On Thursday Sir Michael Hicks-Beach made an admirable speech at
Oldham,—a speech which shows that the country must recognise in him one of its ablest statesmen. We need not deal with his comments on the war, which were reason- able enough, but may note his announcement that, as far as be could see, the money in hand would last out without recourse to an autumn Session. We have never believed in the alleged meanness of the Chancellor of the Exchequer as to expenditure, and therefore feel no surprise at his declara- tion that it would be most mistaken economy to gradge any amount of expenditure which would end the war quickly. The Chancellor- of the Exchequer has, we believe, never deviated from that position. As to the over-representation of Ireland, we find Sir Michael Hicks-Beach's speech equally satisfactory. He, no doubt, did not want to show rudeness to a colleague by ignoring the Lord Chancellor's recent extraordinary speech, noticed by us below, but without absolutely snubbing Lord Halsbury he made it clear what were his views in regard to the over-representation of Ireland. And, most properly, he did not dwell upon the punitive reasons for redistribution, but upon the need of doing justice to England. Equally satisfactory was the way in which he met that most unsound of arguments, that the Act of Union Compels England to continue to be without her fair share of representation. Taken as a whole, Sir Michael Hicks-Beach's speech is a most conclusive and satisfactory answer to those who think—apparently the Lord Chancellor is one of them— that the pledges to do justice to England given at Blenheim are to be broken.
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