Mr. W. H. Smith made a long speech at Southampton
on Wednesday, in which he stated that the present period of settled gloom was a result of Liberal policy. He accused the Govern- ment of sacrificing the honour and interests of the country to catch the Irish Republican vote. Expenditure increased faster under this Government than the previous one, while the work of legislation was stopped by a discussion on procedure. He thought there was a tendency in the Radical majorities of to-day to appoint a Dictator, and treat all criticism of biro as impertinence. He doubted if the Government had the energy to deal with Egypt, and denied the wisdom of making concessions to Ireland, or of employing men who are at heart irreconcilably hostile to the unity of the Empire. The speech was not intemperate, except in a few phrases ; but it was made in entire forgetfulness of the fact that the speaker himself proposes the largest concession yet made to Irish ideas,—such an extension of the Purchase Clauses as shall replace the landlords by a peasant-proprietary. That may be a perfectly right proposal, but if it is, the policy of concession to Ireland, merely as such, cannot be quite so evil as the Member for Westminster would make out.
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