Mr. Chamberlain—who has, as he said, just been staying a
few hours with Mr. Gladstone—made a bright, and even bril- liant, speech at Trowbridge on Wednesday, in which, however, he brought forward his special programme more strongly than ever. He laughed, justly enough, at Lord Salisbury's idea that only rural men understand rural affairs—though he made a mis- take in quoting Mr. Cobden as an example of a citizen, Mr. Cobden having been born and bred "on the land ;"—and he exposed forcibly enough Lord Salisbury's want of real confidence in representation. Bat the pith of his speech was a renewal of his offer to the labourers. He would enable "the local authorities" to take land " compulsorily " at a fair price, " and let the land again with absolute security of tenure for allotments and other small holdings," which will include, we presume, building-plots for cottages. Moreover, he indicated, taking some figures from Lord Salisbury, that his idea of a baying price was 225 an acre, and of a letting price 21 an acre per annum,— a calculation which omits, as we have elsewhere mentioned, some heavy charges, and especially public payments. Are his allotments to be consecrated, and therefore untaxed, or to he exempt from seizure for taxes ? His argument for this course was solely as before, -that the labourer was poor, that the duty and the function of the State was to abolish poverty, and that those who did not agree—Mr. Goschen being named in particular—were cold-blooded sceptics." That is the regular charge of the new philanthropists. They call all opponents cold-blooded, and affect to think that the first qualification of a statesman is a hot heart. They will find before they have done that Nature is very cold-blooded, and will only give one harvest a year, let the tiller be ever so poor ; and not that, unless lie works with painful industry.
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