19 DECEMBER 1903, Page 3

Mr. Chamberlain then announced that under the auspices of the

Tariff Reform League a Commission of experts would be formed to frame a model tariff. " Then, whenever the country is ready to give us a mandate, we shall be able to offer it a great part of the information which it will desire to have." The people will have had a programme before them, and ample opportunity for the full consideration of its details. The country was now at the parting of the ways. It had to face a new theory of Empire, or give up all Imperial dreams. He quoted a letter from Mr. Charles Booth expressing the opinion that the new scheme would not add to the cost of living of the poor, and that even if it did, it was worth acceptance for the addition it would make to national and Imperial prosperity. He concluded with an eloquent appeal to the sense of kinship. He was in favour of a splendid isolation; but the isolation of a family, not of the individual. Mr. Chamberlain, who bad spoken for an hour and a half, immediately afterwards addressed an overflow meeting for the space of three-quarters of an hour. In the second speech he dealt less with the exposition of his own scheme than with specific Free-trade arguments brought against it. In spite of our profound distrust, not only of Mr. Chamberlain's policy, but of his reckless method of propagandism, we must record our admiration of the unflagging vitality and extra- ordinary mental powers which can enable a statesman of Mr. Chamberlain's age to speak for over two hours on a complex subject and hold the attention of his hearers. We may add that the names of a number of Mr. Chamberlain's Commis- sioners were published on Friday. With the exception, however, of Mr. Charles Booth, the list cannot be said to be one which will inspire any great confidence. The Commis- sioners appointed in so regal a fashion by Mr. Chamberlain are all clever men, and some of them have a. considerable business experience, but we should imagine that quick brains rather than cool heads will be the chief characteristic of the Commission.