16 FEBRUARY 1884, Page 3

The Tory speeches at the St. Stephen's Club on Wednesday,

on occasion of the unveiling of the bust of Lord Beacons- field, were altogether wanting in interest, except so far as Lord Salisbury always gives a certain amount of literary piquancy to his bitter criticisms. The best thing be said was that a ricketty parapet on the edge of a precipice is more dangerous than no parapet at all, because it gives the impression that it is safe to lean, where leaning is certain destruction. We need hardly say that the parapet of which he was speaking was that meta• phorical parapet to British institutions,—the House of Lords. The saying was a good one, but has not Lord Salisbury himself misled a good many worthy persons into leaning on that ricketty parapet, and finding out, too late, how ricketty it was P