The National Liberal Federation opened its fifteenth annual meeting on
Thursday, amidst great party enthusiasm. Its. proceedings are not of much importance until Mr. Gladstone has spoken, for should he deride Home-rule, the Federation will take Mr. Stephens' advice to the South, and "declare it never heard of niggers ; " but as it is the biggest caucus in the country, we have elsewhere described its programme. It is not a very exciting one, the ruling members being evidently puzzled whether to break with capital by going in for a labour programme, or to seem to go in for one while dwelling on the practical difficulties. They obviously wish to be moderate, yet secure the votes of the immoderate party. The only new feature in their resolutions is their adoption of the plan of paying Members, and that must be subject to the approval of Mr. Gladstone, who once dilated on the happiness of England in having a "leisured class" to do its political work. We rather wonder if that proposal will take hold. The Chartists, though they put it in the Charter, never eared about it, and we are by no
means certain that the workmen will be eager to make their /delegates independent even for five years.
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