The Motion for adjournment was made the occasion of a
scathing attack on the Government by Sir Henry Campbell- Bannerman, who directed special attention to Lord Milner's recent speeches. He also chaffed the Ministry very effectively for declining to appeal to the country, though they professed to have a. sovereign remedy for all industrial grievances. Mr. Balfour was at a loss to understand why he should be ex- pected to resign when he had so adequate a majority,—a far larger one than that which kept the last Liberal Ministry in power. After defending Lord Milner, he declared that if the Ministry were to resign before they had completed certain tasks, such as Army reform, they would be justly accused of faint- heartedness. This was clear enough. When, however, Mr. Balfour came to deal with his fiscal policy, he left it as nebulous as ever. He declared, certainly, that it was not petrified but progressive Free-trade, and that it would open for good or evil a new era in British finance; but on being challenged by Mr. Morley to specify the nature of the change, he could only say that at any rate it was a change sufficient to make the Duke of Devonshire resign. More than this the Prime Minister would not, or could not, say, though it is true that he referred inquirers to his speeches at Sheffield and Bristol.
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