The Duke of Devonshire on Tuesday, presiding' at the annual
meeting of the Unionist Free-Trade Club, spoke with his usual wisdom and force. The Club, he said, was concerned with two great issues, the Union and Free-trade. As to the Union, he had no doubt that all Unionists, whatever their opinions on other questions might be, would unite to resist any proposal which, directly or indirectly, either at present or in the future, threatened the Legislative Union between Great Britain and Ireland. As to Free-trade, the first attack had been successfully repulsed, and he did not think they could expect to hear, during the existence of the present Parlia- ment, very much about the question of Free-trade and Pro- tection. With regard to Mr. Balfouy's opinion, he did not think it was so obscure as some people believed. There was something almost pathetic in the complaint which the leader of the party was forced to make the other day, that he was expected to give fresh explanations of his views every fort- night. It was not Mr. Balfour's Free-trade opponents who made those demands. The demands came from those who professed to be his devoted and loyal supporters. It is evident from the general tone of the Duke's speech that be agrees with us in thinking that even if Mr. Balfonr's position is unsatisfactory to Free-traders, it must be infinitely more unsatisfactory to the Tariff Reformers. Though he may have done the Free-trade cause considerable harm, he is in a fair way to ruin that of the Protectionists. For this reason, Mr. Balfour at the present time, and while he remains in his present mood, must command the tolerance and sympathy, and even to a considerable extent the co-operation, of Unionist Free-traders.
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