Important Political Utterances. London, November 9.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1461, 12 November 1881, Page 2

Important Political Utterances. London, November 9.

At the annual banquet given by tho Lord Mayor, at Guildhall, to-dtiy, Mr Gladstone made a speech, in which he referred at length to the position of affairs in Ireland, and stated that the Irish were fully utilizing the benefits provided hy tho Land Act, and the situation of Ireland was materially impioved. Mr Gladstone further said that one of the earliest me<.is.ures of next session would be a Bill for Reform of Procedure of Parliament ; sucli reform wa-* urgently necessary, and he asked the assistance of all political parties in bringing the same into effect. Lord Granville also made an important sneech. He stated that a cordiil agreement continued between England and France regarding Egypt. Alluding to the Anglo-French treaty negotiations, he said that Government ittached no magnified economic importance to the conclusion of the treaty of commerce with France, although, politically, such would be valuable. His lordship concluded by stating emphatically that, it was impossible for England to conclude a treaty with France of a retrograde character.