Lord Sandon, on Saturday, made a speech to the Conserva-
tives of Chester, which was one series of charges against the Government. They had encouraged the admission to Parlia- ment of a man who had " lifted high the flag of atheism and infidelity." Every measure they brought in had been opposed by their own supporters. They carried the Compensation for Disturbances Bill by a majority principally made up of Home- rulers. When the House of Lords threw out the Bill, the Government asked if it should not upset that Constitutional Chamber. The real cause why Parliament was kept sitting so. late was to mask the Government's defeat. Nobody knew what the Government meant to do with the Fleet against their old ally Turkey. Lord Beaconsfield had always told them what he meant to do. We doubt if the electors of Chester are quite so ignorant as Lord Sandon evidently supposes ; whether it is worth while to tell them that Mr. Bradlaugh was seated because he was regularly elected by Northampton ; that the opposition of its own supporters shows a Government disinter- ested; that the Liberals, great landlords excepted, voted for the Disturbances Bill ; that the Ministry asked no question about the Lords, Mr. Forster speaking only for himself ; that everybody knows what the Government mean to do with the Fleet,—namely, to carry out the Treaty of Berlin ; and that as to the information given by the late Ministry, every intention. of theirs was studiously concealed. Did Lord Sandon never hear of the Secret Agreement ? One expects speeches of that. kind from the Fourth Party, but Lord Sandon has pretensions to be a statesman.
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