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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7836, 4 January 1887, Page 4

The struggle of the Conservatives to obtain an eminent Liberal to lead them skill proceeds, and they are not disheartened by the failure to get Lord Har« I ting ton to join the Salisbury administration. It seems that they have now turned to Mr. Qoschen, who for years has been a prominent man in the Liberal party. Mr. Gosohen first distinguished himself in politics by taking an active part in the movement for, throwing open the Univeraities to Dissenters, and the abolition of religions teßts. He first took office as Vice-President of the Board of Trade in 1865, he being then one of the representatives of the Oity of London, where he had been a merchant. In 1878 Mr. Qoschen issued an address to the Liberal electors of the city of London, declining to come forward at the general election, on the ground that his < votes on the county franchise question had not been in accord with the views generally entertained by the party. Mr. Goschen, in 1880, after Mr. Gladstone's return to power, was appointed ambassador extraordinary at Constantinople. Mr. Goschen subsequently sat for Ripon, and after wards for Edinburgh East. . At the last election he was opposed by Mr. R. Wallace in. the interest of the Gladstone party, and as Edinburgh is a stronghold of the Gladstonites, Mr. Goschen was beaten by a considerable majority. During the contest Mr. Goschen made some eloquent and forcible speeohes on the political situation, explaining how he came to the conclusion that the polioy which Mr. Gladstone desired to pursue would be injurious to the country. In all probability the accession of Mr. Goschen or any prominent member of the Union-Liberal party to the present Government will mean an attempt to deal with the Irish question in the spirit proposed by the leaders of that section of the party. The Union Liberals did not declare that, under all circumstances, and at any time, no scheme of Heme Role could be considered. They contended that the polioy which Mr. Gladstone advocated in 1880 and 188 J. had not been given a fair trial, that no stone should be left unturned to put the land tenure .of Ireland on a right footing; and to see what change in the popular feeling that course might produce, before any question involving "Home Rule," which, they contended, meant danger to the unity of the Empire, was discussed. The Union Liberals have stuok to this programme, and lately refused to be led into a movement advocated by Mr. Gladstone as a basis on which to re-unite the Liberal party, namely, that they should join in bringing pressure on the Government to produce the plans of their Irish policy at once. Thiß the Union-Liberals declined to do, but they would certainly be quite open to censider any plan by which the laud tenure system of Ireland could be further modified. >