31 JANUARY 1874, Page 1

Mr. Gladstone's address to the people of Greenwich has been

alesclibed by his political rival as a " prolix " document. It is no .doubt long, but,—in this respect unlike the Wednesday address at Blackheath,—it is very stately, and evidently the manifesto of a man, not of a Cabinet; indeed, we believe that only one of the Prime Minister's colleagues, had heard of the proposed dissolution till within an hour or two of the despatch of Mr. Gladstone's address to the newspapers. It speaks of the authority of the Government and the strength of the House of Commons as seriously impaired and greatly in want of renovation ; it recites the defeat on the Trish University Bill and Mr. Disraeli's refusal to take Office as the origin uf the mischief; complains of the summary manner in which, as a result of this loss of strength, the, House of ,Lords dealt with the Bills of last suasion ; refers to the recent electoral defeats as aggravating the danger ; and then passes to a state- ment of policy.