Sir S. Northcote has spoken several times this week, but
he repeats himself—we say it without reproach—and all he has to say will be found in his speech of Thursday at Liverpool. It is, briefly, that Reform is like a house, which cannot be built on one plan on one side, and on another plan on the other side, and that the architect must submit his whole plan ; that it is quite possible to pass a two-barrelled Bill, and that the Government, in pressing the Franchise question, is endeavour- ing to avoid discussion of its policy. That policy has been bad in Egypt, where we have had "three wars" without settling anything; and in South Africa, where we have retreated before the Boers and deserted our native allies, so that the Boers laugh at the Convention. The Tories intended that these questions should be brought before Parliament during the Autumn Session. We do not observe that Sir Stafford North- cots holds out any reasonable hope of compromise, though he is careful, by a studied vagueness of speech, not to shut the door upon it. If" the Government will remove the just apprehensions of the friends of the Constitution," then we shall see what we shall see. Sir Stafford speaks reasonably, and despises Bil- lingsgate; but he leaves the impression of a tired mind with very little hope in it.
