The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1882.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2554, 28 November 1882, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1882.

It is rather a (strange coincidence that both tlie great political parties m England seem likely at present to undergo a change of leadership. The rumors of Mr Gladstone's retirement ■which have been current at intervals for years past, are said to be now assuming definite shape. The Premier is seventythree, and has done as much work m his time, as six ordinary public men. The terrible anxiety and over strain of the last two years, moreover, have aged him both mentally and physically, more than all the other labors of his life. The time is opportune. He has brought to a conclusion, as far as one Statesman can bring to a conclusion, all the great tasks which ho undertook on returning to public life ; and ho has just achieved, ov there has been achieved for him, the most unequivocal success m foreign policy that the recent history of the Empire can show. He might retire now with the utmost credit to himself. The chances are a hundred to one against his ever having such another opportunity. That he contemplates retiring and has let it bo known, may, we think, be gathered from the fact that his party are already quarrelling among themselves as to his successor. Lord Grnnville is too old, too little m the spirit of the times, aud scarcely equal iv point of active ability to the requirements of the position m these days of hard work and hard fighting. He is an unexceptionable Foreign Secretary, and his leadership of the Lords, considering that he is m v minority there, is worthy of all praise But we should doubt whether, m the event of Mr Gladstone's retirement 01 death, the Liberal party would renew the compliment which they paid tc Lord Grauville m 1875. Lord Hart ington has the next claim, and to him almost to a certainty, the party wil look for a leader. He is m the prime of life, he has fairly earned his laurels lie has led the House of Commons witl distinguished success under very difli cult circumstances, and again he ha; displayed great qualities of self-contro and co-operation, as second m commant to Mr Gladstone. He is unquestionably capable of leading the party brilliantly enough, if the party will consent t< follow him. But will they? That i: just the point. The whole Whig sec tion of course will follow him, for tbi eldest son of the House of Devonshin i 3 their natural leader. He is exactly the man, too, for the section who cal themselves Liberal-Conservative. Bu the Radicals, the section who arc claim ing more and more every day a mono poly of Liberal views, do not care fo Lord Hartington at all. They see ii him an aristocrat of aristocrats ; an they are for democracy ornotbing. Thes Radicals, moreover, are too powerfu to be disregarded. They are not onl numerous and growing m number, bill for the first time m the political annal of the country, they are better led an' better organised than any other part or section. Mr Chamberlain, the re publican ex-Mayor of Birmingham, th unsparing critic of aristocratic leader ship, the author of the English caucus, am the bite noire of "VVhigs and Tories alike is by far the ablest party politician no\ iv Englaud. To him aud his followers it would be a bitter disappointment t see Lord Hartington placed at the heai of the party, with every prospect of re maining there for many years. We ar not surprised to hear, therefore, tha Mr Gladstone's retirement, whenever i may take place, is expected to produci an irrcconcileable division m the part; whose various and uncongenial elements he has managed 'so wonderfully to keej together. But be must retire sooner o: later ; and when he does, the Liberal must either take Lord Hartington fo: their leader or else make way for a lonj period of Tory administration. The Tories, however, are not withou their troubles as to the leadership Lord Salisbury, Lord Cairns and Sii Stafford Northcote all have a claim t( it, and the rivalry among them, eapc cially between the first two, is belicvee to be anything but friendly. The disputes among the leaders extend, too, te the rank and file of the party, anc intrigues occasionally come to lighl which are enough to make Lord Beaconsfield turn m his grave at Hughenden Thus, on the late occasion of the Arrears of Rent m Ireland Bill, Lord Salisbury, the nominal head of the party, when he announced his proposals with respect to the Bill, found himself out-votcel and snubbed m his own drawing-room. That affair practically destroyed his prospects of ever attaining to the Premiership. But for all that, it did not improve Lord Cairns' prospects. That crafty nobleman is now very generally regarded as an intriguer, and the Tory party never were and are not now, particularly partial to intriguers. Personally Sir Stafford Northcote is far more acceptable to the party than either Lord Salisbury or Lord Cairns ; but he also has defects. He is not m the first order of Statesmen. He is the type of the fine old English gentleman, and he makes a very good Cabinet Minister and a creditable leader of the Opposition. He has been quite consistent iv his Toryism ; for, such is the irony of politics, the man who now face 3Mr Gladstone m the House of Commons began his career as private Secretary to Mr Gladstone, forty years ago, when Mr Gladstone himself was a Tory. But there is nothing about Sir Stafford Northcote to strike the imagination of the party or the country, and at the best he can never be looked on as anything more than a respectable figure head. He is, moreover, m declining health, and there have been rumors that from that cause, if from no other, he may any day relinquish a position where his best friends cannot say he shines aß a star of the first magnitude. If those rumors should prove true, his successor will not be far to seek. Sir Richard Assheton Cross is tbe man, and it may turn out that m him the Tory party will ultimately find the leader to restore their fortunes. Sir Richard Cross is at this moment acting as leader of the Opposition m the House of Commons, m the absence of Sir Stafford Northcote on account of ill -health, and we have no doubt ho is quite equal to the duty. It may prove an important opportunity for him. He is a remarkably

capable man of business, and an P' enthusiastic believer m the high tradi- 8 1 tions of the party, and he has a certain sort of fearlessness m upholding hia v , belief against all odds, which more than j: once has Btood him m good stead. The T Tories have not forgotten the memor- V able struggle m South -West Lancashire j. m 18G8, when Mr Cross, as he then was, ,; boldly opposed Mr Gladstone's Candida- n lure, and defeated him by 31-i votes. 1 That alone was sufficient to secure any ' young public man m the respect and ~ admiration of his party, and m the case t of Sir Richard Cross, the ground thus j gallantly gained has been well main- 1 tamed. Ho was one m whom Lord ' Beaconsfield had unlimited confidence ; < and Lord Beaconsfield's judgment sel- t dom erred. •