Mr. Morley spoke at Hawick on Monday to a large
meeting in the Corn Exchange, and his address was perhaps more remarkable for what he did not say than for what he did. He made no allusion to the victory over his former colleague, Sir George Trevelyan, who was rejected by Mimi& and its sister boroughs at the last election, and this omission at least was in his usual good taste. He said not a word in condemnation of Mr. Dillon's Irish campaign, and, though an ex-Secretary for Ireland, gave not a sign of sympathy with the Government. And when referring to the very serious outlook in Ireland, he rather seemed to derive a certain satisfaction from the fact that he had antici- pated these troubles. As regards what he did say, he first assailed the Government for not having accepted in September the proposal which be himself had founded on Mr. Parnell's amendment to the Address, to devolve on the Land Court the power of staying ejectments in cases where three-fourths of the rent had been paid, and where the Court was convinced that the fall in the price of produce had caused the inability to pay the remainder. Had the Government accepted that amendment, there would have been a definite law to enforce. Now they had been obliged to bring moral pressure to bear on the landlords to waive their legal rights; and thus, instead of firmly administering a good law, they were interfering with the administration of a bad law. We agree with Mr. Morley that there is mach force in this view, and therefore we supported his September proposal ; but, as we have elsewhere said, he ignores entirely the case on behalf of the Government, and will not give them the least credit for the sincerity and weight of their objections to his policy.
