26 DECEMBER 1868, Page 3

Mr. Bright says great cities are the centres of Liberal

feeling. The Times questions the assertion, and with one of its infrequent flashes of insight about America points to the cities there as the centres of resistance to the progress which the freeholders of the country ardently support. Mr. Bright has on his side the past experience of Great Britain and the present experience of the Continent, but there is force in the Times' doubt whether, when all privilege has been swept away, the towns will develop any spirit of constructive Liberalism. The late elections in Lan- cashire and Westminster certainly do not tend to raise our confi- dence in the liberality of citizens, though their illiberalism was mainly due to race hatred.