The question of the Liberal leadership is beginning to clamour
for settlement. Mr. Channing, M.P., addressing the East Northamptonshire Central Liberal Association on Thursday, said that the time had come for the leaders of the Liberal party to meet together and subordinate their personal predilections and ambitions to the wellbeing of the party, and definitely decide who should be the leader of the progressive forces. On the same afternoon the Marquis of Ripon made some instructive remarks at Birkenhead on the disorganisation of his party. "It was, no doubt," he said, "more difficult for the Liberal party, owing to its composition, to display the same discipline as their opponents, but until they learned that lesson of discipline they were likely to remain in the minority position they new occupied." Later on the Marquis declared that the question of the House of Lords "stood as a lion in the path of Liberal progress." This picture of the Liberal party wandering in the wilderness with- out a leader and confronted by the king of beasts is rendered doubly impressive by the fact that it is furnished by two loyal members of the party in question.
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