Lord Hartington made a political speech at Sheffield on Wed-
nesday, on some aspects of which we have commented elsewhere, but of which we may here add that its general tone was, as usual, in the highest degree the toll*, of an able Whig; very loyal to Iris colleagues, cordial in its recognition of the support offered him by more advanced Liberals, and very willing to admit that no sacrifice of principle should be demanded by him from those who go further than himself. He denied entirely that in his remarks at Bristol on the difficulty of counting on the support of the Home- rule party, he had in any way intended to refuse their aid, or to
grudge his own, on points on which the Irish and English Liberals could act in concert. At the close of his speech he remarked upon the Suez-canal project, in a tone, no doubt, rather critical than hostile, but still with a certain sub-hostile ring in it which may be due simply to his official position ; but we can hardly recognise Lord Hartington's usual sagacity in the suggestion which he seems to have made that Great Britain could have secured the political neutrality of Egypt just as easily without burdening herself with the Canal shares, as she will now be able to secure it when she has a right to plead her material interest in that neutrality. This we do not believe. It is always well to have in your possession a visible pledge of your moral interests and claims, it adds great force to your position before the world. No doubt, in the first instance, Lord Derby is to blame for trying to make the least of a very- important matter. But for that Lord Hartington should censure Lord Derby, instead of using Lord Derby's words as an indirect means of scolding the Government.
