At the dinner of the Associated Chambers of Com- merce
on Wednesday, Mr. Bryce proposed the health of the Government in a very graceful speech, in which he• admitted that it, was more in his way to assail than. to eulogise the Government, though he evidently found the exceptional character of his immediate duty rather agreeable and refreshing. He particularly praised the Govern-. ment for not trying to bring any influence to bear on the Canadian elections, a course which could by no possibility have had any but a mischievous effect; and, indeed, gave them credit generally for great prudence in not addressing fussy protests to foreign Powers engaged in constructing tariffs of which We cannot approve. Lord Salisbury, in reply, especially
/thanked Mr. Bryce for the support he had given to their policy of abstaining from useless remonstrances, and pointed -out that all they could say by way of remonstrance would merely confirm the foreign Government in its attitude. They would reply : You expect our policy to injure your commerce. We are very glad to hear it ; that is just what we are trying to do, in the belief that it will benefit our own.' Complete neutrality was the only course which offered any kind of advantage in crises of that kind, where foreign Powers were possessed with the mistaken belief that our loss would be their gain
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