The Home Secretary, Mr. Bruce, has been addressing his constituents
in Renfrewshire, but we do not know that lie has thrown,any new ray of light on the political situation. He put rather well the unreasonableness of the dissatisfaction which is now so freely expressed at the meagreness of the Ministerial achievements. "If three years ago, the most-reflecting and ex- perienced of politicians amongst them had been told that it was the intention of Mr. Glidstonir!s Administration to abolish the BIM-Wished Church of Ireland, to. place all religious parties in that country on a footing of equality, to .remove all legitimate grievances in connection with laud in Ireland, to introduce into Eng- land for the first time a system of national elementary education, to apply in England those vast and long-unused endowments for the benefit of the people, to get rid of the system of Purchase, and to introduce .new life into the organization of the Army ; if they had been told that it was proposed in three successive Sessions to accomplish all these great objects; they would have answered, 'Your ambition is honourable, your objects are wise, but you overrate your powers and the powers of resistance possessed by those who are interested in the preservation of the present state of things.' " Yet all this had been accomplished, and accomplished in three years. Mr. Bruce is right. It is not the practical failures of the Government which have raised against it so much hostility,iar rather its practical successes ; but in great measure also it is the ima- ginative failure of a busy and overworked administration, immersed in detail and not led by a minister of typically national tempera- ment, to interpret adequately the moral attitude of the country on subjects outside the legislative area.
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