The Unionist fête at the Crystal Palace this day week
was a brilliant one, and showed that the Conservatives are still full of life and hope. Mr. Balfour's speech was confidence itself, and gave the most striking evidence that he is not at loggerheads with his colleagues as to the Local Taxation Bill. He described the opposition to it in this epigrammatic fashion:—" A certain number of gentlemen who care a great deal about politics and very little about temperance, persuaded a large number of other gentlemen who care a great deal about temperance and very little about politics," that the Government were going to endow the publicans. Mr. Goachen also made a very spirited and eloquent little speech; and even Mr. Stanhope was happy in his epigram on Sir W. Harcourt's strategy :—" I should say his role is that of Snug the joiner. It does not want to be learnt. Yon may do it extempore, for it is nothing but roaring." It is perfectly true that either of the two great parties can get up these magnificent demonstrations at almost any moment without difficulty. But that should warn the one which is for the moment in the highest spirits, not to talk the nonsense it does talk about the enemy having been demoralised, defeated, extinguished.
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