After Lord Roberts's speech, the debate degenerated into a somewhat
angry wrangle. Lord Lansdowne having made a well-meaning but not very judicious incursion into the dis- cussion, he was followed by Lord Rosebery, who, perhaps not unnaturally as leader of the Opposition, tried to make as much mischief as he could out of the incident and to damage the Government as much as possible. With that instinct for debate which he so often shows, he pounced upon the apparent lack of confidence in their own case which was exhibited in the speeches on the Government side, and skilfully turned it into a general accusation of incompetence against the Ministry. "This Government has one peculiarity which they enjoy in greater degree than any Government I have ever had experience of. Their defences are not always adequate. To my mind they are seldom so. But one plea they always set up—What is it that you would have us do? What would you advise us to do ? What would you have done yourselves "
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