The managers of the Press Club were rather fortunate on
Saturday, for at their annual dinner they managed to secure, -among other guests, the Speaker, Lord Wolseley, Mr. John Morley, and Sir F. Lockwood. Neither Lord Wolseley nor the Speaker had much to say, though the latter was kindly in his comment on caricaturists and Parliamentary gossips; but Mr. Morley made a speech of some length and interest, -enlivened, like the speeches of most great men, with auto- biographical anecdote. He had received the offer of a seat in the Cabinet while writing a leading article, accepted the offer, and went back to finish his article, a story of which he was clearly a little proud, and which had the pleasing effect of making every man among his audience feel that his own chances in life had slightly increased. The speaker who could do that often would soon be hailed as a great orator. Mr. Morley expressed his belief that, though the House of 'Commons was much decried, it was still stronger than the Press, and gave as an illustration the fact that the repre- sentation of a given district and the opinions of its strongest newspaper were often strongly at variance, a statement which produced shouts of "No ! No!" but which is certainly exactly true. We fancy, indeed, that the Press not infrequently bores people by incessant argument into the rejection of its 'opinions. Mr. Morley, rather to our surprise, praised news- papers for the number of columns of news that they contained, and hinted that he read them all except those devoted to "events, fixtures, and finals." He should, however, remember that a Member has an immense advantage in his reading, for he need not even open the Parliamentary debates. Finally, he praised the Press for its increasing interestingness, a bit of flattery which, unlike the remarks of most politicians upon journalism, has the merit of being true. The Press grows readable though not thoughtful.
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