Mr. Gladstone has gone to Biarritz for three weeks at
least. Ministers have dispersed to all parts of the Kingdom, and no more Cabinets will be held till the middle of January. It is evidently believed by those who have the beet means of knowing, that the chief measure of the next Session has not as yet been laid before the Cabinet as a whole,—indeed, the Committee of the Cabinet have not, as yet, it is said, put it into its final shape. Whether that be so or not, it is certain that the secret as to its general drift has been really kept, and that no one outside the Cabinet,—perhaps even no one outside the Com- mittee of the Cabinet appointed to draw it up—knows even its general outline. That seems to have irritated con- siderably many of our contemporaries, but we do not under.
stand why,—unless purely on the ground that it would be much pleasanter for journalists to have something authentic to write about. But then, Governments are not chosen for the purpose of providing journalists with interesting matter.
