Lord Derby made a speech on Wednesday at Liverpool that
was not very remarkable in itself, but was so as coming from an eminent Conservative statesman, for it not only gave a hearty support to the Government, and exonerated it from all blame for the reductions made in the Army and Navy budgets during the last two years, but it affirmed in the strongest way Lord Derby's personal belief that both Services are now in a very efficient condition,—a piece of candour which must be wormwood to the Conservative Press. He quoted the remark of some foreign general, that "the English infantry was about the most formidable in the world, but for- tunately there was very little of it ;" he believed, taking "the limited amount of our forces into consideration, that our arma- ment was now about the best that exists in the world." We had upon the seas a fleet "certainly equal to any, he thought he might go further, and say equal to any two of those were now afloat." He thought it was a thousand to one against our being compelled to take up arms by the violation of Belgian neutrality. In short, Lord Derby could not have given the Government a heartier sup- port than he did. Mr. Disraeli and Sir John Pakington must think him a true Job's comforter to his late colleagues, as he thus expresses his hearty conviction that their favourite cavils are petty and baseless. But Lord Derby is now his own party.
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