POLITICS AT HOME.

Evening Star, Issue 5074, 10 June 1879, Page 4

POLITICS AT HOME.

o One of the most startling political events I of this season haa been the announced retirement of Lord Derby from the office of vicepresident of the Lancashire Union of Conservative Associations, and his brief note announcing his determination fell like an avalanche or. the party in that county, where his family have for so long enjoyed such great political influences. Indeed, this event was at firsc generally regarded by the English Press, but more especially by the Conservative portion of it, as the Earl's secession from the party with which he had always acted up to his retirement from the Ministry, together with Lord Carnarvon on a question of foreign policy. The Manchester Conservatives appear to have been nettled at his withdrawal from their Union, and they declined to hold any further communication with him, but at length an adventurous spirit, one Mr Middlthurst, a member of the Saiford Town Council, boldly wrote to the Earl to know whether he meant to go over to the Opposition, and obtained the reply that, for the present at least, Lord Derby intended to hold himself free from political orgiinisations ou account of his differing from the foreign policy of the Ministry, and the great bulk of its supporters. This is to some small extent satisfactory, because, on domestic matters the Conservatives will have his support, but stiil there is an element of uncertainty about Lord Derby's second vote which is very disquieting m view of the general election which cannot be long postponed. If the next Parliament should be a.Conservative one there must be some reconstruction of the Ministry, and under existing circumstances Lord Eeaconsfield would never invite Lord Derby to join his "administration, while we are a long way off a coalition Ministry which would unite men of Lord Derby's views on foreign affairs with the milder adherents of Lord Hartington. Indeed, if Lord Derby's action has any portent of political danger it is the Radical wing of the Liberal party who must be prepared for the storm rather than the Conservatives. Lancashire would feel. it . most in any case, and it is not improbable that the earl's brother, Colodcl Stanley, may be placed in an awkward relation toward his constituents when he has to seek re-election on this | account. And that all parties are looking | forward to the next election with i/reat anxiety has been more than ever manifest during the past week. The Liberals naturally wish to force the Government into a dissolution ; but to my mind one of the most remarkable characteristics of Lord Beaconsfield is his great patience, and now when, in spite of all our foreign complications, the political horizon is brightening, I cannot imagine jthat he will plunge his • party into an election before ho lias given them the fullest opportunity of showing what has come of his rule durim* a period as nearly appi'oaching seven years as may be. Yet our Prime Minister is fond of surprises, and the Liberals think that this year's budget is a dissolution one. A war .note from the Opposition was sounded last week at Birmingham by Mr Bright, who addressed his constituents in on« of his oldfashioned' speeches, denouncing everybody but himself. During an hour's oration he dwelt exclusively of the past, and it was only after both his colleagues in the course of their speeches hinted at the possibility of their boon appearing again as candidates for reelection, that Mr Bright found itnccessarv to say something. The second little speech of six or seven minutes contained'the remarkable Argument that it would be -unconstitutional for the present Ministry to live to the-'full of their allotted term, am! Mr Bright made a strong demand for a disv.'lution at the end of the present session. T\vc days later Mr Fore tor repeated the same demand before the- Liberals of llotherham, while a still more significant speech was made the same at Devonport by MiAdam, the Liberal "whip." While" this was going on Mr Gladstone, with his wife and daughter, were spending a few quiet days with their young and almost newlymarried friends, the Earl and Countess of Kosebery, at their charming country resort on the Rothschild estate in Buckinghamshire. Mr.Gladstone has a passionate fondness for receiving political deputations, aud, accordingly, the Liberals in the Mentmore district went to see him. They were regaled with an eloquent though stale (from too frequent repetition) history of the conduct of foreign affairs by the present Government, and—here it-was again—as a general election was approaching, he looked to the constituencies to remedy the present state of things. But Mr Gladstone cannot have forgotten the great political mistake he made in 1574 by a premature dissolution, and he cannot expect that Conservatives, even if they were not naturally wiser, would not profit by the lesson his huge mistake afforded them.— ' Press ' Correspondent.J The ' Man Chester Courier' has since the above was written published the following letter received from Lord Derby by Mr Councillor Middlehurst, of Salford, who had written inquiring whether his resignation was to be understood as a severance of his connection with the Conservative parry in general ;

• ' ; Fairhill, Tunbridge, April 20. Sir, —I thank you for your friendly letter of the 17th. As regards my recent -withdrawal from the Lancashire Union of Conservative Association, I do not see that it requires any further explanation than that which is supplied by facts which are already public. 1 have openly strongly expressed my dissent from the foreign policy of the Government. That policy appears to be in the main accepted by the party, which calls itself Conservative, and it is expressly vindicated in the last report of the association from which I have retired: Ido not see how it is possible for me consistently to support in Lancashire what I have opposed in the House of Lords, and for the present, at least, I wish to hold myself free from all party organisations. '•I remain, your obedient servant, Derby. "Mr J. E, Middlehurst."