In reply, Mr. Disraeli laboured to show that he had
made the Session very busy and fruitful, in spite of the very short notice he had had. The Empire, under the auspices of the new Govern- ment, would not, he hoped, be diminished,—might even be in- creased ; he even took credit, apparently, as for a Government measure, for the Bill " to put down Ritualism," as " strengthening those bulwarks of our civil And religious liberty on which, in old days, we relied, and did not rely in 'vain," though some of his own colleagues are opposed to the measure ; and he took pride in the Scotch Church Patronage Bill. But the only remark he made of much apparent importance was, that in his opinion " the influence of England may be exercised, and exercised with great effect, not only to preserve peace, but to assist, by our sympathy and by our counsels, States and countries now distracted and distressed, in resuming a position worthier of their former fame and fortunes,"—which sounds like a promise of at least moral aid to France or Spain, or both. But in all probability that means little beyond what Hamlet was reading in his book when in- terrupted by Polonius,—" words, words."
Previous page
