There seems to be little doubt that Mr. W. E.
Forster, the member for Bradford, has been offered the Under-Secretaryship for the Colonies. We wish it had been a higher office. Mr. Forster has a singularly large influence over two classes over whom apparently it would not be possible for the same man to exercise influence at ,all,—the Conservatives and the advanced Radicals. His tact in catching the temper of the House, his frank and manly tone, the entire absence of bitterness in his antagonism, and the heartiness of his blows, have gained him the thorough respect of the Opposition ; and his genuine sympathy with all those who labour under any sort of injustice, or even social depression, has won the full confidence of the more advanced Liberals. He has a strong judgment, and something like a suppressed enthusiasm under its control, which give his speeches great force out of the House as well as in it. With a chief in the Lower House to answer for his department, the greatest advantage of Mr. Forster's unquestionable power will be lost to the Liberal party.
