Mr. Asquith made a long speech at Plymouth on Wednesday,
in which he entreated the electors of the neighbouring con- stituency of Bodmin not to return Mr. Courtney again, though he lavished empty compliments on Mr. Courtney's capacity for disagreeing with every one else. He reproached the Welsh Members with their distrust of the sincerity of the Govern- ment on the subject of the Disestablishment and Disendow- meat of the Welsh Church ; boasted that the majority of 33 which the Government had obtained on the subject of the Scotch Grand Committee, was, considering all things, an uncommonly good majority; attacked Mr. Chamberlain as a Tory for not liking Grand Committees selected on a geo- graphical principle ; declared that it was no discredit to the Government to depend for its majority on the Anti- Parnellite vote ; plumed the Cabinet on Sir William liar- -court's proposals for equalising the Death-duties; and attacked the House of Lords for never checking unwise Con- servative action, while it blocked effectually Gladstonian action, whether wise or unwise.
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