Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen made a very good speech at Deal on
'Thursday, the only fault of which was that he seemed to think the fact that the Conservatives are continuing to do all they blamed the Liberals so unjustly and so severely for doing, a sufficient proof that they ought not to have been carried by the people into power. But is not this the very evidence that a Conservative Government is appropriate to the time,—the fact, -we mean, that the Conservatives can afford to continue literally almost all the Liberals were doing, without ceasing to be Conser- vatives? When the interval suitable for political enterprise ceases, Conservatives may naturally enter into the fruits of Liberal labours,—and are not grateful for them,—political parties being never grateful except to themselves. In speaking of the Church question, Mr. Hugessen seems to us to have put much too strongly his assertion that a Legislature which is not bounded by the Church has no right to determine the creed of the Church. Surely it has as much right as ever to determine what creeds it -will permit to share the revenues bestowed by the State. Creed is a question of conscience, but the award or ref ual of State aid is a question of political expediency and enlightened calculation.
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