LONDON CHAT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12446, 1 September 1902, Page 2

LONDON CHAT.

(Fkoh Our Own Cobbesposdekt.) July 18. The King's progress has been so rapid during the current week that his medical -attendants think lie will be well enough to go through a considerably contracted Coronation ceremony in three weeks time, and Accordingly the dale of the Coronation has been officially jmnouueed to-day as Saturday, August 9. But there will be no " second day." The royal progress through London is postponed sine die. The King and Queen will simply drive from Buckingham Palace to. "Westminster Abbey by the shortest and most convenient route —that is to say, through St. .lames'# Park, by the Horn; Guards and "Whitehall and Parliament street to the Abbey. As for the colonial visitors, a notice has been issued by the Government that seat tickets originally issued for the 26th June will be available, minted, for the 9th August, and that- those issued for the 27th will be recognised if room can be found, and so far as may be feasible.

Also the naval squadrons have been ordered to rendezvous in the Solent on the lltli August, when a naval review will bo held either by the King or by the Prince of Wales. So all is to be done that can be to console the public for the great disappointment of las>t. month. Unhappily, only a small fraction of those who hoped to " see the show" will have the slightest chance now of beholding anything. And the " show" itself will be the merest, palest reflection of what was to be. But evidently the authorities have " done their best." That phrase is always a synonym for failure, and is never used except when the failure is complete. In this ease the failure is undeniable, but that it is due to "circumstances over which" those powers " had no control " is equally undeniable, and so grumbling is useless. Still, the public disappointment is very keen, and the money loss has been vast beyond all estimates. It has been a truly unlucky affair from first to last. One item of news, however, is really good. At last the medical oracles have very nearly come to tho point as to the King's condition. They still do not say what is amiss with his throat. But they do assert rnqst positively that his Majesty is not affected with ''malignant"—i.e., cancerous—disease in any part of his body, but is on the whole fairly robust. So we may hope that alt will yet go well and that tho dismal apprehensions of the pasrt three weeks will soon fade into oblivion. Dramatic necessities demand occasional surprises in politics as well as in histrionics. " Thunderbolts " and " bolts from the blue " have become a recognised essential of mo'dern public life, and the present Conservative Administration has long shown that it fully realises' this necessity. On Monday last the Salisbury Government sprang on the counti-y and on the world a new surprise. _ It had been known that the vc-teran Premier intended ere long, to retire into well-earned repose in order'to have leisure to' pursue his favourite scientific studies. It had also been understood that his resignation would take place as soon aa possible after the termination of the South African war and the Coronation of King Edward VII. But what with the arrrrtil of peace and the postponement of the Coronation everyone had virtually forgotten that this other event was impending and must era long be actually forthcoming. Everybody had fully counted on the Coronation, coming first. So when ;t was officially and universally announced last Monday morning— not that the Premier's resignation would soon take place, but -that ifc 'had actually taken place; that Lord Salisbury was no longer 3?vemier, but had retired into private life; that there was no question or dispute or doubt as to his successor, but that Mr Arthur Balfour had been, actually appointed by the King to form a new Ministry, and had accepted the trust—when people read all these things at their.Monday morning breakfast, it must be confessed that they weke a little bit staggered 1 It was not the fact itself, but the suddenness of its announcement, that took people's breath away. All had anticipated that when Lo'rd Salisbury's retirement had become definitely fixed there would enter a period of long and anxious and perhaps acrimonious negotiations among the various supposed aspirants t-o the Prime Ministerial succession. Tho Duke of Devonshire was to put iu his claim, which was to be disputed by Mr Chamberlain; Mr Balfour was to be put forward by the ultraTory section." of the Unionist party; Sir Michael Hicks-Beir\h was to prefer a counter claim on behalf of the Old Toryism. A general shindy was to ensue, resulting in the breaking-up of the Unionist, party trad the formation of a new coalition which was to go to the country and come back a Rosebery-Chamberlain-Balfour party formed on an Imperial-Liberal-Unionist basis.

As a matter of fact, all these things were not only .possible, but highlv probable, and in quitef conceivable circumstances some of them would have beem certainties. Had the reversion of the Premiership ever once been allowed to become the subject of a public struggle the outcome must have been a serious and unseemly wrangle with all sorts of undesirable potentialities, culminating in a general election whose result would have been in the highest degree problematical. This is where the .statesmanlike genius of Lord Salisbury shone forth once more. He would not tolerate any dispute at all. He would not permit any question or discussion on the subject. He was going to resign. It was for his royal' master to say who should succeed him. If the King requested advice on this head he was fully prepared to give it, and it would be that tho leader of the House of Commons should bo entrusted with the formation of a now Administration. He .had ascertained privately that Mr Balfour would undertake the duty if called upon to do so. Mr Balfour had conferred confidentially with the leading men in his party, and had ascertained what .were their individual and collective views, and how far they were prepared to go in supporting him as Premier. Thus when Lord Salisbury had an audience of the King and tendered his resignation, and when he was asked by his Majesty whom he would recommend to bo sent for in his place, he was thoroughly prepared, not only in respect of such recommendation, but also, as to the result:of its being' acted upon. In short, the whole affair was managed in a most masterly manner. All was "cut and dried" and definitely "fixed up" and finally settled before a syllable as to what was impending was allowed to transpire or a single drop of news to leak out. So when anything became known everything was past and over beyond the reach of criticism or cavil. The old Premier had gone; the new Premier had come l . Thus the third Salisbury Administration had been replaced by the first Balfour Adminstration, and all this without the slightest ripple on the wafers of politics. It was a most skilful and judiciously managed transaction. But- Mr Balfour is not yet '"out of tho wood." His troubles may be yet to come. It is true lie has received the most cordial and pleasant tokens of esteem not only from his own party and rivals, but also from his political opponents. Indeed, so cordial were the speeches in Parliament that the utmost astonishment was created on, the Continent, where the public and press cannot understand either political rivals or political opponents being even decently civil to one another. Many gratifying tributes to the ex-Premier's greatness as a statesman have been published in the European press, and Mr Balfour's accession to the Premiership is hailed with much satisfaction, it being feared that the formidable "Sir Chamberlain" would succeed Lord Salisbury at the helm. Meanwhile tho new Prime Minister is hard at work at the useful trade of Cabinetmaking. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach has intimated that he must not long be_ counted upon as a colleague, for he desires rest. Some say that he also dislikes the idea of preferential tariffs, which Mr Chamberlain is believed ,to aim at. At .all events lie will ■ retire shortly from the ExchequerChancellorship, and as yet nobody can name his 'successor.* Lord Cadogan, too, resigns the Irish Vice-royalty. Also it is whispered that the Duke of Devonshire would have liked an innings as Premier. But the main thing is that .Mr Chamberlain is willing to serve under Mr Balfour. His was the only rivalry that Mr Balfour's friends dreaded, and that is explicitly disclaimed. All will probably be settled as to the composition of the new Ministry before these lines reach Now Zealand, but it may interest and anvi.se my readers to compare the realities with the foliovriug forcasta of some of the leading . English' journals. The following are a few of the reconstruction changes suggested as possible in this mprnityr's papers: The Times: " The- Lord Chancellor to resign and be succeeded by Sir Robert' Finlav. Viscount. Curzon to return from India, and. take up some important office. Mr Alfred Ly Helton to rcceivc some minor unpoiulmcnt." The Standard: "Earl Cadogan, Viscount Curzon. and Lord -dilncr to resign their present appointments. Mr W. Lowther or Mr ITaubui"y to eueesed Sir .Michael Hicks-Beach. Mr Wyndham and Mr Aucten_ Chamberlain to obtain seats oil tiio Cabinet." Daily Telegraph: " Viscount Curzon to eomc > Home. -Mr Herald Balfour to suceecd Lord Balfour of Burleie.h at the Scottish Office. Mr 'Ausion Chamberlain to become Pr-'-Ulrnt of the Board of Trade." Daily News: " Lord Oeorgc Hamilton or Mr Riteh'e to become Chancellor of the Exchequer. Lord

Balcarres and Earl Percy to receive minor appointments. Lord Balfour of Burleigh to Kuceoetl Viscount Curzon. Duke of Marlborough to becomo Lord Lieutenant of Iroland." Daily Graphic: " Viscount Curzon to comc Home and be succeeded by the Duke of Marlborough." Manchester Guardiiiu: "Lord Balfour of Burleigh to succeed Viscount Curzon, and Mr Gerald Balfour to become Secretary for Scotland. Earl Cadofran and Lord Halsbury to retire." Well, we shall see what we shall see!