The Liberal leaders are advancing fast towards utter Radicalism. Mr.
Gladstone, at Newcastle on Friday week, in a speech of which we have given the substance elsewhere, a speech only vigorous upon Ireland, just patronised and then avoided -most of the suggestions of the National Liberal Federation. Upon one, however, he was much stronger, pro- mising to grant to local elective bodies "compulsory powers to acquire land in order to place the rural population in nearer relations to the profit of the land which they have hitherto tilled for the benefit of others." That means peasant-proprietor- ship, to be paid for out of rates, or it means nothing, and is, we think, the most important °biter dictum we ever remember in a speech by a past Premier. Sir W. Harcourt, too, on Thurs- day, speaking at Glasgow, definitely accepted the proposal to pay Members, and declared for immediate manhood suffrage. He said the fear of it was a "bogey," and that the right to vote should be independent of residence. In other words, the whole of the wandering class of unmarried men, who pay no rates and no direct taxes, are to be called on to assist in swamping the great body of the taxpayers.
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