The two Colston Societies, the Liberal and the Conservative, held
their meetings at Bristol on Saturday, Lord Hartington being the chief speaker of the Anchor Society, and Mr. Cave of the Dolphin Society. Lord Hartington, on the political points of whose address we have commented elsewhere, attributed the political aversion of the country to organic change partly to conviction and reflection," partly to temporary apathy, and partly to a decline in public spirit. He admitted that if the only hope of the Liberals was a speedy return to power, the prospect would not be at all an inspiriting one. He did not think the Liberal majority in the House of Commons had ever been safe in English votes alone, without counting the Scotch and Irish votes, and he was less disposed than ever to reckon the Irish vote for the party he leads in the House of Com- mons. He advised a policy of "patience and moderation" to his followers, and recommended them to occupy their political leisure in a "careful and discriminating," he might almost say, "a reverent examination of all our political institutions, with a view to see wherein they might be strengthened and wherein amended." It did not appear, however, that Lord Hartington as yet contemplates for himself any considerable doctorings of our institutions ; perhaps he has not yet had time for this "reverent " examination of them. His criticism of the Conservative Administration since the prorogation of Parliament was able, but not especially "reverent." Yet surely the Conservative party at least, if not this indi- vidual Administration, is as much a political "institution," and quite as venerable, as the Speaker's mace or the House of Lords itself. Lord Hartington finds it his cue just now to be more pious and reverent in theory than he is in practice.
