THE RETIREMENT OF MR A. J. BALFOUR
Sir,—ln your lcador of Saturday last on the above statesman, I wish to. supplement one or two incidents that may |iave escaped your notice. In the first place it is hahlly correct to eay that Mr. Balfour lias becji a prominent politician for almost half a century. To go back to the on tho split of the Literal Party on Mr. Gladstone's Homo ltiile proposals, Lord Salisbury formed a temporal* Government until such tiino as a general election, could 'be held. This was held iii/tho months of May and June of 1887. Lord Salisbury won the election, and on his forming li'i; second Cabinet Mr. Balfour was appointed to bo• -Secretary for Scotlam!, without a eeat in tho Cabinet. Sir Michael ilicks-Beach was chosen for tho Irish Secretaryship. Then at tho 'zenith of his political career, great things were expected of his, handling of the Irish question. His speech on the question was ifavouj-itbly received both in the House and in the (jountry. Within a few months, however, his health broke down, and he had to resign. The party was faced with a crisis, as it was recognised there was no strong member in the Cabinet to fill Sir Michael's place. Lord Salisbury appointed Mr. A. J. lialfour, a practically untried man in such important positions, and I remember with what doubt§ and fears the appoint-
ment was received by the united Press of the country. The Chief Secretaryship for Ireland had a few times proved the political grave of eoino prominent politicians. Well, it is very well known that Mr. Balfour proved himself to be ono of the best Secretaries Ireland' has had. It is a fact that be went about the- country and into places that a few yeara previously would have been as much as some of his predecessors' lives were worth.—l am, etc.. THOS. M. MILLIGAN. May 20, 1018.
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Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 209, 29 May 1919, Page 6
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320THE RETIREMENT OF MR A. J. BALFOUR Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 209, 29 May 1919, Page 6
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