Mr. Thomas Hughes, the Member for Frome, made a bright
speech to his constituents on Thursday se'ennight, a speech full to overflowing of sanguineness and strength. Mr. Hughes believes in the present House of Commons,—which, we may remark in pass- ing, has certainly contrived to attract the confidence of Liberals to an unprecedented degree ;—would reform the House of Lords by .creating in future only Life Peerages,—a proposal which, among other consequences, would triple the social value of all existing Feerages ; praises the Education Bill of last session, and be- lieves in the Bill of the next; as becomes a Rugby boy, *sinks in the failure of the opposition to Dr. Temple ; predicts that before long faith in Christ will be the only test,—which is not quite correct, as we must also have faith in the right of the State to rule the Church, as being the more sacred corporation of the two,—and generally leaves the usual impression that "Tom Hughes" would have made the finest Admiral ever seen. On the land tenure, however, the lawyer side of his mind came out, and lie was disappointingly moderate. He would give time in pay- tuent for improvements at the rate of ten years' lease for every year's rent sunk in the soil in that way. We fear that concession would not rebind Ireland to the Empire, and that is what we have 4o do. To stop theft is good, but to found loyalty is better.
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