GREAT BRITAIN. The four chief political par ties in Great Britain at the present time are the Conservatives, the Liberals, the Irish Parlia mentary or Home Rule Party, and the Liberal Unionists. The Conservatives and the Liberals are the lineal descendants of the old Tories and Whigs, and although their political ideas are far more advanced than those of their predecessors, they maintain relatively the same attitude toward the questions of the day. The professed policy of the Conservatives is de maintenance of the Empire, the preserva tion of the Constitution in its present form, the union of Church and State, and the general conservation of vested interests. Liberal Party comprises the great majority of the Dis senters in England, and of all the voters in Scotland and Wales, hut it is nearly always in the minority in England itself. Its policy is one of abstention from foreign complications, economy in expenditure, and reform in the Con stitution. The Radicals, who form a wing of the party, desire disestablishment of the State Church. manhood suffrage, free education, and the abolition of the House of Lords. The Liberal Party was divided on the question of the South African War in 1899-1902. The whole party opposed it in the beginning, and agreed in critici*ing the conduct of the war by the Govern ment. But while the majority favored granting a liberal measure of home rule to the Boers, a Radical minority advocated the independence of the republics. The Home Rnle or Irish
mentary Party was founded mainly through the efforts of Charles Stewart Parnell (q.v.), and is composed entirely of Irish members. It subor dinates all other issues to that of Home Rule (q.v.) for Ireland. although it advocates imme diate reform of the Irish land system and of Irish taxation, and is in favor of the establish ment of an Irish Catholic university. It has acted with the Liberals since 1886. and violently opposed the Boer War. The Liberal-Unionists separated from the Liberals in 1886 on account of Gladstone's advocacy of home rule. Since that time they have acted with the Conservatives, their leader, Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, becoming the most pronounced advocate of an aggressive foreign policy and of the unconditional subjuga tion of the South African republics. In the general elections for Parliament held in October, 1900, 334 Conservatives. 186 Liberals, S2 Home-Rulers, and 63 Liberal-Unionists were returned. For the development of English political parties, consult: Cook, History of Party from Charles 11. to the Reform. Bill (London, 1836-37) ; Kebhel, History of Toryism, 178.1-1.381 (London, 1886) ; Kent, English Radicals (New York, 1899).