The foundation-atone of the City Liberal Club was laid in
Walbrook, on Monday, by Lord Granville, and in the evening his lordship made a political speech, in which he averred that Government had done nothing to settle the question of local taxation ; that the "abstract arguments in favour of a reduction of the county franchise were irresistible ;" that as regards com- pulsory education, the Government had prohibited children from working without imposing the obligation to learn ; and that the Ministry had added £5,500,000 to the taxes in time of peace. On foreign affairs he believed great caution necessary, lest Government should be embarrassed, but held that "our prima facie position was one of isolation." He declared that, according to an eminent Conservative, speaking of the Administration, "the bloom was already of the plum ;" and likened Lord Hart- ington to Lord Althorp. He is like him, he said, in straightforward- ness, courage, and public spirit, butwith greater intellectual strength and greater power of explaining the opinions of his party. Lord Granville did not add that the secret of Lord Althorp's character, which embittered his whole life, was self-distrust.
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