WILL NOT VISIT It seems that Gladstone has been contemplating con-templating a visit to America but has now decided to go to Norway instead It is to be regretted that he is not coming for a visit to the United States would I have shown him to what his own country I is gradually drifting a republic in which the voice of the people as expressed through the ballot controls all In the present century no one Englishman has done so much to make England democratic demo-cratic as Mr Gladstone and even time he has sought to modify English institutions institu-tions he has given greater recognition to the rights of the people That England is destined to be a republic some day seems a certainty hut when that day comes no man can say what form her institutions will take That she cannot be a federal government such as the United States would seem to be a foregone fore-gone conclusion and still she must greatly modify the administration of internal in-ternal affairs for now everything in England Eng-land is done by Parliament and questions I mat m America are decided l > y the town or the county there are decided by Par liment Englands government is a historical his-torical formation and respect for history is often a guaranty for freedom and that form of government in which it is found Had Mr Gladstone come to America and given American institutions his careful care-ful study in their home his views would have been of great interest and his criticisms likely of great benefit The criticisms of Herbert Spencer were honest and while Americans did not entirely en-tirely agree with him still he pointed out some things which are too much neglected neglect-ed in the United States to observe which in future would probably be well Englishmen Eng-lishmen have modified their views and opinions of America and her institutions within forty years and things here I have been much modified in forty years Americans have become less I provincial and more cosmopolitan j To know how people look upon these i changes is the thing that interests all I now and especially to know what so accomplished ac-complished and distinguished a statesman I as Mr Gladstone thinks of them is not mere curiosity but a worthy desire It is probable now that weshall never know what he thinks of America but at all events it is to be hoped that Mrs Brassey I i will not give to the world another account I of a voyage in the yacht Sunbeam < <