15 OCTOBER 1910, Page 3

Mr. Haldane has spoken twice during the week, once last

Saturday at Haddington, and again on Tuesday at Sheffield. On the former occasion he declared that nobody knew when the next Election would come, but that "he had his own suspicions. He thought it would come like a thief in the night." Mr. Haldane proceeded to comment upon a dis- position that had been growing up to attack Mr. Balfour's leadership of the Unionist Party. There were many things on which he did not agree with Mr. Balfour, but he regarded him as a very valuable national asset. He could not conceive anything worse for the country, or for the Opposition, than that Mr. Balfour should be driven out of the leadership of the Unionist Party. He did not believe for a moment that it would happen. Nor do we. The talk about the Tory revolt is the merest nonsense. Mr. Balfour's position in his party was never stronger.