perated by the suspension of the Sinking Fund, which was one of the notable results of Lord Northbrook's mission to the unhappy country of the Pharoahs, was displaying an insolence towards England and an indifference to her interests that were well calculated to cause alarm to all but the most blind partisans. The bubbling of the revolutionary spirit in Ireland was becoming louder, while the Boers in the Transvaal had brought matters to such a crisis that it became evident some vigorous action must be taken. Lord Derby, however, seemed to think otherwise. These men of "strong masculine fibre and Christian simplicity," as they had been described by his chief, the Prime Minister, were objects of tender solicitude to the Colonial Secretary. The murder and outrage, the rapine and slaughter, the injustice and insolence of the psalm-singing Dutch freebooters and robbers could not turn a hair of his lordship's head, though in this respect he would sees to have been singular. An expedition was sent to Bechuanaland, but it returned without any fighting, as the Boers withdrew over the frontiers, and gave guarantees for their good behaviour. Very soon, however, they ignored those guarantees, and commenced their old course of plunder and rapine. Matters now became worse than ever in South Africa, and aroused the indignation of the Opposition to such an extent that they seized upon the African policy as a powerful weapon to turn against the effete Government, which was only kept in office by a mechanical majority and the Caucus. But, as was proved, things had become too bad for even the Caucus to prevail, and a Vote of Censure was proposed by the Leader of the Opposition, and, after an exciting debate, extending over three evenings, the vote was carried by a majority of thirty-five, notwithstanding that the Irish Party threw their weight in the scale for the Government. But many prominent Liberals went into the lobbies with the Opposition, and some of the Liberal party abstained from voting at all.
The result of this was, the Prime Minister determined to appeal to the country. The party exhibited no chagrin at their defeat. Their natural term of office would have soon expired, and they were confident and jubilant now that the new electorate would return them to power with a
