The Express.
London, England, 1861-05-10 00:00:00

HIGH_ W4TIli AT LOWDOS.IIIIIIII4II.

TIMI DTLifOrahig Um-- ______ 211. 32n.
TO411•SS011 YE. Altana" a& 4.

LONDON, FRIDAY, MAY 10.

IT seems that Lord ROBERT Onon's ram dis-
play of constitutional knowledge, admirable tem-
per, and felicitous phrsaeology was thrown away
after all. On Tuesday evening, as our readers
will remember, the noble lord made an extraordi-
nary and startling discovery. Beneath the inno-
cent disguise of a niers parliamentary form his
keen eye discovered • deep-laid plot—nothing
less, indeed, than a gigantic conspiracy on the
part of the Government to "subdue the House
"of Lords," and revolutionise the State. The
hour was late, the conspirators were pushing on
their nefarious scheme, and not a moment, there-
fore, was to be lust. Happily, Lord ROILIT was
equal to the occasion. Having detected the
treacherous design, he promptly rose, and, with
the stern enthusiasm of a patriot, the comprehen-
sive knowledge of • statesman, and the
choice language of • scholar, denounced
the attempted treason against the Consti-
tution. In the public duty he thus per-
formed it is hard to say which appeared to the
greatest advantage, his highbred courtesy, parlia-
mentary knowledge, or command of expression.
Perhaps, however, the last is entitled to the palm.
The Cimiremunt of the Exeurcurint, who of
course is to be considered the arch-conspirator,
had stated that the course the Government pro-
posed to pursue of taking the report that evening
was the settled and invariable routine of parlia-
mentary practice. The noble lord was " &boo-
" lutely aghast at the audacity of that statement."
He indignantly denounced the proposal as " the
" lever that was to alter the Constitution," and
stigmatised the action of the Government as an
attempt to " override the independent judgment
"of Parliameut." It was perfectly clear to
Lord Rosin Co-u. that no Government ought to
be •flowed to persevere in such an attempt at
twelve o'clock at night. If the country is to go to
the bed, if the Constitution is to be destroyed, let it,
at least, be only after full discussion and in open
day. " Whether the course we are asked to take
" is wise or not," said the noble lord, "it is too
" important, and goes too deeply into the prin-
" ciples of the British Constitution, to be discussed
" at this late hour of the night."
It is mournful to reflect that this patriotic effort
to serve the country reeled on the merest and moat
obvious delusion. The conspiracy so sagaciously
detected and indignantly denounced was • mare's
nest The course which entered so deeply into the
principles of the British Constitution was, after
all, only • well-known and thoroughly established
point of parliamentary practice. And so far from
there not being time to discuss it at twelve o'clock
at night, the whole matter wee settled in five
minutes loon after the meeting of the House yes-
terday afternoon. We are bound is fairness,
however, to my, that Lord ROBCRT was not aka*
M his delusiou. It seemed to be shared by the
majority of Members on his own side of the
House, sod was certainly very warmly espoused
by the leader of the Opposition. It is well
known 'that the noble lord has not hitherto been,
either in or out of the House, one of the right
hon. gentleman's warmest admirers or most cor-
dial supporters. Rut it was delightful to witness on
Tuesday evening how forward Mr. DISMIAJZIwas to
kiss the roil, and how eagerly he opposed his
band, if not his cheek, to the 'miter. Hu cheered
the noble lord on, and fooled him to the very top
of his bent. He confessed with charming frank-
ness and magnanimity, "that he had listened with
" satisfaction to the noble lord, having never
" heard more constitutional opinions expressed in
" more effective language." " I hope," continued
the right hon. gentleman, " that on Thursday the
" no'..le lord will be prepared to take that part in
" our debates, in which, I think, he has greatly dis-
" tinguished himself." Whether the noble lord's
temper and vocabulary in addressing the House
are precisely of the kind to merit this sort of
enlogium from the responsible leader of a great
party we need not stop to inquire. The point to
be noticed is that when Thursday evening arrived,
and the report which so deeply affected
the British Constitution came on, neither
the right hon. gentleman nor his henchman
the noble lord had anything to say about it. The
leader of the Opposition and the indignant patriot
below the gangway had come at length to under-
stand the true state of the case. The " time for
"redaction" Mr. Omani demanded a week ago,
but which up to Tuesday evening ho had made
so little use of, ho has evidently since then turned
to better account. The result of this calmer and
more dispassionate view orthe matter was gips-
rent in the course the right hon. gentleman
adopted last night. Ho very wisely stated that he
would offer no opposition to the Report of the
Resolutions being received at once, and they were
accordingly received without further discussion.
This is as it should be, and shows, we would hope,
the return of the Conservatives to a better mind
and a more strai3htforward policy in their dealing
with the Budget. By thus acquiescing in the
ordinary procedure of Parliament the Opposition
do not, of course, give up either the right or the
intention of .liticussing fully those parts of the
achenie to which they specially object. No ono
wishes fora moment that they should do so. All
that the supporter, of the scheme desire is • fair
stand-up fi,bt. But a petty policy of intempe-
rate interruptions, vexatious delays, and merely
factious interference with the usual Mina of par-
liamentary procedure, is utterly unworthy of any
Part/ that aspires to gain the ear of Parliament
or to secure tl.e conlitictice of the country. And