The only amusing passage in Sir William Harcourt's speech Was
his comparison of the Government, in its fancy for Com- missions, to the artist of whom Canning tells us, who held that the only thing that it was worth the while of a decorative artist to paint was a red lion. This artist suggested a red lion for large pictures', a red lion for cabinet pictures, a red lion for frescoes, a red lion for everything. So, according to Sir W. Harcourt, the Government recommends a large Commission for a difficult subject, and a small Commission for a less important subject, but for everything a Commission. He concluded by a very curious complaint that "our scheme [Mr. Gladstone's Home-rule scheme] was condemned before it was tried." When was it to be condemned, if not before it was tried ? He might as well complain that a man had been so injudicious as to resist temptation "before he had tried it." If the Constitution is to be experimentally upset to see how the upset works, the thing upset will never be set up again.
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