We sincerely regret the resignation of Lord Cave from the
Lord Chancellorship. His health has been unsatis- factory for some time and the remedy of a complete rest was not possible in his case, as many of the Lord Chancellor's legal duties cannot be deputed. It was inevitable, therefore, that the Prime Minister should accept Lord Cave's resignation, but we can well under- stand his extreme reluctance to lose so accomplished and industrious a " Speaker " from the House of Lords. Sir Douglas Hogg becomes Lord Chancellor and Sir Thomas Inskip (the present Solicitor-General) succeeds Sir Douglas as Attorney-General. Mr. F. B. Merriman becomes Solicitor-General. There were only two obvious candidates for the Lord Chancellorship—Lord Birkenhead and Sir Douglas Hogg. Lord Birkenhead, who was Lord Chancellor from 1919 to 1922, was passed over if only because it was undesirable that he should leave the India Office now that the inquiry into the Indian Reforms is in a highly critical stage. Mr. Baldwin, however, must have thought long and anxiously before he consented to let Sir Douglas leave the House of Commons, where he has been a source of great and constant strength to the Government. * *
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