The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-10 00:00:00

LaNDOit.', SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 18C9

The sharpest altercation that has yet taken place
this session between the Leaders of Party, was that
which arose last evening upon Mr. AYRTON'S moving
in Committee of Supply for a grant of £1,580,000 on
account of the Civil Service Estimates. Immediately
upon the Secretary of the Treasury resuming his seat,
after delivering himself of the comparatively few
words constituting his explanation, the late Chancel-
lor of the Exchequer, Mr. WARD HUNT, arose evi-
dently for the purpose of relieving his mind from a
long-suppressed and intolerably accumulated load of
indignation. His attack was directed point-blank
against the First Minister of the Crown.
Resolved no longer to let byegones be byegones, the
right hon. gentleman reverted to the charges directed
against himself and his colleagues in the late
Government, by the now Prime Minister, during the
period of the last Autumnal recess, and through the
medium of what Mr. lllnva described as " a great
number of speeches, which occupied a great number
of columns in the different newspapers. So profuse,"
said the ex-Chancellor of the Exchequer, " were his
(Mr. GeADsToNE's) utterances, indeed, that I almost ,
despaired of getting through so vast a mass of words."
But he added, immediately, " I must, however, con-
fess that I paid the right hon. gentleman the
compliment of reading the greater portion of
those speeches, and felt much encouraged by
those prolix effusions with which he relieved his
mind," Mr. HUNT adding. that " One of the chief
topics on which he (Mr. GLADSTONE) dwelt was the
ex raordinary extravagance of the late Government,
and their great desire to squander the public money."
After descanting for some time upon that particular
charge, and other charges of a shear charac-
ter, directed against the late Ministry by the
head of the present Government during the
course of his electioneering speeches in Lanca-
shire, Mr. HUNT, evidently excited by the warmth
of party feeling awakened by a good deal
of cheering and counter-cheering, hesitated not to
denounce those charges made against the late Ca-
binet by Mr. GLADSTONE, as so many " rash and
reckless assertions." It was manifestly in allusion to
this and to Mr. WARD HUNT'S reference to the
prolixity of the Prime Minister's harangues to the
electors of South-west Lancashire, that Mr. GLAD-
STONE in the course of his remarks, immediately
afterwards in reply or explanation, took occasion to
observe amidst some cheering and laughter—
" Undoubtedly, those who are unfortunate enough
to number the tale of years which have passed since
I became a member of this House must feel peculiar
happiness when they receive lessons of this descrip-
tion from gentlemen who have entered public life
some quarter of a century afterwards, and who,
growing rapidly in wisdom and experience, have
acquired so remarkable a capacity for lectur-
ing their seniors." Speakieg with considerable
warmth, the Premier, afterwards, instead of
ia any manner explaining away the charg .s
referred to by hi 3 censor, reiterated those
charges in the directest manner possible, and in the
strongest langinge. Thereupon, quite as unco.epro-
misingly, Mr. Drerea.F.m, in his twofold character as
Chief of the late Government and as Leader of
the Opposition, indulged himself with some exceed-
ingly characteristic retaliation. Peculiarly sting-
ing in its way was his reference to the course
" invented," as he said, "for the occasion by the right
hon. gentleman"--Mr. GLADSTONE—" at an election
in Lancashire, which," sai I theimember fOr Bucking-.
hainehire with an air of almost intolerable magnani-