On Friday week in the House of Lords the Duke
of Devonshire called attention to the attitude of certain members of the Government towards the Fiscal question, and gave Lord Lansdowne an opportunity of clearing away any misconcep- tions there might be as to the drift of the Government policy. In an able and straightforward speech he traced the history of the question in Parliament. There were many supporters of the Government, the withdrawal of whose support would have spelled defeat, who remained supporters merely because they believed the Government opposed to any extension of the policy of the Sheffield declaration. Recent events in the Liberal Unionist party had shaken that belief, since the party organisation had been arranged on a Chamberlainite basis, supported by the presence of two members of the Cabinet, and blessed publicly by the Prime Minister. What was this " sympathy" with Fiscal Reform which the Government professed P Qui veut la fin veal les moyens ; and sympathy with Mr. Chamberlain's ideals had a suspicious likeness to approval of his methods. "I do not suppose for a single moment that the Government desire to retain office by the support of any section which is founded on a misconception ; and I cannot doubt that they will be glad of the opportunity of clearly and distinctly showing whether any such misconception as to the nature and drift of their policy really does exist."
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