The war on the Gold Coast is referred to apologetically
as " un- happy," and as warning us not to enter without the greatest care into " equivocal and entangling engagements ;" and Mr. Gladstone expresses a hope that after the war is over the relation with the Ashantees will be not only " one of peace, but of friendship." The hopeless excess of business before Parliament is lamented, and the desire expressed to lighten it by delegating to " local and subordinate authorities," under the "unquestioned control" of Parliament, certain local functions,—the only approach to the sub- ject of Home Rule. Mr. Gladstone then hints his own preference for the first form of the Education Act, in which the School Boards were left quite free to determine what form of religion, —denominational or otherwise,—might be taught in. their schools, and to aid from the rates denominational schools, if they chose ; but he acquiesces in the changes introduced, not 'giving any immediate hope of further change, though he thinks the renovated Parliament may be able to accommodate " one or two points calculated to create an amount of uneasiness out of proportion to their real import- ance." He holds out the hope of a great measure to utilise the superfluous resources of the Universities, suggests that the borough
franchise should be extended to the counties 'without any strife of parties, and then plays his great card, the proposed total repeal of the Income-tax, and the proportionate reduction of 'some tax on articles of general consumption,—steps which he admits would more than dispose of the five millions surplus he expects, if not accompanied by such a readjustment of taxes as would to some extent replenish the revenue. The address concludes with a contrast betieen the results of Liberal Government during the last forty-three years and Tory Government during the forty years preceding, in . strengthening or undermining, respec- tively, the stability of British institutions. It is a somewhat novel proceeding of Mr. Gladstone's to ask direalfforaplebi scite on a Budget proposal of which Parliament has not yet dis- approved, and, as we have elsewhere shown, we fear it is a dangerous one. But as an electioneering coup de main, undoubt- edly the address was a great success.
