Mr. Gladstone is too easily "drawn." A letter appears in
yesterday's papers from Mx. Thomas Russell, writing from Haremere Hall, Hurst Green, Sussex, explaining that he had asked Mr. Gladstone concerning the truth of a rumour pre- valent in Victoria to the effect that he and the chief members of the Liberal party "viewed with favour Mr. Berry's late mission to this country." And Mr. Gladstone's reply is pub- lished, which assumes that the rumour is due to " a statement of Mr. Bery's,"—and that Mr. Gladstone had conversed with Mr. Berry on the subject,—which was probably the
very fact which Mr. Thomas Russell wished to extract. We do not see that any one is likely to be injured by this particular admission, but at the same time, this habit of fishing for per- sonal hints as to the lie of great political questions is a most undesirable practice in itself, and may at times lead to grave misapprehensions, and we wish Mr. Gladstone and all other English statesman would snub the practice more habitually than they do.
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