Sir William Harcourt made a great speech to his con-
stituents at Derby on Thursday. It is so full, again, of military metaphor, that it is clear he is preparing to take the place of commander-in-chief of his party ; and he began by quizzing the Tories on the recent scene at Birmingham. " The Tory commander-in-chief had come down in state to receive the capitulation of the old Liberal fortress. The Bazaine of Birmingham was there to sun-ender to the triumphant foe the keys of the citadel, and to do homage to the conqueror." He described Sir Albert Rollit's exposition of the necessity of passing the Irish Local Government Bill, and of the deep pledges given by the Government to that effect ; and then he quoted Milton's account of a celebrated scene in Fande, mouium, as the best illustration he could give of the reception accorded to his speech by the Conservative Association :-
" So having said, awhile he stood expecting Their universal shout and high applause To fill his ear ; when contrary he hears On all sides from innumerable tongues A dismal, universal hiss, the sound Of public scorn."
From Milton, however, he could not quote any example of a moving of " the previous question " to illustrate the Marquis of Granby's way of circumventing the difficulty by a flank march ; but on this moving of the previous question Sir William dilated with even more than his usual full-blooded jocularity.
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