31 JANUARY 1874, Page 3

Mr. Gathorne Hardy made a good speech at Rye, his

brother's Beat, on Thursday, a thorough party speech, bristling with points and, a most unusual thing for Mr. Hardy, with epigrams. His notion that Mr. Lowe was " so fond of the income-tax that he made five quarters of it in one year," was particularly happy, as is also, from his point of view, his account of the reconstruction -of the Ministry. The speech, however, is one which will not be condensed, and we only mention it lest we should be accused of the unfairness of ignoring the only really good reply to Mr. Gladstone's manifesto which has yet appeared from the other side.