NEWS OF THE WEEK.
PERHAPS the only visibly good result of the bad weather has been that Mr. Chamberlain made a masterly speech at Highbnry last Saturday to the Liberal Unionists of West Birmingham, which he would in all probability not have made, had the weather favoured the amusements of a garden-party, instead of driving his guests into the house. He quoted Mr. Morley's remark that the Session had been one of which all parties might be proud, and illustrated it by referring to the National Debt Bill, which Mr. Goschen has passed ; to the Local Government Bill, which had passed the House of Commons, and had even then been read a first time in the House of Lords ; to the Railway Rates Bill, which has also passed the House of Commons; and to the Employers' Liability Bill, which had reached a stage at which it is morally certain that it will pass. And he threw upon those who obstruct the three Irish Drainage Bills the very serious responsibility of throwing those Bills back, in their jealousy of the claims of the present Government to promote in any way the prosperity of Ireland.
