Lord Hartington's address to the electors of the Rosendale division
of Lancashire, and Mr. Chamberlain's to the electors of the western division of Birmingham, have both appeared this week. Lord Hartington's is rather long and very clear, Mr. Chamberlain's short and peremptory. Lord Hartington refers to the need of a complete reorganisation of the system of Local Government and a readjustment of the burden of the rates, and states that, in his opinion, the licences for the sale of liquor should be regulated by these new local authorities. In regard to the Land-laws, Lord .Hartington justifies exceptional legisla- tion in Ireland and amongst the Highland crofters, but in Eng- land looks solely to complete enfranchisement from mischievous restrictions for the best remedy. Lord Hartington holds firmly to the Union with Ireland, and will not support any measure calculated to weaken it; but he approves of the extension of local self-government to Ireland, and indicates his wish to get the present bureaucracy there thoroughly reformed. Finally, he urges strongly a reform of the Procedure of the House of Commons. Mr. Chamberlain simply tells the electors of Birmingham that he congratulates them on the new extension
of popular liberties, and that he does not agree with those who, having opposed the concession of these liberties, would now resist their exercise for the purpose of benefiting the poorest class of the new voters. As for his political convictions, they do not need to be stated. That he is Mr. Chamberlain is enough.
