Mr. Goschen made an admirable speech on Tuesday at the
Holloway Hall, Holloway Road, on behalf of Mr. Richard Chamberlain's candidature for West Islington. In speaking of the issues on which the Government would appeal to the country, he earnestly denied that those issues would be limited to their financial and their Irish policy. They meant to go to the country on the strength of their whole ad- ministration, though he was not at all unwilling to join issue either on finance or on Irish policy. Indeed, he actually did deal with great power and in some detail with the attack made on his finance, as we have shown in another column. But he also willingly accepted the issue on the naval and military policy of the Government, and he gave a remarkable summary of what had been effected in naval policy :—" In 1886 we had 499 breech-loading guns afloat and in reserve; in 1892 we have 1,868. Of light quick-firing guns we had 33 in 1886; in 1892 we have 1,715. Of torpedoes we had 820; we have now 2,874. Of ships at home and abroad and in reserve, excluding coast-defence ships, gunboats, and torpedo-boats, we had in tonnage then 342,000; we have now 544,000. Of ships of 15 knots speed and upwards, afloat and building, excluding torpedo-boats, we had 57; we have now 140. And of officers and men on the Retired List we had 61,400; we have now 74,100 officers and men. I say that is progress which we put before the people to show that the money has not been wasted, and that we have something to show for our money, that we are a stronger people, more ready for defence, more ready to defend our interests in every part of the globe. And we have not confined our efforts to the Navy alone. Our coaling-stations are better defended ; our arsenals are more secure; our soldiers are armed with better rifles ; they return to more sanitary barracks." In his perora- tion, Mr. Goschen passed a most stirring and generous panegyric on the high capacity and firm character of the new Leader, Mr. Balfour.
