Mr. Gladstone made a speech at Woolwich on Saturday in
his out-of-door-and bad manner, and another at New Cross on Mon- day in his in-door and indefinitely superior style. The first has been rendered of little importance by circumstances, but he finally disposed of the pains-and-penalties story by showing that no such writ exists, and that the threat of a writ of quo warrant°, which was really made, was made three months ago, and never acted on.
Liardet persists in declaring that as he was prosecutor, he knows best, and in threatening the Premier with a " reception " next -time he comes to Greenwich, but as Mr. Gladstone had the 'highest advice, in particular Lord Selborne's, and as Mr. Liardet had his chance of giving him the reception promised, and was aoundly beaten at the polls, the matter may be left there safely. If a Premier cannot act on his Chancellor's advice on a matter of legal etiquette, and that Chancellor Lord Selborne, what is the use of lawyers or law either ? Mr. Gladstone made some fun of Mr. Disraeli by quoting some lines about the banquet at Ayles- bury being crowned by "some thundering news from the Straits -of Malacca," but they were not very funny, though the crowd enjoyed them hugely. After all, if we had sold the freedom of the Straits of Malacca, it would have been no jesting matter, and though we didn't, it should not have been jested on. Malacca is not the imaginary place Mr. Gladstone seems to think, any more than the narrow channel Mr. Disraeli appears to have imagined.
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