The Leadership of the House of Commons.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 13 October 1891, Page 2

The Leadership of the House of Commons.

._ -. ty. . - - Ixt lie August number of the Review of Rmem the leadership ot the House of Commons is commented on, the late Mr Smith's health then being known as being so much impaired as to render him no longer capable of facing another session. How true such an opinion was, we now know, aud it is pleasant to find that Mr Stead is able to admit that Mr Smith (whom at one time he dubbed as " Old Morality " because he forbade the sale of the much canvassed " Maiden's Tribute to Modern Babylon " on the railway bookstalls) has led the house of Commons with much good humour and business capacity. As regards his successor, Mr Stead appears to be wrong, as he asserts that " the Conservative party has long ago made up its mind on that point. There is only one member of the Unionist party in the House who is not convinced that when Mr Smith goes to the House of Lords, his place as leader must be taken by Mr Balfour. The solitary dissentient is Mr Balfour himself. Mr Balfour, if he had his own way, would instal Mr Goschen in the vacant place. He is almost, if not quite, the only G-oschenite in the House. Mr Goschen has many great qualities. He is one of the ablest, and in many respects one of the best men in politics. Yet somehow or other the House gets out of hand when he leads it for ever so short a time, and it is the universal opinion on both sides that his leadership would simply mean chaos come again. Mr Balfour has deservedly great influence in the House ; but not even he can induce his party to follow Mr Goschen." The cablegrams inform us that Mr Goschen will probably succeed Mr Smith as leader.