Lord Randolph Churchill is not an interesting speaker in his
lucid intervals. He was quite sane at Sheffield on Thursday, and consequently rather dreary. He affirmed that the present Government had found the country in financial difficulties, and had put the Treasury straight ; that there were great arrears of legislation, and they had been got through, five or six measures of first-class importance having received the Royal assent ; and that they have adopted a new policy in Ireland, which has as yet produced no bad results. The answer to all that, so far as it needs one, is that the Liberal Government would have put the finances straight, but for a vote of the House of Commons ; that the legislation had been prepared by the Liberals, and was passed with their consent ; and that the Irish experiment has not been tested, winter not having arrived. Lord Randolph pro- ceeded to give Lord Salisbury the credit of floating the Egyptian Loan, of settling the Zulfikar difficulty, and of commencing the necessary system of defences for the northern frontier of India. The facts are correct ; but the Egyptian Loan would have been raised as easily under Mr. Gladstone, the Znlfikar arrangement was in progress before the Ministry resigned, and Lord Kimberley was at least as energetic as Lord R. Churchill in pressing on the fortifications. The truth is the Tory Government has managed fairly well, because after raving at the Liberal policy, it has taken it up, and, as far as time would allow, has carried it out.
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