Lord Hartiugton made two speeches at Newcastle on Friday se'nnight,
both very vigorous and incisive. In the first, he defended his position on the Land-laws against Lord Beacons- field's misrepresentations, declaring that he sought the removal of artificial restrictions, and not the creation of any new tenure by artificial means ; and in the second, he attacked the foreign policy of the Government. That Government had originally in- tended to pursue a policy of unostentatious reform ; but not possessing either legislative or administrative capacity, they had -sought for an attractive policy, and found one in the policy of adventure. The "idea of raising the name of England, which had been allowed to sink under former Administrations, was an after-thought." They had engaged, like the Second Empire, in showy enterprises, in which no solid objects have been attained, and in which the speaker "failed to find evidence of far-seeing policy, clear aims, settled convictions, or resolute determination." Lord Hartington recited the failures of the Government, and particularly the failure of the "cheap, easy, and flattering policy " in Afghanistan ; remarked that Lord Salisbury called this war, which has now to be recom- menced, "the most momentous Asiatic war England had ever fought;" and attributed to the adventurous policy the suc- cess of the Obstructionists, who would have been put down, had Parliament eared for internal legislation. "Is the country content to pay this price at home for this policy abroad ? "
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