The speech made by Sir Michael Hicks-Beach at Bristol on
Wednesday contained towards the end apassage of great weight and importance, and one whisk will, we hope, be taken to heart by all persons who are concerned for the welfare of the Empire. Referring to Lord Salisbury's words, he urged that we could not appropriate the whole world to ourselves. "It was of no use for us to add to our territories more territory than we could digest. We could not do everything at once, and in his opinion we should be wiser for the moment if we attempted rather to develop what we had already acquired, than to add still further to the extent of our Empire. That was the direction in which our energies, to his mind, ought now to be devoted." That is at present the true formula for the wise Imperialist. We have bad a hearty meal, and one which will no doubt give us strength and power. But now let us digest it, and so turn it to use, not go on eating feverishly for fear we may be hungry to-morrow.
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