11 JUNE 1881, Page 3

This Land Bill seems to move Conservatives out of them-

selves. Lord Carnarvon is usually moderation itself, but at 13arton-on-Trent on Tuesday he ascribed all evils of the situa- tion directly to Government, including even the discreditable condition of the House of Commons. The Government, he said, are as responsible for that as officers are for the mutiny of soldiers. Are officers responsible for mutiny among their enemy's troops P For it is among the Conservatives and the Laud Leaguers that the mutiny has occurred. Sir Michael hicks-Beach, also usually moderate, was on Wednesday just as fierce. "No surrender so disgraceful" as the peace in the Transvaal had been made by Englishmen. The foreign policy of the Government had thoroughly failed. The Government had betrayed Greece. Mr. Bright was "audacious," in saying that the Land Bill would settle the Irish difficulty. The " Land Bill had not been enthusiastically received by any party, or Section of a party." The "Government had sown the wind, and was reaping the whirlwind." Ireland must be dealt with "by' vindicating the law, not by asking Parliament to forego discussion on a complicated Bill." The " Government would be found out, by the country which had trusted them." The " sigus of a change were to be seen in the great borough con- stituencies." Clearly, Sir M. Hicks-Beach, unlike Lord Garner- von, believes in numbers. Or rather, he probably holds the useful doctrine that the voice of the people is the voice of God when it is on your side, and the voice of the Devil when It is against you.