Lord Balfour of Burleigb, than whom there is no more
loyal Conservative or more convinced • Free-trader alive to-day, was also a guest at the luncheon, and -made a speech which we trust will receive the earnest attention of the leaders of the Unionist Party. It' was idle to deny that the new taxes demanded by the Tariff Reformers would not raise prices.' Tariff Reformers knew in their hearts thatthey would do so, otherwise they would not be so anxious to make it clear that. they would never tax raw materials. Lord Lansdowne, said Lord Balfour, seemed to make a promise which implied that those who voted for the present Opposition would not be committing themselves to Colonial preference, but only to the summoning of a new Conference. Lord Lansdowne had said that if these proposals, when they came to be made by a Unionist Government, proved to be of a kind involving a sacrifice greater than our people were willing to 'bear, they could tell them whether they intended to adhere to the old lines. "Bat," Lord Balfour went on to say, "the only time when the people could Speak was at a General Election." Lord 'Balfour added that if Lord Lansdowne's promise was made in the sense in which he had endeavoured to interpretit, they had there" the germis of an honourable, end reasonable Wine , promise an the subjebt."
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