The Chancellor of the Exchequer was entertained on Tuesday at
a banquet at the St. George's Club, Hanover Square, a completely non-political dub, Lord Bateman, the president, being in the chair. In reply to the toast of his health, Mr. Goschen made a. speech in which he remarked on the growth of party spirit, and the strong tendency of politicians in Opposition to exult in real or supposed humiliations of England abroad, on the ground that they are also humiliations to the party in power. The Opposi- tion, he maintained, ought to be glad when the Executive Government of the country, even though wielded by the opposite party, is successful in its diplomacy and successful in maintaining order in the country at large. Lately, however, it had seemed that the exultation of the partisan had been greater than the regret of the patriot. There had been a disposition to invent rebuffs for the Government, and to exhibit satisfaction at the rebuffs so invented. Yet in the present state of Europe, said Mr. Goschen, "there are times, and I am not sure that we are far from those times, when it may be the duty of the Govern- ment to address either words of encouragement, or words of advice, or words of restraint, or words of remonstrance to other Powers. I want to know whether it is desirable, at a moment such as this, when the authorised mouthpiece of the Govern- ment has to speak, that you should have an irresponsible voice bawling at his side, Don't listen to him ; don't believe a single word he says.'" That was a very weighty question, and it told on the irresponsible bawlers. Mr. P. Stanhope (MP. for Wed- nesbury) put a question on the subject to the First Lord of the 'Treasury on Thursday, on the chance of getting the Government to disavow Mr. Coaches, in which, of course, he failed dismally.
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