Mr. Waddy, QC., and now M.P. for Barnstaple, is chosen
as Mr. MandeHa's colleague to fight Sheffield in the Liberal interest at the next election ; and on Thursday night, both Mr. Waddy and Mr. Mundella spoke to a crowded party-meeting on the policy of the Government in relation to the Eastern Question. Mr. Waddy insisted that the evident defect of that policy had been that they had never laid down for themselves what they really desired, and that in con sequence they had gone on growing in blind jealousy of Russian influence, without any power of discrimi- nating between the results they did not object to, and the -results which they did. Mr. Mundella showed how much of the growing war feeling had been excited by sensational rumours, devoid of all probability and all truth, but nevertheless widely believed, such as one of which he had obtained the refutation from Lord Derby himself,—that Lord Derby, after learning Russia's intended terms in June, 1877, had deliberately kept the Cabinet in ignorance of her demands till February, 1878. Of course, as Lord Derby wrote to Mr. Mundella, the truth was that the Russian despatch was in the hands of his colleagues within a few hours of its being placed in his own bands. In short, the Government has gone wrong through knowing too little of its own mind ; and the country by knowing a great deal more than was to be known of the mind of the Government. Mr. Mundella and Mr. Waddy will make a very strong combination, and may well endanger even Mr. Roebuck's seat.
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