In the Commons, after Mr. Wilbraham Egerton had moved, and
Mr. Tennant seconded the Address, the debate was confined to Lord Hartington, Sir Stafford Northcote, and Mr. Gladstone, the rest of the evening being taken up by the Irish Members who wanted Home-rule. Lord Hartington's was a quiet but dignified speech, in which, while disclaiming any regret that Parliament had been called together, he expressed his difficulty in com- prehending what had occurred since the prorogation to create a new situation. He thought the paragraph about precautions cruel to the Turks, whom it would encourage in resistance, and deprecated war at the present moment, or the grant of means to prepare for war, in the strongest terms. Mr. Gladstone, whose speech was a short one, entirely coincided with Lord Hartington on this point, and following Sir Stafford North- cote as he did, he endeavoured to nail him to his declaration that the Government were not asking for money now. Both speakers considered the real discussion postponed, but both intimated that as yet there was no ground for alarm in the proceedings of Russia.
