The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-05-12 00:00:00

brat Connfil &pus.

TUESDAY, MAY 12, 18611.

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

It is rather curious that before Parliament oould
finally dispose of the Reform question, which has
been the great bone of contention between political
parties for years past, another subject should have
taken the plans of Reform in that repeat, and have
withdrawn all interest from its predecessor. There
are still some very important measures connected
with Parliamentary Reform to pass, in order to give
effect to the Legislation of last year; and, what
with the Scotch and the Irish Bill, and the different
: Boundaries Bills, there are details to settle which
may very mach influence the future balsam of
' parties in the House of Commons. But no one
expects that say great party contest will take place
over these details, or that there will be as appeal to
the country on the question whether Scotland te to
have additional members by adding to the lota
number of representatives, or by taking a
few from small English boroAghs. A point
like this would have been thought very
important a few months ago; but now the
Irish Church overshadows and dwarfs every other
political matter, and parties will probably be willing
to give and take to an almost unprecedented extent,
in order that the new constituencies may be formed,
and an appeal be made to them on the question of
the hour. Parliamentary reform is no longer looked
upon as an end, but as the means to an end—that
end being a decision of the question whether the
Irish Church shall cease to exist as an establishment.
If it depended altogether on a majority of the House
of Commons we should undoubtedly mean end of the
Irish Establishment this year; for the Liberal pert,
and their leader are by no means content with passing
a mere abstract resolution, end leaving the new Par-
lisineet to carry it into effect. Mr. Gladstone is
heartily supported in his policy of giving legislative
effect to his resolutions by. Bill ; and it teems certain
that be will easily carry his measure through the Lower
House even in the short period of the session remain-
ing, stoat the Government have announced their
intention of refraining from prolonged discussion
and contenting themselves with negativing the Bill
at every stage. This is as it should be; for, after
the recent divisions, it would be worse then nodes@
waste of time to &scum the question in the present
House of Commons. However, the make is not
likely to be wattled this year. Nothing can really be
done without the assent of the House of Lords, and
Do politician can suppose that the Peers will pees the
Nil in igs present state of the question. It
is quite within their functions to throw out a Bill
hastily introduced on a very grave question, on
which the Ministers of the Crown have itauc.usoed
their intention of appealing to the country.
Neither the opponents nor the supporters of the
Irish Church can well complain of the course that
will almost certainly betaken by the Lords; for thus
there will be ample time for the country to consider
the matter in all its bearings, and decide either to
to carry out Mr. Gladstone's resolutions, or to
Adopt any other mires which it may think prefer-
able.

It is to to hoped that what is called the "nice..
sary business" of the ression—that is, the basica'
actually required to be dose preliminary to • dinolu-
tion—may now be taken up in earnest. Meteptiori-
°ally, Parliament may now be likened to a battle
field, where one side has gained an important
position, and • trooe has been established for the
purpose of burying the dead, tending the wounded,
and repairin6 as well as may be the general confusion
which luisirmulted from • number of pitched battles.
At one time, on Thursday night, there seemed • pros-
pect of the struggle degenerating into guerilla warfare,
; and detached fights were going on all over the field
in which men scarcely seemed to know their friends
from their enemies, and the forme on both aides
were beginning to get demoralized. The abandon-
ment of the field for • brief interval by the Govern-
ment leaders, and the disposition which some Liberals
showed to quarrel Over the spoil before they had
secured it, provoked some sharp remonstranoes from
Messrs. Gladstone and Bright, which resulted many-
thing but personal amenities between those gentle-
men and Mr. Disraeli. The language need was ,
getting quite unparliamentary, and the temper az-
hibited anything but statesmanlike. It was there-
fore a relief when, on Friday, both sides seemed
intent on making arrangements for • truce. It is
none too soon for this, considering the number of dead
measures which have to be buried, and of wounded
ones that will have to be tended with the greatest
ears, if the mortality of "the innocents" this
ameson is not be something beyond all preoedest.
As it is. many of no will lament the useful measures
that have been sacrificed; bet such is the nature of
war, pohtiad as well as military, and snob me-
tingencies cannot be avoided while pugnacity
remains • characteristic of humanity.
The intelligent)* which has arrived by the repent
mail from the Cape is calculated to occasion some
unemioese. We are informed that, in eonsequenoe
of some complications about which nobody cares
a button in this country, "a British twee
bad crossed the Orange nem, and great fears
were entertained of • collision between it and
the Free State troops." This Orange Fri•
State baa long been a thorn in the aide of
c.v. colony; but it would be too bad if • paltry
Suite which bas been allowed to exist and grow
up entirely upon our sufloratios should be the
sent umlaut to provoke us to • petty war, and to
add a trifle more to our income-tax, or muss aa
augmentation of customs duties. The people of the
Undid Kingdom are tired OIpsIMII for patty wan

in the intermit of colonies quite strong enough to
hold their own against their neighbours, and it is
to be hoped that the Imperial authorities will have
made this sentimeut to be known at the Cape beton
L it is too labs