LONDON CHAT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11113, 14 May 1898, Page 3

LONDON CHAT

(Pbom Ova Own Cobresfondent.) ■ London, March 26. Poor dear old Mr Gladstone ! Even if one disagrees with hh politics and disapproves hi* administration, one cannot withhold admiration for his high character, hie pare life, his stalwart; virility, and his vast and varied intellectual powers. And if all these ckima to admiration be not enough to soften party asperity, surely universal sympathy must ba irresistibly appealed to by the sad fact that tbe life of this wonderful old man is slowly passing away in severe and almost incessant pain. All may be over ore these lines reach New Zealand, or the marvellous vitality which has sustained Mr Gladstone through hia eventful 88 years may still keep him alive—and, alas, suffering. For the " neuralgic " story is now definitely exploded. Whether the theory that the sufferer's terrible pains* wera due to ocur.e neuralgia was genuinely held by his medical attendants or was nsersjv administered as a palliative to the patient, I 'Jo not know. B-Jt when it is admitted that the case had enterst* * new phase which made mirgical aid necessary, the meaning was too apparent. Uuhappiir there seems no doubt that the illustrious patient is suffering from one of those cancerous affections which sometimes accompany senil* decay, and which cause excruciating pain. There is no possible care wive by surgery, and a critical operation in the case of a man of 88 is hardly to bs thought of. Meanwhile, the intense pains and consequent iusomnia are producing an alarming increase of weakness. The heart's action is already unpaired and the end might come at any moment. All accounts agrea that the venerable statesman beara his terrible sufferings with wonderful fortitude and with truly Christian resignation. Universal sympathy is felt for him, I will not say by friends and foes alike, for all arc his frienda in these sad closing hours. •It is exceedingly unfortunate that at this most critical period of England's history, the Prime Minister should be virtually incapacitated by illness. Lord Salisbury wasj like , most people in tha month of February, attacked suddenly by influenza. The seizure was described as slight. That is mostly the way with this most insidious of complaints. The patient was thus induced to treat it somewhat lightly, and to resume work before he wag thoroughly convalescent. The usual consequence followed—a bad relapse which completely prostrated him j for a time, and has now compelled him to fly to i the Riviera to recuperate. Ha is precious lucky to he able to do so. Many of us—his fellowsufferars from influenza—most devoutly wish that wstoo cnuld "go and do likewise." But this reflection is merely by the way. | Of course, certain London papers at once j shrieked out that he was about to resign ; that ' his successor had been nominated ; that this was to ba the Duke of Devonshire, and bo forth. Ifc' was even hinted that Lord Rossbery might join the predicted Devonshire Ministry as Foreign Secretary. AH tbia. I need hardly say, was purely mythical. It was promptly denied "on authority." Still, Lord Salisbury's absence just now does seem to handicap the Government in dealing with the systematic policy of aggression pursued by Russia and France with the obvious connivance and goodwill of Germany. : Everybody is being forced into this dilemma : -Either the Government-must have some ra;markable and unsuspected trump card up their sleeves which they ara prepared to play when the supremo moment shall arriv*, or else they have been most outrageously baffled and ba»>boozlod and hoodwinked or browbeaten, and England's interests have been grievously sacrificed. Ministers are resolutely dumb, and nobody knows what to believe. Eren such thoroughj going supporters as the Standardand St. James's ! Gazette admit to-day that, the time has come when either the people must be taken into Ministers' confidence in some degree, or else all confideno3 will be withdrawn from a Government which, to all outward appearances, seems to have beeu worsted right and left iv its dealings with foreign Powers. Certainly, if Lord Salisbury has really manoeuvred snd diplomatised with his usual accredited skill and reputed success during his present term of office j it is most unlucky that his foreign record should ! appear to be one of almost continuous failure. England is beginning to be distrustful, and to be clamorous to know what successes we have achieved that can be regarded as per contra to so many apparent failures. What have we got from Heligoland, Madagascar, Siana, Tunis, and other concessions save ingratitude for our easyBoingness and;ridicule for our squeezableness? i At present the only answer is . from echo, which simply repeats "What?" And so the public begin to "want to know you know." Lord Salisbury's ridicule of the "legend" that he had asked for Talienwan is awkwardly discounted by the now admitted fact that he did ask for it, but waived the! demand, and that it has been ceded to Russia. His assertion that he had an assurance in writing from Russia that any Chinese ports aha acquired should become, and' ever remain, "tree" ports is similarly discounted by the fact that the communication to which ha referred contained no each assurance, and by the practical illustration that Russia has acquired Port Arthur as a naval station, and is about to fortify it. These and other unfortunate discrepancies have inspired uneasiness and distract. Of this, a formidable proof wag afforded when, after several leading Ministers had delivered addresses on the eve of the London County ! Council election, earnestly appealing to the

electors! to return a majority of " Moderates" over " Progressives" as a proof of coufidence in the Government, the result was an overwhelming majority on the other side, as against a "tie" ie the previous election. This was a very nasty slap in the face. It- is true it was mainly due to an ides., ridiculously cultivated by the Radicals, that tho Salisbury Government desired to " Jtnash " the London Connty Council by stripping it of many powers, and conferring these on a number of smaller municipal bodies. But here again that idea originated in an injudicious utterance of the Premier, which was prompty caught up and worked for ail it was worth by the other side.