The political situation has not changed during the week. Mr.
Gladstone, Lord Hartington, Mr. Chamberlain, and Mr. Goschen have issued their addresses, but there is nothing in them modifying their previous attitude. All but the Premier condemn Home-rule, all others promise some restricted form of self-government, and all but he express their resolve to defend the law. Mr. Gladstone on Thursday commenced his journey North- ward, and, as usual, from St. Pancras to Edinburgh his progress was a series of ovations. In the Midland station, at Leicester, Trent, Normanton, .Appleby, Carlisle, Hawick, Galashiels, and Edinburgh he was welcomed by applauding crowds, to whom he sometimes made speeches, the burden of which was that the issue before the country was whither Ireland should be coerced or should manage her own affairs. At Carlisle, however, he varied
his remarks by saying that while he believed Lord Carnarvon, and was bound to believe Mr. Parnell, he felt sure that the former had reported the substance of the conversation between the two to Lord Salisbury. " It would have been treachery " on the part of Lord Carnarvon, having held such an interview with Mr. Parnell, not to report it to the Tory Premier. He was sure, there- fore, that it had been reported. The crowd, so far, appear as devoted to Mr. Gladstone as in 1880 and 1885, and the deduc- tion is drawn that the result of the Elections will be similar. That, however, may prove an error. Nobody ever doubted that the larger section of the Liberal voters was with Mr. Gladstone. The point is, Who has quitted him ?
