Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, speaking on Wednesday night at a , Conservative
dinner at Bridgewater, boasted of Sir Stafford Northcote's triumphal progress through Ulster, but omitted to say that it was essential to that progress that the furious con- demnation of the Irish Land Act to which the Tory party in Parliament is deeply pledged, should be altogether ignored; as: it certainly was ignored by Sir Stafford Northcote. In fact, the Orangemen welcomed Sir Stafford only on condition that Sir Stafford should not give even the feeblest expression to Lord Salisbury's well known view of the greatest achievement of the present Government. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach also took occasion to attack the expected measure for the redistribution of electoral power in England, and gave no symptom of that inclination towards the equalising of electoral districts to which some of his, late colleagues are supposed to lean. On the contrary, he de- clared warmly against any redistribution of power based chiefly on population, arguing for "a varied franchise and the represen- tation of interests." That is a mysterious phrase, susceptible of any number of different interpretations, but is chiefly remark- able because it indicates that some of the Conservatives mean to take refuge in dark phrases, and to avoid committing themselves to any definite Reform policy of their own.
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