456 



GREAT BRITAIN" AND IRELAND. 



the 27th of March a debate on a similar reso- 

 lution, proposed by Sir Charles Dilke, began 

 in the House of Commons. After a discussion 

 lasting three nights the resolution was nega- 

 tived by 306 against 246 votes, a smaller ma- 

 jority than that obtained by Ministers in the 

 division on the Eastern Question. The official 

 announcement of the end of the war caused 

 great rejoicing, not only on the Ministerial, 

 but on the Opposition benches. 



The Government was very reticent in regard 

 to Egyptian affairs, but repeatedly gave a 

 pledge that no engagement involving a guar- 

 antee would be entered into without the 

 knowledge of Parliament. At the close of 

 the session Sir Julian Goldsmid animadverted 

 upon the interference of the Government in 

 the internal affairs of Egypt, but the Govern- 

 ment was not attacked by any formal resolu- 

 tions. (See EGYPT.) 



Indian affjirs, except in relation to the Af- 

 ghan war and the frontier question, were not 

 prominent in Parliament. (See INDIA.) 



The estimated revenue of 1878-79 was 83,- 

 230,000, and the actual receipts, in spite of an 

 apparent decrease in the consuming power of 

 the country, fell short of this calculation by no 

 more than 114,000. But there was a wider 

 discrepancy between the estimated and the ac- 

 tual expenditure. Sir Stafford Northcote had 

 reckoned in 1878 upon an outlay of 81,000,- 

 000, or nearly two millions and a quarter less 

 than the estimated income. The actual outgoes 

 were 85,400,000, due to the accumulation of 

 the extraordinary charges, those for the Zoo- 

 loo war being added to the Exchequer bonds 

 representing the unpaid balance of the six mil- 

 lions vote of credit. The result was that in 

 April the Chancellor of the Exchequer had to 

 deal, not, as he had anticipated, with a surplus 

 of a million or thereabouts, but with a deficit 

 of 2,291,000, and with not less than 4,750,- 

 000 of unpaid Exchequer bonds. For 1879-'80 

 he estimated a revenue of 83,055,000 and an 

 expenditure of 81,153,000, not including ex- 

 traordinary charges. The surplus, he believed, 

 would be adequate to defray the current ex- 

 penses for the Zooloo war. With respect to 

 the outstanding Exchequer bonds, Sir Stafford 

 Northcote proposed that payment be post- 

 poned, on the understanding that two millions 

 were to be paid off next year and the balance 

 in the following year. The policy of the Gov- 

 ernment was attacked by Mr. Gladstone, Mr. 

 Rylands, Mr. Baxter, Mr. Goschen, and others; 

 but on a division the Government were sup- 

 ported by a majority of 303 against 230. 



Frequent allusions were made to the distress 

 prevailing throughout the country, and partic- 

 ularly to the complaints of the agricultural in- 

 terest. In both Houses the doctrine was pro- 

 pounded that free trade was at the root of all 

 difficulties; but this view failed to obtain any 

 Parliamentary support, and the Prime Minis- 

 ter emphatically repudiated the protectionist 

 sv stern in any shape or form. The representa- 



tives of the sugar industry, however, complain- 

 ing that Continental countries have crushed 

 them by an unfair bounty system, induced the 

 Government to assent to an investigation of 

 the subject by a select committee. The Lon- 

 don tradesmen obtained the appointment of 

 another select committee to inquire into the 

 working of the cooperative stores, which they 

 allege have injured their business. An inquiry 

 into the wine duties was initiated, mainly with 

 a view to procuring such modification of the 

 alcoholic scale as might induce foreign coun- 

 tries, and especially Spain, to deal more rea- 

 sonably with British trade in their tariff ar- 

 rangements. The same uneasy feeling which 

 prompted these inquiries inspired the demand 

 for the establishment of a Ministry of Com- 

 merce. This was proposed by Mr. Sampson 

 Lloyd, and the Government were willing to ac- 

 cept the proposal, if the proviso that the Min- 

 ister of Commerce shall be a member of the 

 Cabinet were omitted. An amendment to this 

 effect was, however, rejected by the House, 

 and Mr. Lloyd's resolution adopted by a ma- 

 jority of 20. 



On March llth Sir W. Lawson moved a reso- 

 lution favoring the transfer of the power of 

 granting licenses for the sale of intoxicating 

 drinks from magistrates to inhabitants of local- 

 ities. He set forth, in language borrowed 

 from a resolution of Convocation, that, as the 

 ancient and avowed object of licenses was to 

 supply a public want without detriment to the 

 public welfare, the legal power of restraining 

 the issue of them should be placed in the 

 hands of those most likely to be injured ; and 

 he based its necessity on the notorious increase 

 of drunkenness, arising, as he contended, from 

 the unlimited facilities for the opening of 

 public houses. The words of the resolution, 

 though wide enough to include the Permissive 

 Bill, Licensing Board, the Gothenburg system, 

 etc., did not commit anybody to details. All 

 the religious bodies of the country had decided 

 in favor of it, and there was no organized op- 

 position to it except from the publicans. Mr. 

 Wheelhouse moved a counter-resolution, ob- 

 jecting to any change in the present licensing 

 arrangements. He denied that drunkenness 

 was on the increase, and attributed its mis- 

 chief not so much to the legitimate licenses as 

 to the grocers and other "off " licenses. Sir 

 M. Ridley, on behalf of the Government, op- 

 posed the original resolution, the fatal defect 

 of which was its subordination of the privi- 

 leges of the sober to the reformation of the 

 drunkards. The House ought not to deal with 

 a question of this kind by passing a vague res- 

 olution, which merely meant that something 

 must be done. He did not see in local option 

 the elements of a satisfactory licensing tribu- 

 nal, which ought to be judicial, consistent, 

 and independent. The Government held that 

 further legislation of some kind was necessary, 

 whether by increased police supervision or en- 

 larged magisterial discretion, or by increas- 



