Lord Stanley made a frank, manly, and thinking speech to
his constituents at King's Lynn, on Wednesday, on the foreign-policy elements of which we have spoken at some length elsewhere. He denied positively that his unexpected motion a few weeks ago to take the clauses of the Reform Bill relative to the distribution of seats before the clauses relative to the franchise, was meant in any way as a surprise. And it is evident that he at least had no intention of this sort, for he is quite right in saying, "Whatever may have been the defects of my political life, I do not think that any one has ever charged me with being led into an extreme course by an exaggerated feeling of partizanship." Lord Stanley was .compli- mentary to Mr. Gladstone. "• I have always spoken, and always shall speak of him, with that respect which is due to splendid ability and eloquence seldom surpassed in Parliament," — but till, as leader of the House of Commons "he did not seem to be altogether fortunate." Especially Mr. Gladstone showed a distrust of his own influence with the House, a mistake which we do not doubt Lard Stanley will not be likely to imitate, for with his sound and sober judgment he has a good deal of the most dangerous alloy such a • judgment can have—vanity with regard to that sound and sober judgment, such as a woman feels in a pretty face or a man in fine horsemanship.
