There is but one man left in the Cabinet who
would have much chance of coping with the new difficulties created in the House of Commons by this grave event, and that is the Home Secretary, Mr. Henry Matthews. But as he was brought in by Lord Randolph Churchill, it is at least possible that he may go out with him. And if he does not, it would, indeed, be like leading a forlorn-hope for an inexperienced Minister to step into the vacant place in the face of such antagonists. In all probability, Lord Salisbury will follow the Times' advice, and make some new appeal to Lord Hartington to come to the rescue, which, in our opinion, he could only do on condition that he really determines the policy of the new Government, and would probably be most reluctant to do even then. But the situation is a very grave one. With war, and the gravest of wars, impending, with a combination between Mr. Gladstone and the Parnellites, with a Tory Democrat denouncing the expenditure of the Government, and quite a new outbreak of political caprice and sentimentalism in all directions, unless we have a very strong hand at the helm, the British Parliament may fall into a degeneracy for which the State will have to suffer for a generation at least. Lord liar- tington alone is at all equal to the situation.
