Mr. Labouchere having been at one time employed in diplomatic
duties under our Foreign Office, appears to make it his special duty to assail the Government on the subject of its foreign relations. He has been very busy this week, par- ticularly on the subject of our relations with France and the Turkish misgovernment of the Armenians. On the former subject, he charged the Government yesterday week with having " grossly insulted " and shown their " hatred" towards the French Government by refusing to take any part in the celebration of the Revolution of 1789. To this, Mr. W. H. Smith replied that the Government are on terms of "the most perfect friendship" with the Republic of France, and that he had every reason to believe that the French Government regards England as a Power on whom they can rely for the most friendly acts. Mr. Labouchere and his followers simply affected incredulity. That a. Monarchical Government
should not join in effusive congratulations on the fall of a monarch, could be nothing but insult, and such conduct was perfectly inconsistent with cordial mutual relations. We wonder whether, if the United States refused to join Spain in effusive congratulations on the fall of the Spanish Republic, Mr. Labouchere would regard such conduct asinconsistent with any friendliness of relation between Spain and the United States.
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