Sir Michael Hicks-Beach made a speech at Chester on Tuesday,
in answer to Mr. Gladstone's great speech there delivered last week. It was a good and entertaining speech, but the greater portion of it is familiar to all politicians. Sir Michael, however, made a good point when he asked his audience to remember that if Scotchmen are to count the exclusively Scotch Bills and amendments defeated by English votes, the English must begin to count the exclusively English Bills and amendments defeated by Scotch votes, which they have never yet even desired to count. A great deal of this local jealousy which is being fostered on behalf of Home- rule measures, would be brushed away in a moment by the very obvious consideration that we wish to have the United Kingdom treated as if it were a United Kingdom, and that we intend Irishmen and Scotchmen to express freely, and give effect to their dislike of English proposals when they feel that dislike,—on condition, however, that Englishmen are equally free to do the same as regards Scotch and Irish proposals. If they withdraw that permission, we must withdraw permission to them to vote on our affairs ; and we should like to know which withdrawal would be of the greater importance.
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