Lord Salisbury made a lively speech at Watford on Thurs-
day. He directed his remarks chiefly to badgering Lord Hartington. Lord Hartington, he said, wished to make the House of Lords into a kind of political parish clerk, that should always respond with an " Amen " to the wishes of the House of Commons. For his own part, whenever that state of things should come about, he held that the time to abolish the House of Lords would have arrived. Indeed, Lord Salisbury evidently thinks that it is much better for the House of Lords to swear a round oath, first, that they will see the House of Commons damned before they agree with them, and then, on second thoughts, to substitute a sulky "Amen," than to say "Amen" at once, without sulks. Lord Salisbury then went on to remark on "the bold and high-falatin' language in which Mr. Chamberlain treats his colleague," and on "the bated breath and humble whispering with which Lord Hartington responds." His own wishes, said Lord Salisbury, were all with Lord Hartington ; but if he were a betting man, he should cer- tainly give odds on the success of Mr. Chamberlain. After badgering Lord Hartington, Lord Salisbury had very little more left to say, but he said it in a good many words. It was chiefly to the effect that the Tories dislike all organic changes, and think they interfere with remedial legislation, about which they are very anxious, though, while they were in office, they ap- peared to be,—with the exception, perhaps, of Sir R. Cross,— profoundly indifferent.
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