Lord Randolph Churchill's reputation for Parliamentary
talent is growing rapidly. He has already eclipsed, in the opinion of the best judges, Lord George Hamilton,—has shown more judgment, more humour, and less of mere smartness. In the debate on the Income-tax on Wednesday, while acknowledg- ing the satisfaction with which he should in general avail him- self of any good opportunity to "embarrass the Government," he had the sagacity to see,—what neither Lord George Hamil- ton nor Sir Stafford Northcote had the sagacity to see,—that to resist the additional penny of Income-tax, which must involve giving up the conversion of the malt duty into the- beer duty, on account of the loss which that operation imposes on the first year of the new system, would be most unpopular- with the farmers, and most prejudicial to the Tory party with the various agricultural interests, which, suffering as they are- from a succession of bad harvests, and the fear of an in- different harvest, look to the enfranchisement of malting as their chief hope of an improving demand for agricultural produce. Lord Randolph consequently gave his support to- Mr. Gladstone, and intimated that even if the arrangements should result in a large surplus for 1881-1882, he should not look upon that result with disfavour. In spite of this speech, Lord George Hamilton and Sir S. Northcote pushed their opposition to the extra Income-tax to a division, and were ignominiously de- feated, obtaining only 94 votes, against 234 for the Government- Lord Randolph Churchill is a Conservative who never gives check to his adversary without seeing some advantage to be- gained from it. Lord George Hamilton, like weak chess-players,. continually gives check for the pleasure of doing so, and in this he is, unfortunately, encouraged by his not very able chief.
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