Lord Randolph Churchill.

Manawatu Herald, 17 July 1894, Page 3

Lord Randolph Churchill.

I am sorry to hear very bad [ accounts of the health of Lord Randolph Churchill, who is not likely ever again to take a prominent part in English politics. He appears to be suffering from a nervous affliction, a paralysis of the tongue, which makes him— especially when speaking in public - almost and often quite incomprehensible. No doubt it is the early stage of the same terrible complaint that has deprived South Australia of the services of Sir John Bray. Curiously enough Lord Randolph, like Sir John, seems unconscious of th. want of his disability. He hopes to wrest Mr Shaw Lefevre's seat at Bradford from the Liberals at the general election, and has been up there holding meetings and canvassing. At the last Conservative meeting there was, I'm told by one present, a very painful scene. Under the influence of some powerful medicine, Lord Randolph managed to begin his speech tolerably, but after a time his words grew less and less distinct, running into one another and becoming a hopeless jumble. The audience sat coldly silent, forming the natural but most unjust impression tbat his lordship had dined too well. Fortunately Mr Balfour happened to be the other speaker that night, and was able to cover his late colleague's unconscious fiasco. Lord Randolph himself did not appear to realise how unintelligible he had been, and is still, I'm assured, carrying on the campaign, though the Conservative local leaders have lost hope of winning the seat. — Correspondent N. Z. Times.