Lord Salisbury made a remarkable speech at Dorchester on Wednesday,
in support of a new Conservative Association, which is to do without pay all the work which paid agents did before the Corrupt Practices Act passed. He warned his audience that the Franchise Bill would be very strenuously opposed,— first, because it was only intended to secure to Liberals the preponderance which the "accidental" election of 1880 had given them ; secondly, because without careful re- distribution the urban voters dwelling outside towns would swamp the rural voters ; and thirdly, because of the danger the Bill might produce in Ireland. He admitted that it would be most difficult to exclude Ireland, but believed that if Ireland were included, ninety per cent, of its representatives would be for separation, and that there was not resisting force enough in modern Cabinets to reject the demand. He believed, therefore, that the Bill "would not pass this year." He considered the Government to be upon an inclined plane, which led downwards from the position of Lord Hartington to that of Mr. Chamber- lain, and thence "to the depths over which Mr. Henry George rules supreme." He dreaded the apathy of the Tories. Content with what is, was naturally part of their principles ; but the downward progress could not be arrested by letting things slide. We have commented on the speech elsewhere, and have only to say here that it was enthusiastically received, and that it was resolved forthwith to establish a Tory Caucus for Dorset. Only the word " Caucus " is to be reserved exclusively for Liberal use ; Tory "Associations," as Lord Salisbury explains, only selecting the Members, while Liberal Associations control them.
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