Lord Morley of Blackburn, responding for his Majesty's Ministers, spoke
feelingly of the responsibility of the position and the burdens of office, and incidentally gave what he called his own definition of hard work :—" It is not reading multitudes of papers. It is saying Yes' or No ' to this or that definite question." Turning to his own Department, he thought that for the time they had surmounted serious difficulties, and even dangers, and might thankfully regard the prospect as satisfactory and hopefuL As for the alleged decadence of the Old Country, he did not believe a word of it. The machinery of the Government was important, but the real foundation of all things was the character of the people, and he for one, after a great many years of public life, of close contact with great bodies of men of all classes, declared that he saw no signs whatever that the people of this kingdom were not just as sane, just as honest, just as brave, just as high-hearted as they ever were in the beat periods of our history. Lord Morley did not even except politicians from this optimistic estimate, but spoke of the tone of recent debates in both Houses as showing admirable temper and public spirit.
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