Mr. Balfour unveiled on Saturday the stained-glass window in St.
Margaret's Church, Westminster, which is the Parlia- mentary memorial to the late Mr. W. H. Smith, in the presence of the Speaker, the Sergeant-at-Arms, and the other officials of the House, and many Members of Parliament who attended to do honour to his memory. Mr. Balfour spoke very simply of "the private friendship with which Mr. Smith honoured me." He described Mr. Smith's motive for taking the part he did in public life as quite devoid of any ambitious element,—not that Mr. Balfour regarded ambition in such a case as by any means an ignoble motive, but still it was not so high a motive as that pure sense of duty from which, in his belief, Mr. Smith acted. That is a remarkable testimony from a man in Mr. Balfour's position, and though we do not suppose any human being is in a position to speak positively on such a point,—least of all perhaps the person himself on whom such a judgment is passed,—it is certain that a colleague as shrewd as Mr. Balfour, and with so many opportunities of observing his leader, can form as good a judgment as any other human being. Whether ambition mingled, or did not mingle, in Mr. Smith's motives, is a question that nobody can answer; but it seems as certain as anything can be that Mr. Smith was about as free from ambition, and as exclusively actuated by a pure love of duty, as any statesman of our day. Clearly that love of duty resulted in a singularly wise and judicious career. But might it not be open to argument whether a greater mixture of lofty ambition would not have increased, rather than diminished, Mr. Smith's political power for good P
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