SPEECHES BY MINISTERS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1915, 10 August 1888, Page 2

SPEECHES BY MINISTERS.

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London, August 9. Mr De Keycer, Lord Mayor of London, entertained the members of the Ministry at a banquet last night.

Replying to the toast of " The Navy," Lord Geo. Hamilton, referring to the recent naval manoeuvres, said that they were being conducted on old methods of warfare, and showed that the defensive tactics employed would be unreliable if the bombardment of London vrepe imminent,

Replying to the toast of "The Ministry," Lord Salisbury, speaking on the Local Government Bill, said the measure would solve a difficult problem without injuring vested interests. Whilst other nations wera increasing their»publjp debt, ftn d showing a corresponding decreasing credit, England was preserving her credit at home and abroad. Speaking to more general questions, the Premier said the Government took credit for establishing a better order of things m Ireland, and had been instrumental m diminishing the tyranny of Societies over the people. They had also increased the security o,f contracts m th^t cpu,ntry. On the continent tranquilly prevailed, and he felt confident that the great rulers of the world desired uninterrupted peace. The conviction was stealing upon the statesmen of/ Europe that it was not advisable to interfere m Bulgaria at the present juncture, Referring to the accession of the Emperor William to the German throne, Lord Salisbury expressed the belief that! his Jreign would be beneficial to the poople, and that he would he a credit to his English and German ancestry. Nothing m European politics would be more desirable than that the politics of Russia and Germany should become parallel, for peace between these two great powers meant the peace of Europe also.