A still larger deputation of Conservatives, working men and -others,
was introduced the same day to Lord Derby, and addressed both by him and by Mr. Disraeli. Lord Derby began by a well deserved compliment to Mr. Disraeli's management and tact, and then proceeded to object to the classification of work- ing men as a separate class, which was the strong point of the Tory party last session. He identified himself and his colleagues -with working men. " We are all of us working men. Some of us work with our brains, some with our tongues, and some with our hands." No doubt Mr. Disraeli belonged chiefly to the first class, Lord Derby, as politician at least, chiefly to the second, and his audience mostly to the third. But for the moment Lord Derby was the working man par ex- -cellence, the working man actually at work. He repeated his objections to a " hard and fast " line created by a figure,—to which, however, he adheres in the counties. He described the qualities desirable in a voter, steadiness, frugality, &c., and thought they would be secured by personal payment of rates and a residence clause,—whether one or two years was matter for "fair discussion,"—and he professed his inability to see any fine in the -demand of an extra payment from the compound householder. Mr. Disraeli also spoke, saying, in allusion to Mr. Baines's letter, that he had always noticed, " when a party takes to letter-writing, it is in difficulties," and astutely remarking that he and his friends -should not be " disheartened by such ebullitions." If he had said they would not be too much elated, it would have been more to the purpose.
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