Mr. Chamberlain made a striking speech on Monday at Birmingham
in accepting the presidency of the newly founded Birmingham Liberal Unionist Association. He pointed out that the Liberal Unionists of Birmingham had recently shown in two municipal elections that they could easily defeat the Home-rulers who had separated from them, and who now claimed to be the true Liberals of Birmingham. He declared that the existing Government of Lord Salisbury is, in. action at least, much nearer his own shade of Radical Liberalism than Mr. Gladstone's last Government, and that practically Toryism has ceased to be a political force since the last extension of the franchise. He spoke of his own patriotic pride in the greatness of the country, and of his utter inability to act with such allies as the Par- nellite Party. and he declared that the present Govern- ment had placed the Irish tenants in a position which is more favourable than that of any other tenantry on the face of the globe. The success of the Government in putting down crime in Ireland, and the condemnation by the Roman Church of the "Plan of Campaign" and "Boycotting," made a favourable opportunity for considering what might further be done for Ireland, and done with safety. And Mr. Chamberlain recom- mended cordially large Government measures for fostering the development of Ireland by drainage and improved modes of communication ; a final dealing with the land question in the sense of a purchase measure ; and then, but not till then, a liberal measure of local government. Mr. Chamberlain's Unionism was never more frankly or impressively vindicated than in this speech.
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