Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, THURSDAY JULY 16, 1903 THE SPLIT IN THE CABINET.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9796, 16 July 1903, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, THURSDAY JULY 16, 1903 THE SPLIT IN THE CABINET.

English papers received by the 'Frisco mail show that the country has been filled with wonderment and perplexity at the sudden crisis m political affairs caused through the split m the Cabinet upon the trade and tariff questions. It r is stated that the King was acquainted with the fact that a wide divergence of opinion existed amongst his Ministers on the important question of fiscal policy, j and that His Majesty's influence was invoked to secure a way out of the difficulty, but without success. The crisis was precipitated by the fact that Mr Chami berlain introduced views into his speech at Birmingham without consulting his colleagues m the Cabinet as to their attitude on the subject of preferential and 1 retaliatory tariffs. A large section of the Cabinet expressed the strongest dissent from the opinions uttered by the. Colonial Secretary, and it was with extreme hesitation that Mr Balfour gave his permission to Mr Chamberlain to take part m a subsequent debate. The speech he ' then made caused further dissensions,' and ' to avoid a complete rupture, necessitating a re-construction of the Cabinet or a • dissolution of Parliament, it was decided that the Chancellor of the Exchequer should make a declaration m favor of freetrade, and announce that nothing „ would be done until full enquiry into the • subject of a preferential tariff was made. It is an open secret that the abandonment of the corn tax was entirely due to Mr Ritchie. The Chancellor, of the Exchequer threatened to resign if the tax 3 were maintained. The 'Cabinet declined to face his resignation. And the tax is to; go. While Mr Cliamberlain has m a spirit of loyalty accepted the present position, he is by no means disposed to abandon his project of presenting to the country his scheme for a commercial federation of the Empire. At the moment, says one paper, no one except Mr Joseph p Chamberlain knows what Mr Joseph J Chamberlain's plan of campaign may be. He fully understands the gravity of the position. He does not shrink from the ? arduous work ahead. His health has ' never been better than at present. When the hour comes, the man will be ready. . One fact stands forth prominently m all the newspaper articles, viz, the personx ality of the Colonial Secretary. It is not l forgotten how often during his career his political extinction at an early date was confidently prophesied, but he has „ always returned triumphant, notwith- ' standing that he has had tox carry with him a weak and often inept Ministry; The secret of his success is that he is the man who does things. This reputation is to stand him m good stead. In the meantime the opposition press shout for a dissolution. Freetrade or Protection is their rallying cry, and protection of the Chamberlain brand, they claim involves a tax on food. The Unionist } press, however, point out that the ques- , tion m its true proportions is not yet be--5 fore the country, and they draw attent tion to the fact that it is a very large , question, on which the nation requires j to be educated. The Morning Post wel- , comes the new life which has been thrown into politics.. The Pool of Siloam has been troubled. The halt and the maimed who have blocked the ways of both sides of the House will now be healed, or I else they will be found to be incurable, and will have to make way for men of vigor and energy, not frightened of op- , inions nor fearful of putting their opinions . into practice. The Express says : "The [ nation is' now .entering on a new war ( of party politics. Old landmarks will be sweptj aside. New leaders will arise. Many of the men the country knows best will disappear into oblivion ; other men little known or thought of will take their place. The first light skirmishes have ocI curred, but we must have patience before . a pitched battle is fought."