This letter very closely resembles in tone, too closely, one
on which we have commented elsewhere to Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen. That gentleman asked Mr. Gladstone's opinion of Sir E. Daring, who had voted for Lord Dunkellin's motion, but is a Liberal, and Mr. Gladstone, while advising the constituency to pardon Sir E. Dering, still could not help giving him ahard dig. His explanation is to be accepted, but still it is silly :—" Sir E. Dering says the Government should have proposed a rating franchise of an amount not higher than the 71. rental franchise. Now, as 61. rating would have been materially higher, he must apparently mean that we ought to have proposed a 51. rating franchise. But this, the next lowest figure, would have given an enfranchisement materially larger than that of the Bill. I wonder Sir E. Dering does not see that if we had done this we should for the first time have given colour to the charge of having disregarded the fears and scruples of the moderate, and of having leant to the doctrines of extreme politicians."
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