Mr. Chaplin's, on the contrary, was one of painfully laborious
vituperation. He assured Mr. Gladstone that the line of his remarks on the success of the repeal of the Malt-tax in intro- ducing lighter barleys, maize, and rice, into brewery processes, had tended, along with the policy pursued on the Foot-and- mouth disease, to alienate the farmers from the Liberal Govern- ment. He spoke of the heavy sense of " shame and humilia- tion " under which they were about to disperse; of the " deep degradation" brought upon the country by the South-African policy of the Government ; and of the personal responsibility incurred by the Prime Minister in his "reckless and inflam- matory speeches during the general election," for the war in the Transvaal. Finally, he denounced the Government as "the worst and most incapable Administration that ever encumbered the Treasury Bench, or mismanaged the whole business, and dis- honoured the name, of the Empire of the Queen." Mr. Glad- -stone replied briefly and scornfully after this heavy-shotted eloquence of Mr. Chaplin's had rumbled away into space, and then the laborious conversation dropped.
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