Mr. Gladstone's visit to Knowsley, and Lord Derby's presence during
his address to the Liberal deputation, is supposed by the Conservative Press to indicate the probable admission of Lord Derby to the Cabinet in a very short period. Had this been immediately impending, we hardly think Lord Derby would have so carefully wrapped a very wet blanket round the Irish Land policy of the Government as he did when he published the article which appeared in the Nine- teenth Century for October. A statesman does not usually wish to diminish the hopefulness of the public concerning the policy of a Cabinet for which he himself is to be partly re- sponsible, and we are inclined to think that Lord Derby wishes to preserve for the present the independence of his attitude, while affording the Government all the independent support in his power.
