Mr. Fawcett on Wednesday made a speech to his constituents
at Hackney, in which he recommended patience in Ireland, but stated distinctly that the Union must be maintained. As regarded English land, he was in favour of completely en- franchising the soil, but would defend freedom of contract, and "take care that the possession of land has no disadvantages not attaching to other kinds of property." He was in favour of extending the suffrage in the counties, and of a large re- distribution of seats, but also of representing the minority, a claim which he said—with great foresight—would, when time representation of Ireland was finally'. arranged, come home to us pretty sharply. He, of course, opposed' Fair-trade," as leading directly to a war of tariffs. Perhaps, however, the most valu- able portion of his speech was comprised in some statistics of his own Department. The Post-office now issues 4,000,000 a year of the new Post-office Orders ; the people have invested in eleven months £832,000 in Consols in little sums, and would have invested more, but that they will not buy Consols above par; and in eleven months, no less than 436,000 new accounts have been opened in the Savings Banks, most of them in con- sequence of the new rule allowing deposits of one shilling in stamps. That last fact is an extraordinary and almost pathetic one. How, poor and how thrifty must be the classes in which that order was accepted with such eagerness !
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