24 DECEMBER 1881, Page 1

Lord Hartington made two speeches to his Lancashire con- stituents

last Saturday,—one short one at Brierfield, and one very important one at Nelson. In the Brierfield speech, there were two remarkable expressions,—one of the frankest and most loyal admiration for Mr. Gladstone, on whom, said Lord Harting- ton, it was most painful for himself and his colleagues to leave the terrible burden of guiding the House of Commons through the last Session, though they found that they could not prac- tically assist him so much in any other way, in the face of the overwhelming obstruction encountered, as by their silence. The other was the warning he gave that the Liberals might find another electoral contest upon them, before they expected it. " I do not think we need rely on the Conservative Party ab- staining from any opportunity, whatever it might be,—whether it might be an alliance with the Irish party, with the Irish irreconcilable party, or any other combination,—in the attempt to upset the present Administration at the earliest possible moment, and, if necessary, appeal again to the country. It is impossible to say that this will be so, it is equally impossible to say that it will not; and I think it behoves the Liberal Party to be especially watchful and careful in its organisation, and

not to omit any means of strengthening itself for a struggle which may recur at any time, I know not when."