The Tories ought to erect a statue to Lord Aberdare.
His Bill helped to let them into power ; Mr. Cross's attempt to im- prove it has helped them to waste the Session in talk ; and now Lord Aberdare has let them off with the gentlest of rebukes. 'There can be little doubt that on Tuesday night, when Mr. Cross's Bill passed its second reading, a temptation was offered to Lord Aberdare such as few party-men would have had the courage to re- sist. Mr. Lowe in his place r:auld have shown that the Tories were a set of unscrupulous blunderers, who had claimed power in order to alter an oppressive Bill, had promised in the Queen's Speech to improve it, and had left it just as it was, the true constituency insisting that it should not be altered. Lord Aberdare, how- ever, let the Tories off with the remarks that they had dis- covered how factitious the agitation was, and that Lord Beau- champ, who has charge of the Bill, had explained everything except the reason for its existence; adding only a lengthy history of the good which his own measure had wrought. Considering all the Tories have said of Mr. Bruce, his speech was really a miracle of amiability, but in a party sense it was a wise one. It did not irritate anybody, but softly showed the way to give the new Government a rattling fall. "Mr. Cross's Bill," says Lord Aber- dare, in the fatherliest manner, "is' really not wanted. Suppose we drop it."
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