The banquet will be memorable as the first addressed by Mr. Balfour as Prime Minister of England. His speech had evidently been very carefully prepared. Tt was very felicitous in expression, and since it is the custom for Premiers on these occasions to address themselves to questions of foreign rather than domestic politics, and as since the conclusion of the war political parties have not. been sharply divided on any question of foreign politics, it wasa speech which in the main commends itself to everyone except the extreme Little Englanders. "Mr. Balfour is very optimistic with regard to South Africa; he admits that the war "dried up every source of wealth in the 'Transvaal and Orangia," but he nevertheless bel that' "after not many months" we shall have "brought the condition of these Colonies to a higher state of material prosperity than they were ever in before they became integral portions of the British Empire." Of Mr. Chataberlain's Mission he spoke in the most sanguine terms, and. to the Colonial Minister himself he referred in the most generous terms of laudation. "The Mother Country," he said, has sent out the s}ablest of her sons."
In dealing with our foreign relations he was equally optimistic, in spite of the anti-British feeling which has recently shown itself on the Continent, and which he does not deny may have a deeper cause than our war with the Boors. The Education Bill. y Mr. Balfour proposed his mn, for closing the ses of the Education Bill in batches on different dates. Of course the Liberals protested, and rallied strong in support of o iatory amendment moved by Bir mpbell-Bannerman. But the "guillotine" has been used three times before in the House, and twice out of those three times it was by a Liberal Government, the most notable occasion being of course that of the Home Rule Bill of 1893, The Liberals have so far a case, that the debates
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.