The Government, on Friday week, made the long-delayed announcement of
their policy in Uganda. It is probably the result of a compromise within the Cabinet, and is a wretchedly weak one. The Government retain the Protectorate of Uganda, and will exercise it through a Commissioner or Resident, who will not interfere, but will advise King Mwanga. They abandon Unyoro to its chiefs, with whom the Commis- sioner is only to hold diplomatic relations, and they have leased, that is surrendered, Wadelai to the Congo State. They place a Sub-Commissioner on the mainland between the sea and the Victoria Nyanza, but he is only to watch over communications, and they refuse to commence the railway from Mombassa to the Lake,—that is, they leave Uganda almost inaccessible. We have said enough of the arrangement elsewhere ; but it will be an acute disap- pointment to the Scotch churches, and to all who, like ourselves, think that Providence had set us a great task to perform. It is evident, from the course adopted, that Lord Rosebery does not rule his own Cabinet, and that the sixteen are incurably divided, even on points of foreign policy.
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