The dinner at Guildhall on Friday week went off peaceably.
The greater Ambassadors did not attend, and Lord Beaconsfield was not in the bombastic vein. We have commented on his speech elsewhere, but must add here that it is described in the Gobs as a speech in retreat, and that none of the other Ministers touched the war, Mr. Hardy praised the Army, which, he says, is above its voted strength, and for which 20,000 recruits are obtained a year, while the Reserve is steadily grow- ing, and now contains 10,000 trained men. He believed that his increase of pay had done great good, and hinted that be might want more money. Mr. Smith descanted, we are happy to see, on the new kind of ability required to manage ships which con- tain forty separate steam-engines of various kinds ; and Lord Cairns dwelt on the necessity for more judicial strength, for local centres for distributing justice, and for patience during a period of transition. " Unfinished structures were never," he said, " pleasant places to live in,"—a hint which, as he is chief architect in the Law department, we hope he will take himself. Sir Stafford Northoote contented himself with defending the House of Com- mons, which, though not brilliant, is useful, and in which 380 Members now take part in the business, against the 230 who were conspicuous " during its best time."
Previous page
