The Conservative Association of Halifax has been holding what it
considers a demonstration ; but it was a violent party affair, and somehow, in these manufacturing towns of the North a party Conservative meeting can never get beyond a "banquet," and the vague statement that the roll of members is "already a long one "—number unspecified. The dinner was held in the Riding School, and after dinner . the eloquent, but for the most part obscure, orators of Halifax Conservatism got very warm iedeed, and exceedingly inconsistent with each other, in abuse of the Liberals and praise of Mr. Disraeli. A Mr. Edwards,—unaware, apparently, that the workink-man is to be regarded henceforth as a Conservative by his own party,—launched into violent decla- mation against the working-men of London for their last year's processions. According to his eccentric reading of history, Mr. Disraeli had checked the Liberals in their "mad career" towards "democracy" and "republicanism." Sir H, Edwards, M.P., on the contrary, held that Mr. Gladstone and Lord Russell had wished to do at three steps what Mr. Disraeli wished to do at one, and amiably attributed this solely to their selfish desire to keep power by means of the tantalizing process of subdividing their boon. Mr. W. B. Ferrand concluded the meeting with one of his won- derful bursts of vulgar brag, and singularly enough, selected Mr. Forster's recent conciliatory speech as one deserving special revil- ing for its misrepresentation of Tory ,virtues. Most likely Mr.
Ferranti never read it. He judges of a Liberal by a sort of animal instinct, not.by a iniad,—and curved his back like a cat when she sees a dog, without waiting for a Challenge or a danger.
