THE ENGLISH POLITICAL SITUATION.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1162, 15 July 1885, Page 4

THE ENGLISH POLITICAL SITUATION.

The " New Zealand Times" says :—: — The latest developments in the English political situation entirely support our view as to the true bearing of the position. No one doubted that, if the Conservative leaders were rash enough to accept office instead of following the prudent example set them by their late chief, Lord Beaconsfield, in like circumstances, and, declining the dangerous honour, they would be able to form an administration. It was equally certain that they could construct a Ministry very strong indeed, as regards its ability and the high personal characters of its members, albeit hopelessly weak, numerically, as to its following in the House. All that was clear enough. Events have shown that the Conservatives were less prepared for the crisis even than we had presumed, for very serious differences have admittedly existed among the leaders, resulting in the final deposition of Sir Stafford Northcote from the leadership of the party in the House of Commons, and in hia being gracefully •' shunted" into tho other Chamber. This is a very judicious step. Sir Stafford is one of the most admirable, honourable, and sterling of Englishmen, but he was a rank failure as a loader. He will be far more in his element in "another place." His successor in the leadership of the Commons, Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, has, on the other hand, long given great promise of proving a specially capable and spirited leader of his party and the change is very much to its interest. Lord Salisbury will be an able and vigorous Minister of Foreign Affairs, aud as Lord Eandolph Churchill has just qualified himself for the Indian portfolio by making a tour of that remarkable country he is no doubt placed in accordance with his bent. All this is well enough, but it almost went without saying. The Conservative success in Cabinet-mak-ing might have been taken for granted. The real and ominous item of interest in the cable news is that Mr Gladstone has refused an offered earldom. He is not above taking a leaf out of Lord Beaconsfield's book, if Lord Salisbury is, and he doubtless well remembers that when Mr Disraeli was first offered a peerage, on the defeat of the Derby Ministry, with very little prospect of their return to power, he declined it in order that he might retain the leadership of his party in the Commons. That is just what Mr Gladstone has done, and it means mischief. There is no doubt at all about that. He has refused to be shelved by exaltation to the House of Lords because he intends to fight, and fight hard. He will strain every nerve and use to the utmost those marvellous powers with which he is gifted to secure at the coming general election a reversal of the recent judgment of Parliament. He has some months before him in which to carry on his oratorical champaign, and we may be sure he will make the best of the time. The Conservatives will have all their work cut out to hold their own, if that be at all possible. They have been manoeuvred into a position of the most formidable disadvantage. It will be all the more creditable to them if " out of this nettle danger they pluck the flower safety." "