As to the policy of the Government, Lord Salisbury said
that he could not give any account of their intended Bills, for the same excellent reason for which Henry IV. could not get the mayor of some rather disaffected city to give up its keys. The Mayor in question was about to offer eighteen excellent reasons for not complying with the King's demand, but the first of them being that there were no keys, the King graciously excused him from any enumeration of the other reasons. That was Lord Salisbury's position in relation to the Bills. There are as yet no Bills. A good deal in relation to policy depends on money resources. Now the Government do not know as yet to how much their money resources will amount. And it is impossible to prepare Bills without knowing that. The urgency of the condition of English agriculture is one of the most pressing of political questions before the Government, but then of course they can decide nothing without knowing what they have to give. At the best, Lord Salisbury looks for alleviation only, perhaps even for no very important alleviation, but still for lightening the burdens on agriculture so far as possible. Of the relief to voluntary schools, Lord Salisbury spoke in the same fashion. He promised nothing, but he recognised the obligation to do as much as circum- stances should permit.
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