The debate on the Address in the Lords showed how
little the conduct and proposals of the Government really irritate the community. Criticism was left to Lord Granville, who, having little to say, said it in his humorous, gossipy way, and left the impression that there would be no real fighting except about the government of Ireland. We have said enough of his speech, and Lord Salisbury's reply, elsewhere, and may proceed to the Commons, where Mr. Gladstone on Wednesday —Tuesday being occupied with Mr. Parnell's complainings- was also exceedingly moderate. He entirely acquitted Lord Salisbury of any desire to take advantage of the weakness of Portugal, and thought that as action was required, it had better be prompt. Lord Salisbury was, as usual, too sarcastic; but his conduct "would not attract general disfavour in this country,"—which is satisfactory, but has no bearing on the merits of that conduct. In the House of Commons on Wednesday, Mr. Gladstone was unexpectedly eloquent on the importance of South Africa, and the flow of British emigration there, and even hoped that British subjects would be secured the franchise in the Transvaal. He paid, en passant, a warm tribute to the British Ambassador at Constantinople, Sir W. White, reproached the Turkish Govern- ment with the sham trial of Moussa Bey for his conduct in Armenia, and expressed his apprehension of renewed dis- turbances in Crete. He denied that the improvement in Ireland was due to the present Government, trusted that the Irish Local Government Bill would be conceived in a liberal spirit, dwelt significantly on the "financial precautions" necessary in any extension of the Ashbourne Act, and strongly supported a remark of Lord Granville, that any Body to which Private-Bill legislation for Scotland might be transferred must be representative as well as judicial. And he promised to take up the questions, omitted in the Queen's Speech, of assisted education and the extension of local government in England and Scotland. Altogether, if we may be pardoned a paradoxical expression, Mr. Gladstone was placable but menacing ; almost friendly, but inclined to hint that he had a few revolvers in his pocket.
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