The City Chamber of Commerce, with Sir John Lubbock as
its President, gave on Wednesday a dinner to which Lord Salisbury and other guests, belonging to both parties, were invited. The speaking, of course, was non-political, but Lord Salisbury remarked that when commerce is prosperous, every- body glorifies the country and its magnificent energies ; but when it is depressed, everybody throws the blame on the Government, and says, "What a detestable Government !" so that the Government suffers like James I.'s whipping-boy ; it gets all the stripes when commerce is feeble and paralysed, and none of the credit when commerce is active and strong. Lord Salisbury did not believe that any Government could do much directly to stimulate commerce, but it could do a great deal to secure or insure it by providing it with adequate pro- tection in case of any sudden outbreak of war. Lord Salis- bury's appeal for the support of the policy of naval defence for our commerce was very cordially echoed by Lord Rosebery, though, of course, he laid down qualifying conditions concern- ing which he may easily plead that they have not been observed.
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