30 MAY 1874, Page 2

The electors of Buckinghamshire offered, after the last election, to

defray Mr. Disraeli's expenses, as they thought the opposition of Mr. Tally factious and unreasonable, and raised the necessary sum, or £1,516 15s. Mr. Disraeli has accepted the gift, in a letter- in which he says he is rewarded enough by the confidence of his. constituency, and would have declined their magnificent testi- mony of regard, but " observing how spontaneously and univer- sally it has arisen, he can only look on it as the act of a generous. and high-spirited constituency, which, though he may not merit. it, it would be presumptuous to decline." The Premier must have- been really moved, for we never remember him at fault in his; grammar before. Even his Queen's Speeches can be parsed. What. is the " it " we have italicised, and how does one " decline " an " act "?