THE NEW ENGLISH CABINET,

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1085, 4 May 1880, Page 2

THE NEW ENGLISH CABINET,

We have in our cablegrams of various times given the names of the Ministry formed by Mr. Gladstone. The Right Hon. gentleman has assumed his old office of tirst Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer. The position of Lord Chancellor, it will be seen, is again filled by Lord Selborno, who was appointed to that office in Mr. Gladstone's previous administration in 1872, iv succession to Lord Hatherley. He represented England at the Geneva Arbitration as counsel. In addition to being a very able lawyer, he is well known for his deep religious feeling. ( During the two years he was on the Woolsack, the perhaps unprecedented spectacle was to be seen of the Lord High Chancellor of England unbending from his high official position to take a class once a week in one of the Sunday Schools of London. Visitors to the lovely little village of Selborne, in Hampshire, rendered immortal by the naturalist White, and from which his Lordship takes his title, will also have observed the handsome church built by the noble peer for the use of his tenantry and the other residents in that sparsely populated, but very romantic neighborhood. His Lordjship, it may be added belongs to what is known as the ' ' High Church " School. The Earl of Northbrook, who was appointed Viceroy of India iv 1872, after the assassination of Lord Mayo, and was succeeded by Lord Lytton, is to be First Lord of the Admiralty. He will not be altogether new to the duties having been private secretary to |Sir Charles Wood at the Ad miralty for some years previous to 1857, when he was appointed a junior Lord of that distinguished Board, which office he held for little more than twelve months. The new Secretary of State for India, the Marquis of Hartington, has had no previous experience in that particular department, although his intimate knowledge of public life and well-known ability are sure to enable I him to fill the office not only with credit, but distinction. He has successively held the posts of a junior Lord of Admiralty for Irel?nd. It will also be remembered that on Mr. Gladstone's retirement from the leadership of the Liberals in 1875, the Marquis of Hartington was elected to take his place. The secretary of State for War, Mr. Childers, has never previously filled the same position. On Mr. Gladstone coming into power, in 1868, he was nominated First Lord of the Admiralty, which office he was compelled by ill health to resign in 1871. During his tenure of office he made some important changes, tending to invest the First Lord with more real power instead of a merely nominal control of the subordinate officers of the department. His name is well known in the Australian colonies, from the fact that he resided in Victoria from 1850 to 1857, holding a seat in the Cabinet in fact. He, as twice since then been Agent General for that colony in London, and more recently has again been filling the post temporarily. His return to the Ministry will necessitate in all propability the immediate appointmeut of a permanent representative of Victoria iv London. 6#4he new Secretary of State for Ireland, Mr. W. E. Forster, it is unecessary to say much. It may be mentioned that he was Uuder-Secretary for the Colonies in Lord Russell's administration, aud was very nearly being elected leader of the Opposition when Mr. Gladstone retired in 1875. He is a man of great foresight and ability, and has taken a good deal of interest in the affairs of Ireland. Iv 1847 he published an interesting narrative of a visit he paid to that country. Should the Earl of Kimberley be appointed Secretary of State for the Colonies, as it is anticipated, the portfolio will fall into the hands of a man of great diplomatic and departmental experience. He has been twice Foreign Under-Secretary, was Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland in Lord Russell's administration, and successively Lord Privy Seal and Secretaiy of State for the Colonies during Mr. Gladstone's previous term of office.