N.E.) and seconded by Mr. Herbert Roberts (Denbigh, W.), representing that a substantial part of the cost of the Tibetan mission should be paid for by the British Exchequer, was resisted by Mr. Brodrick and withdrawn. The latter disclaimed any intention of occupying Tibet permanently or establishing a Protectorate or a Resident.

Both Houses sat for a short time on Saturday, August 13. On the second reading of the Anglo-French Convention Bill in the Lords, Lord Lansdowne was able to announce that the Powers had assented to the Khedivial decree, undertaking important reforms in Egypt, which was rendered possible by the arrangement as to the Caisse de la Dette under the Convention. In the House of Commons there was a hasty and miscellaneous debate in connection with the third reading of the Appropriation Bill.

The House of Lords was prevented from completing its work till Monday, August 15, when Parliament was prorogued by Royal Commission. The King's speech referred with satisfaction to the Royal visits to Copenhagen and Kiel, and to the various events of the session in our foreign relations and in Parliament. It contained, however, little worthy of specific mention. A word of praise was given to the Tibetan expedition, whose safe arrival at Lhasa was declared to reflect the greatest credit on its officers and men. As to Parliament, reference was made to Army Reform, the Licensing Act, the Local Authorities Default Act and the Shop Hours Act, and the blessing of Providence was invoked on the fruits of its labours.

So ended a session in which much of the activity displayed had proved wholly futile, and much of the business of Parliament had been transacted virtually or actually without debate.

CHAPTER V.

Mr. Balfour at the British Association-Russian Stoppages of British Ships-The Smolensk and Peterburg Intercepted at Zanzibar-The Trade Union Congress -The Army Manoeuvres-Wales and the Education Act-Passive Resistance and the Parliamentary Franchise-Re-opening of the Political Campaign : Lord Rosebery at Lincoln-Mr. Chamberlain and Lord Rosebery on a Colonial Conference-Developments of the Controversy-Mr. Balfour Defines His Position in a Speech at Edinburgh-Death of Sir William Harcourt-Mr. Chamberlain at Luton-Comments by Mr. Asquith, Mr. Haldane, Sir Charles Dilke, Mr. Cripps and Lord Hugh Cecil-Thanet Election-Mr. Long and the Unemployed-Sir Frederick Pollock on Imperial Organisation-"Devolution" in Ireland-Russian Attack on English Fishing Boats on the Dogger BankReception of the News in England-Suggested Explanations-Attitude of Russia Admiral's Account-Mr. Balfour at Southampton-The Conservative Conference-Lord Rosebery at Trowbridge-West Monmouthshire Election— Sale of the Standard-Sir Henry Campbell- Bannerman in Edinburgh; Mr. Asquith at Southampton; Sir Edward Grey at Coventry-Mr. Bonar Law in Edinburgh-The North Sea Outrage; Attitude of the Opposition; Commission of Inquiry-Lord Lansdowne at the Guildhall-Unionist Divisions and the Horsham Election-The Duke of Devonshire at Rawtenstall-Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman on Chinese Labour-Ministers at the Liberal Union Club Contributions towards a Liberal Programme-North Sea InquiryGreat Britain and the Belligerents-Visit of the King of Portugal-The Arbitration Treaties-The Beck Case-The Fiscal Controversy and the Sugar Convention-The Unemployed-Further Contributions to the Fiscal Controversy by Mr. Asquith, Lord Hugh Cecil and Mr. Bonar Law-Lord Rosebery in Glasgow-Outlines of Liberal Policy-The Question of Imperial DefenceNew Scheme of Naval Organisation-Army Reform: Mr. Arnold-Forster in Edinburgh and Newcastle-New Field Artillery-Unionist Divisions on the Proposed Redistribution Bill and the Fiscal Question-Resignation of Mr. Rigg, M.P.-Mr. Chamberlain at Limehouse-Replies by Mr. Asquith and Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman-Mr. Lyttelton in Glasgow: Renewed Doubts as to the Prime Minister's Attitude-New Fiscal Blue-Book-Unemployment and Pauperism-Education: the London County Council Scheme-Retrospect and Outlook.

FOR five weeks after the prorogation party strife was virtually suspended. The Prime Minister, however, as President of the British Association, delivered at its meeting at Cambridge, on August 17, an interesting and characteristic address. He dealt with the changes in the conception of the material world from the end of the eighteenth century to the present time, and, after dwelling on the ultimate difficulties of an explanation of the origin and validity of knowledge, came to the conclusion that natural science must tend more and more to lean on an idealistic interpretation of the universe. The address exhibited Mr. Balfour's usual tendency to dwell on the relative, not to say illusory, aspects of current theory without attempting to offer an alternative. The fiscal discussions at the meeting tended, on the whole, to the detriment of the case for Tariff Reform.

The first important news of the Recess was that the Volunteer cruisers Smolensk and Peterburg had resumed their activity, but this time off the Cape of Good Hope; the steamer Comedian having been boarded eighty miles from Port Elizabeth on August 21. The Liverpool steamship owners on August 19 had passed resolutions urging the Government to settle the question of contraband and to take immediate steps to protect British ships;

and this course was also pressed on Lord Lansdowne by the President of the Chamber of Shipping and by the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce. Much dissatisfaction was also felt as to different treatment accorded by the Russians to German and to British ships; and a deputation from the East India and China section of the London Chamber of Commerce waited on Mr. Balfour on August 25, giving him a number of examples, and stating that, in consequence, higher insurance premiums were charged at Lloyds on British than on German ships, and also pressing him to stop the action of the Russian cruisers. Mr. Balfour stated that, at the request of the Russian Government, two British cruisers were to search for the Smolensk and Peterburg, and transmit to them the order to stop their activity, which, apparently, they had not received. As to contraband, the Government adhered to the view that a belligerent could not settle the question for itself. He did not think there was proof of differential treatment of British shipping, which constituted nine-tenths of the trade of the East. If proved, such treatment would involve a serious breach of international comity.

But he thought the higher insurance on British ships was due more to the anticipation of such treatment than to the treatment actually received. The Prime Minister reminded the deputation that belligerents have rights, but on the whole his declarations implied a firm intention to maintain those of neutrals.

In accordance with Mr. Balfour's announcement several British war vessels were ordered to search in the Indian Ocean and off the Cape for the Russian cruisers, which were found at Zanzibar on September 6. The message was delivered to them by H.M.S. Forte, and it was stated that they would at once return to Europe.

The Trade Union Congress was held in Leeds on September 5, 6 and 7. At a preliminary conference, held (in connection with other societies interested in the housing question) on September 3, resolutions were adopted urging the grant of statutory powers to municipalities to acquire and hold large estates in land, as in Germany, and of further borrowing powers; the multiplication of cheap trains under the powers possessed by the Board of Trade, and the development of municipal tramways and light railways. A conference on education, held in connection with the Gasworkers and General Labourers' Union and the Leeds Trade Council, on Sunday, September 4, pressed for secularisation of the schools as a solution of the religious difficulty, a course advocated by the Countess of Warwick, and the provision of at least one free meal daily for children in elementary schools. The State maintenance of school children had been supported by a demonstration of the Social Democratic Federation in Hyde Park on August 28, and the agitation for free meals in schools was resumed in London in December.

The address of the President of the Congress, Mr. R. Bell,

M.P., strongly condemned the action of the Government on Chinese labour and the fiscal question and its neglect of social reform. Trade Unionists, he urged, should vote only for those Parliamentary candidates who would support the Trade Disputes Bill. A resolution was adopted calling for the appointment of a Minister for Industry, of Cabinet rank; but a more comprehensive resolution to the effect that he should preside over a Labour Conciliation Board, moved by Mr. Ben Tillett, was defeated by a vote representing 869,000 against 362,000. Of the other resolutions passed two protested respectively against conscription and against any departure from the principles of Free Trade. A reference by Mr. John Ward (of the Navvies' Union) to the King as "almost our only statesman" was received with enthusiasm.

The Army manœuvres (Sept. 7-14) were conducted on a new plan, involving naval co-operation, and were stated by Mr. Arnold-Forster (in his speeches of Dec. 9 and 12) and by various military experts to have been fruitful in instructive results. The hypothesis was that an enemy (Blue), having disposed of the defending fleet and invaded Sussex, was now diverting the attention of the defenders (Red) by landing 12,000 men on the Essex coast. To meet this force there were only a regiment and a half of mounted troops, one battery of artillery and three battalions of infantry. The details were left to the commanding generals and to the umpires on the spot. The attacking force under General French began to land between Holland Gap and Clacton on September 7, and, after a sharp fight, captured Colchester early next day. After a day's armistice the defending force retired to a strong position on a ridge between Braintree and White Notley, with a cavalry outpost at Witham. General Wynne, their commander, was then informed that the enemy in Sussex had been defeated, and was instructed to draw General French away from his ships. The latter presently received orders to retire and re-embark, but was detained on shore one day by the heavy sea running. When operations closed it seemed as if the escape of the invading force would have been impossible. The manoeuvres were not sensational, but were conducted under conditions like those of actual warfare, and the co-operation of soldiers and sailors was carried out effectively and with spirit.

The struggle over the administration of the Education Act in Wales seemed to have entered on a new stage with the passing of the Education (Defaulting Authorities) Act. A meeting of the Executive of the Welsh County Councils was held at Shrewsbury on September 14, in preparation for a National Convention at Cardiff on October 6. At both, resistance to the new Act was urged, not only by representatives of various Nonconformist bodies, but by Mr. Humphreys-Owen, M.P., in the name of Liberal Churchmen. The Act was denounced as having been passed against the votes of five-sixths of the Welsh

Members, and it was urged that the policy of refusing rate aid to schools not under direct popular control had been backed by a popular mandate at the County Council elections in March. At the National Convention, which was attended by five or six hundred delegates from all the Welsh education authorities and was marked by great enthusiasm, Mr. Lloyd-George declared that the fight was "for the status of Wales as well as for religious equality," and resolutions were passed embodying a policy which may be summarised thus: Rate aid was not to be given to denominational schools; should the Defaulting Authorities Act be put into operation, parents were to be called on to withdraw their children from the non-provided schools (many of which, it was alleged, were insanitary and should be closed), and send them to purely voluntary schools, set up in the Nonconformist chapels. By this means the Church schools, being practically emptied of children, would be unable to earn their Government grants, and so would have to be closed or made over to the local education authority on its own terms. Finally, a public inquiry was demanded into the state of the schools in Wales. It was noteworthy, however, that Merionethshire hesitated to come into line (at a conference held on September 30), that at the municipal elections on November 1, Cardiff returned a majority of councillors in opposition to Mr. Lloyd-George's policy, and that the Welsh Bishops appealed, apparently with good hope of success, to their dioceses and to English Churchmen for funds to enable them to make the necessary repairs in Church school buildings-so as to remove all excuse for a refusal by the local authority to maintain education in them—and to keep up their schools during the crisis.

Meanwhile "passive resistance" continued in England and a number of the resisters cheerfully suffered short terms of imprisonment for refusal to pay their rates and in default of distress. During the year 1904 the statistics of the movement were: Summonses, 29,974; sales under distraint, 1,180. For the whole period since the commencement of the movement (May 31, 1903), the figures were: Summonses, 37,296; sales, 1,504; imprisonments, 80. Eleven persons went to prison twice, and one thrice. During the revision of the Parliamentary registers, however, different revising barristers took opposite views on the question whether non-payment of the education rate disqualified for the franchise. Two cases, Ash v. Nicholl, and Cox v. Merriman, respectively concerning forty passive resisters at Scarborough and nine at Marlborough, were decided by the King's Bench Division of the High Court on November 18, adversely to the resisters. The Lord Chief Justice (Mr. Justice Kennedy and Mr. Justice Ridley concurring) held that the education rate was included in the poor rate, non-payment of which was admittedly a disqualification. It was stated, however, by the Secretary of the National Passive Resistance Committee (Times, December 15) that distraint would satisfy the