The Express.
London, England, 1860-05-22 00:00:00

.111011 WATEIL AT LONDOF 11111111.

Two ohvLikeiligTiks.7.itt. a. tr.
To-roanow—lisnitag . Alisinase. ft. OW

LONDON, TUESDAY, MAY 12.

IT is just two years sines a great parliamentary
struggle took place in whisk all the pensions and
prejudices of party were kindled into flame ; yet
the flame burned down without any other result
than a certain unpleasant savour, and the remem-
brance thereof is already become like unto smoke
that vanisheth. There may be those who think
that the struggle begun last night in the House of
Lords will prove alike transitory in the interest it
excites, and the feelings it Mamas. Bathe cir-
cumstances, it must be owned, are very different,
and the strength of the combatants in the present
case is far more equally divided than it wee in the
contention on Mr. Caartwales motion of censure
on Lord Eutiteoaouow. Here we have also a
motion of implied condemnation on the head of
one of the most important departments of admi-
nistration ; but a greater than an epistolary ladle-
cretion is now at stake, and a greater than the ex-
Viccroy of INDIA is here.

Lord GRANVILLE, in moving the second reading
of the Paper Duty Repeal Bill, recapitulated the
leading arguments so often urged in favour of that
measure, and proceeded to answer by anticipa-
tion the more prominent objections likely to be
used by its opponents. He dwelt at some length
upon the speech made by Lord Deasy, on
Saturday last, to the deputation who waited upon
him on behalf of the meeting held at St. Martin's-
hall, ridiculing certain mis-statements of facts and
figures in finance ascribed to the noble earl, and
citing many instances of his unreliability as a
political prophet, which excited no little merri-
ment in the House. The PRICRIDENT of the
Cot scu. proceeded to state concisely the policy of
the Government with reference to the Budget ;
and reiterated the confidence which he and his
colleagues felt in the Nellialiney of their measures
to meet the wants of the current year. Iq reply to
certain questions asked by Lord Oast regarding
the probable wet of the China expedition, he
argued that so long as war was uncertain it was
wiser to provide only preparations on a moderate
scale, leaving the industry of the country un-
burthened as long ea posible, and trastirig to its
capacity and willingness to bear the weight that
might eventually come upon it if war became
inevitable; he cited the apt illustration of
toe reinission of the Soap Tax on the eve
of the Russian war, which neither disabled nor
disinclined the people to pay the lavish grub of
Parliament for the support of that 001.01111 and
expensive undertaking. Lord GaaiortiLs declared
that when the Estimates were trained and the
Budget agreed to by the Cabinet they could not
tell whether war with China was or was not
probable. The observation elicited from Lord
Garr an ironical cheer, in a tope so loud and
scornful, that the usual lisabosie of the noble earl
forsook him for a inert, and he repudiated with
pant 'liable asperity the imputation of insincerity •
conveyed by Lord G REVS " insulting interruption."
In point of fact, it was net until a few minutes
before entering the House that Lord Gaasvu.La
had, se he assured their lordships, received an an-
atrial telegraph intimating the likelihood of an
open breach taking place with the Government of
China.

Contrary to general expectation Lord I.IIM-
II ran next addressed the House, confining him-
self mainly to the constitutional view of the ques-
tion. Into the general merits of the case, as a
matter of financial policy, Lord Li. N DIMINT declined
to enter. His speech was not one of his greatest
efforts ; hut, like everything he does, it was clear,
consecutive, and sententiously eloquent in point of
style.

-Lord Momvxxots commenced his elaborate it against the Budget by the earnest reite-
ration of hi entire unconsciousness, when he gave
notice to move the rejection of the Bill, that he
was to have the support of Lord Dater and his
friends. He had meant to play the part of
DA y I 1), and hoped with no other EMS than two
or three well-chosen pebble, from the brook, and
his long-practised Exchequer sling, to slay the
financial Philistines. lint, lo !he found himself
unexpectedly followed and surrounded by the
whole Conservative host, so that all that remained
for him to do was to wave his signal flag in the
van, and fugle them on their way. We do not
deny to Lord Momraxots the merit of industry
and ingenuity in the selection and use of objec-
tions ; but we think few will read his speech with-
out feeling that he has tried to prove too musk
and that his distrust of Mr. Gunerose as
financier not of the high and dry Whig school,
leads him to do great injui-tice to the merits and
twie motives of that diatingui.hed statesman.