which should make him an admirable _ Foreign Minister. General Picquart is the most conspicuoiis instance in modern times of the Aristotelian "reversal of fortune.' 1 As a brilliant and rising soldier he staked his career as an example to the Army and the nation of how a truly patriotic man should act, and cheerfully paid the penalty. Since then his country has repented, and has now made him the most ample and dramatic reparation. Under him the cause of Army reform and general efficiency may be expected to flourish, as he is admirably free from political entanglements. He is at once a soldier and a statesman, and, as the Temps says, h© may be trusted "to defend the patrimony of national defence." HUNGARY'S FOREIGN MINISTER. On Monday it was announced that Count poluchowski, the Austro-Hungar-ian Minister for Foreign Affairs, had resigned. The event was not unexpected, but the causes of it are still obscure. He was regarded with distrust by the Hungarian Nationalists, who Suspected him of anti-Magyar prejudice^, and some friction with tne Hungarian Delegates may be the explanation of his retirement. He belonged to the old school of Austrian statesmen, who were not conciliatory towards popular aspirations. While in no sense of the word a great man, Count Goluchowski was a most useful and successful Foreign Minister. To him is largely due the repeated reaffirmations of friendliness between this country and our own, and the moderating part which Austria-Hun-gary has played within the Triple Alliance, and notably at the Algeciras Conference. For such a master as the Emperor Francis-Joseph no better lieutenant could be imagined. On Thursday it was announced that his successor was to be Baron yon Aerenthal, at present Austro Hungarian Ambassador at St. Petersburg. The appointment is acceptable to Hungary, and will undoubtedly promote friendly relations with Russia, the new Foreign Minister having the reputation of leaning to the side rather of the Tsar than of the Kaiser. A RIDICULOUS DEMONSTRATION. Th© opening of Parliament was marked by an extraordinary demonstration on the part of the supporters of women's suffrage. It appears that about a hundred ladies made their way to the House, of whom thirty contrived to gain entrance to th© outer lobby on the ground that thoy had business with various members of Parliament — many of whom have since declared that this use of their names was entirely unwarranted. Failing in their attempt to socure an interview with the Premier, the leaders made inflammatory speeches in the central hall, and on refusing to leave were removed shrieking and struggling by the police. Ten ladies were arrested on a cnarge of using threatening and ahusive language and inciting to disturbance, but were released on giving a pledge that thoy would not return to the House of Commons. On the following day they were brought up at the Westminster Police Court, and, after further stormy scenes, were committed to prison. Our only comment in this ridiculous, but none th© loss disagreeable, episode is that such taotics are calculated" to defeat tho avowed aims of those who resort to thorn. Nothing could bo more fatal to a movement than that those of its supporters who aspire to martyrdom should only succeed in being regarded as naughty children. THE FRANCHISE. Tho House of Commons reassembled on Tuesday for the Autumn Session, and on Wodnesday the Plural Voting Bill was considered in Committee. Various amendments were introduced with a view of limiting the operation of tho Bill, but all were rejected by large majorities. On the qnestion of University representation, Mr. Butcher protested against the abolition by instalments which the Bill involved; and after a reply by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, speeches in criticism of the measure were delivered by j.u.r. Balfour, Mr. Austen Chamberlain, and Lord R. Cocil, who moved that tho Bill should not come into operation till 1915, by which time tho Government might bo expected to havo dealt with other and moro serious electoral nnoma'ies. We have no objection to the principle of single voting, but wo most certainly object to this reform being effected when "Ono vote one value" is not vet the law. Mr. Butcher and Lord *R. Cecil raised this just contention ; but Mr. Balfour, with a singular lack of judgmont, choso to attack the Bill on other and less cogent grounds. The anomaly by which Kilkenny elects on 1500 votes and Romford on 45,000 is by far the greatest scandal in qur electoral system. Wo trust tSat tho House of Louis will not reject tho Bill, but will add a clause , preventing "One m;>n one vote" from becoming law till it is accompanied by "One vote ono value." To deal with an electoral anomaly which which is injurious to one party,' and to leave a far worse anomaly which hurts their opponents untouched, is so grossly unjust that we feel certain that the country would support the Upper Hous© in offering the most strenuous opposition to any such act of political tyranny. THE EDUCATION BILL. On the whole we -nre still optimistic in regard to the Education Bill, nad believe that it will end by embodying what we have ventured to cnll the Speotntor's five points. These tire;— (1) That teachers in the transferred school! shall not be disqualified by statute from

fiving religious instruction; (2) that acilities for denominational teaching shall be given to all denominations ia all schools ; (3) that Clause IV. shall be made mandatory ; (4) that religious instruction, whether denominational or undenominational, subject to a Conscience Clause, shall be an obligatory portion of tho regular curriculum ; and (5) that Voluntary schools, except in singleschool areas, shall be allowed to contract themselves out and return to the status quo ante 1902,— i.e., shall get a Government Grant, but no rate-aid. Before wo leave the subject be should like to endorse the Archbishop of Canterbury's regret that the leaders of the Nonconformist ministry are not Members of the House of Lords and present in the House to discuss the subjects of the Bill. W© see no possible reason why a certain number ot life-peerages should not be given to the heads of the chief denominations. Such Nonconforming Spiritual Peers would add a most valuable element to the Upper House. THE FREE CHURCH SETTLEMENT. On Friday week the Commission appointed to allocate the property and tunds of the Free Church of Scotland between the two existing sections of that church issued their report. Certain churches in Glasgow and elsewhere ar© given up to tho Free Church, and arrangements for joint use in certain country districts are proposed. The Assembly Hall and th© College buildings in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen go to the United Free Church, while tho Free Church receive the offices in Edinburgh for th© purposes of their college, together with a sum of £3000 to equip it. A yearly sum of £3000 is allotted to the Free Church for college expenses and for bursaries. Provision is made for legacies being treated along with the general funds, and of these the Foreign, Continental, and Jewish Mission funds are given to the United Free Church, though the Commission promise to allocate later a sum to the Free Churchy for similar purposes. On the whole, the decisions seem to us to be fair, though -it is likely that both sides in the dispute will make complaints. The Commissioners have fulfilled their duty of looking in their enquiry both at the fact of the House of Lords' judgment and the enquiries of the situation. AN IRISH STATESMAN. We note with much regret the death of Colonel Saunderson, who had sab for North Armagh since 1885. Colonel Saunderson, though an Orangeman as well as an uncompromising Unionist, was personally popular with the Nationalists, as, indeed, with all parties in tho House and his fine qualities and great services were admirably summed up by Mr. Balfour in his speech at Manchester on Monday. "Colonel Saunderson," said Mr. Balfouiv "lought many a good fight with undaunted courage, with neverfailing good humour, with a sharp tonfue, great eloquence, with great power, ut in a manner which never made his own countrymen, however much they might differ from him in politics, feel that he was ever other than a true friend of Ireland." MR. BALFOUR AND IRISH POLICY. Mr. Balfour was entertained by th© Manchester Conservative Club at luncheon on Monday, and spoke at length, and very wisely, on the rights and duties of the House of Lords in regard to legislation. In the evening he was presented with a complimentary address at a great meeting of his former constituents in Bellevue (Jardens, and delivered an important speech. In particular, he dealt with tho case of those Liberals who, hating Home-rule hardly less than 'professed Unionists, consoled themselves with the reflection that if a measure of Devolution was indeed to be brought forward by Sir Henry Camp-bell-Bannerman and nis friends, the late Unionist Government were, after all, prepared to do the same themselfes. Mr. Balfour warned such Liberals not to lay that flattering unction to their souls. "Never has there been a more preposterous legend throughout the length and breadth of the land than that either I or my colleagues of the •late Government ever tolerated for one instant the idea. We never did. You might as well accuse us of horse-steal-ing." Mr. Balfour went on to speak of the "legend" of the compromising letters proving the truth of the charge, and flatly denied their existence. "There are no such letters. The charge is false from beginning to end. If there are such letters, let them be produced. I give full leave to the fortunate possessor of those incriminating documents. Let him come forward in the light of day, and let us have no more of these whisperings and rumours in dark places." We note this declaration I with great satisfaction. It should lead to th© immediate publication of the correspondence. After Mr. Balfour had thus publicly and unreservedly authorised Sir Antony MacDonnell to publish the letters, the latter cannot withhold them without exposing himself to misconstruction. We do not ourseh'es that there is anything discreditable in the letters to any of the people concerned, but th© public will not be convinced of this until they arc produced, and will bo certain to assume that those who could publish, but do not, have something to conceal. Of Tariff Reform, wo may observe, there was not a single word from beginning to end of either of Mr. Balfour's speeches. THE POLICE COMMISSION. Various witnesses have been examined before the Metropolitan Police Commission during the week, th© most noteworthy being a street bookmaker named Platt, of Lambeth. According to his evidence, lie had been in the habit for months at a time regularly bribing members of the police force, several of whom ho mentioned by name, at the rate of £1 a week each, , and also of arranging for his occasional arrest in order to disarm suspicion of collusion. Ho further stated, m reference to his convictions for batting, that he never gave his right name or address, but that tho police never verified them. Tho record^ of these bribes, with the names of recipients and dates, was contained in a book which he kept for tho purpose of having a hold on tho constnbles concerned, but it had been burnt by his wife on tho day of which ho last gave evidence. His wife was called and confirmed this story. She had opposed hor husband's intention to givo evidence, because sho feared lest it- might compromiso her. brothor, who was finishing his timo in tho police force. Quarrels had arisen between them, and on Thursday week sho burnt tho book in hor husband's absence. THE TIMES BOOK TRUST. The war between the Times and the publishers still continuos. Tho most notablo incident of tho past week has be©n tho issuo of a cifcular, sicned by Mr. Walter, appealing to members of tho Times Book Club to boycott the works published by' six firms specified by name. Replying on behalf of the Publishers' Association, Mr. Poulten, in a letter published in Monday's Times contends that the circular is tantamount to an admission that the operations of the Book Club, have broken down, and to appeal to tho subscribers to relievo it , from the obligation, originally ontored into, to maintain its superiority over old-fash-ioned libraries regardless of cost. The Times, ho argues, only publicly boycotts six publishers because it hesitates tb ask its clients to surrender their right to read all new booka.