Although we have reached the middle of July, the Govern-
ment give no sign as to the measures which they propose to abandon, br those which they propose to press forward. Indeed, Sir William Harcourt steadily refuses to shed any light on the future till he has completed his work on the Budget Bill. Probably there is a certain division of opinion in the Cabinet, so that every moment of delay is regarded as an advantage in helping to determine by the occurrence of circumstances over which political bias has no control, what could not otherwise be determined except by a sharp engage- ment between the various Ministers themselves. It is a significant fact that while the Prime Minister declined dining with the Lord Mayor on August let in consequence of the pressure of political business, Sir William Harcourt selected that very day for the dinner of congratulation which his friends wish to give him in recognition of his financial audacity and success. Apparently, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the House of Commons are not at one on the course of procedure that was either desirable in the past or is now desirable for the future.
Previous page
