Lord Rosebery delivered a speech at Rochdale on Tuesday which
was chiefly concerned with the Government's Educa- tion Bill; but of that part of it we have said quite enough in another column. In the earlier part of his speech he attacked Mr. Chamberlain for his " new diplomacy " in not holding his tongue about his communications with President Kruger till they had come to their proper end, and pointed out to him that the new method had not been successful,— which depends, however, on what success in this case means ; they have certainly kept English feeling with him, which may have been more important in such critical times than carrying his point with the President of the Transvaal,—and then Lord Rosebery sheltered himself behind the authority of the Economist in relation to the Agricultural Rating Bill, without meeting the argument. Finally he returned to his old attack on the House of Lords,—explaining to his audience that it would now commit the country even to a financial measure which the next Gladetonian House of Commons will find it impossible to repeal, should the Lords refuse their consent. That is quite true, but what would be the use of a Second Chamber, which could never refuse its consent to any legislative measure involving the cancelling of a certain expenditure, however trifling. There is nothing eo preternaturally sacred in £ a. d. as Lord Rosebery seems to consider.
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