Mr. Bryce is losing his impartiality of tone. His speech
at Canterbury last Monday might almost have been delivered by Sir Walter Foster. He denied almost all obstruction on the part of the Opposition, except in the case of the Crimes Act. He called the legislative achievements of the Govern- ment "beggarly." He ignored all the difficulties in giving the County Councils control of the licenses without first coming to some equitable arrangement as to compensation. He asserted that the Sugar Convention would have made sugar dearer for purchasers,—which is very uncertain,—and ignored entirely the advantage of getting rid of bounties, just as if bounties, so long as they are given by other nations, were the recognised policy of Free-trade. He called the Irish policy of Mr. Balfour "the best-advertised thing he ever knew," the only rival to it being Mr. Barnum's show, which he preferred to Mr. Balfour's policy because it did no harm, while Mr. Balfour's policy was full of mischief. He spoke of the Crimes Act as a mere Act devised in the interest of the landlords to help them in collecting their rents ; and he attacked vehemently the proposal to treat the Voluntary schools and the Board schools on the same principles in case of the concession of Free Education. In short, Mr. Bryce made a bitter partisan speech such as we did not suppose it possible that he could have delivered. What has suddenly robbed Mr. Bryce of all his calm objective vision ?
