The first Cabinet of the season was held on Thursday,
and was chiefly occupied, it is understood, with the subject of the French Commercial Treaty. On this no doubt there will be very strong differences in the Cabinet. Every one knows Mr. Lowe's objection to commercial treaties with Protectionist - Powers, and we cannot but think there is a good deal of force in the view, which, we observe with some surprise, is shared by Mr. Birley, the Conservative minority-member for Manchester. If we snake large concessions to the French Government's very bad finance, in order to get rid of the differential tax upon our ship- Ping, our authority will always be quoted as favourable to a system of finance like the French, and we shall besides seriously hamper our own financial legislation. On the other hand, if we despair of France, it will greatly influence the commercial feeling of other European countries towards the French people, and the various "favoured-nation clauses" will produce greatly less beneficial effects than they would if we obtained a few con- siderable concessions from France in relation to shipping and manufactured goods. It is not impossible that the Cabinet may take some step, too, in relation to Irish University Education,— such a step, at least, as nominating the Committee by whose hands the Bill is to be shaped. Mr. Chichester Fortescue should at least be associated with Lord Hartington in the matter, and allowed the lead due to his far greater experience and his greater acceptability to the Irish Catholics, whom Lord Hartington has taken some pains to offend.
