Lord Hartington made a very clear and lucid speech to
his constituents of Rossendale last Saturday, speaking at Has- lingden. He remarked that if the Liberal Unionists had accepted Mr. Gladstone's advice as to their conduct in the House of Commons, the result would necessarily have been that the present Government would not have had any com- mand of the House of Commons, and could not, therefore, have introduced and passed even that National Debt Act for which the Liberals profess to be thankful. Still less could it have passed the Local Government Act. In fact, all the legislation which has been carried through has been due entirely to the resolve of the Liberal Unionists to give such a steady support to the Government as could alone have enabled it to carry important measures through the House. Nor could Mr. Gladstone, if he had had a majority, have carried such legislation. His first duty would have been, of course, to redeem his pledges on Irish Home-rule, and that great enterprise once entered upon, there would have been no opportunity for less exciting measures such as the present Government have succeeded in achieving. Lord Hartington spoke with characteristic moderation of the licensing question, remarking that whenever it came to be dealt with, he hoped the question of compensation to the existing trade in alcoholic drinks would be steadily faced. The question should not be considered from the point of view of those who wish to ruin a great industry, in spite of the fact that those who have embarked in that industry have been permitted and encouraged to invest in it a great deal of capital, and to devote to it great powers of organisation.
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