At Dalkeith, on Wednesday, Mr. Gladstone, after a very im-
pressive exposition of the weight of new responsibilities abroad for which the Government have made the United Kingdom respon- sible, and the extreme imprudence of these engagements, passed to domestic policy, attacking the laws of settlement and entail, on the somewhat new ground that they throw on the grandfather the duty, which properly belongs to the father of a family, of provid- ing for his children, as well as on the old ground of economical ad- vantage. The law of hypothec he wholly condemned, and showed how little likely the Tories were to abolish it, even though Scotch Tories oppose it. On the Scotch Church Disestabliahment question he carefully maintained his reserve, indicating that it was for Scotland to decide it; and as bearing on Home-rule, he advocated a strong measure on county government, such as might give to counties, and even to provinces, the means of relieving the Imperial Parliament of much of its local legislation,—on condition always that the Imperial Parliament retains on all subjects its final authority intact, and is left to legislate alone on all Imperial affairs.
