The recent etiquette for a Cabinet decidedly beaten at the
Polls has been to resign, without encountering an adverse vote in Parliament ; but the older precedent is in favour of waiting, and Lord Beaconsfield will be acting constitutionally in taking either course. It is probable that he will take the latter. He will desire to shower honours on his supporters, possibly in the Press as well as in the Houses ; his party is still eager for patronage, and there are a number of posts which, by a little adroit manipulation, may still be filled by faithful Conserva- tives. Nobody knows who may die in six weeks. On the other hand, the Liberals will not, we suspect, be altogether sorry for a brief respite. They have to settle the claims to leadership, to arrange their programme, and to decide inform- ally who shall and shall not be Cabinet Ministers. The intellect of the Lower House is so completely on their side, that while Lord Beaconsfield can just make up a small Cabinet with at least three lay figures, the new Liberal Premier will be tor- mented with the multitude of undeniable claims. Fortunately, under our exceptional system of society, some of those who cannot have power will enjoy rank, and do exceedingly good service in the Upper House, where the Tories are not so over- weighted in debate. Lord Granville would not be sorry some- times for two or three additions to his intellectual regiment.
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