Lord Sandon has been very anxious about Liverpool. It would
not at all suit him to become the minority Member for that borough, and he has accordingly devoted. much time this -week, as well as last week, to the canvass on behalf of Mr.
Whitley. He has even taken up Sir William Harcourt's challenge, and ventured to maintain that Turkey is in the direct way for real progress. And on Wednesday he gave the proof. This was that a treaty had been concluded between the Queen and the Sultan abolishing the slave-trade throughout the Otto- man Empire. For that matter, every grievance the subjects of Turkey havehad to complain of has been abolished, on paper, time after time. That the slave-trade has been abolished, on paper, is of just the same importance as the concession of equality tO the Christians on paper. But further, says Lord Sandon, steam-ploughs have really been going to Roumania from this country. No doubt. But the Roumanian Government is no longer any political part of Turkey, so that Lord Saudon's argument is an argument for the dismemberment of Turkey, not for maintaining it. "We are expecting," says Lord Sandon's machine-making informant, "to establish good agencies in Turkey in Europe and Asia Minor." No doubt. Lord Sandon, at all events, expects it, and the machine-making firms, of course, share his expectations. But the question is not as to expectations, but as to facts. Lord Bandon is strong in ex- pectations. In facts he is not strong.
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