The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-22 00:00:00

SKETCHES; IN PARLIAMENT.

TUESDAY.
The House of Commons was, if possible, hotter- and
fuller than it was on Thursday, the night of the storm.
No one can accuse our legislators of neglecting their duty,
and though the Irish members were again conspicuously
absent, it must be remembered that they worked double
tide before the Whitsun holidays: The first business of
the evening was the presenting of an enormous number of
petitiOns, which occupied a very considerable time. About
lye o'clock there was a knocking at the door, and the cry of
" Black Rod" announced that the Commons were to be
summoned to the Upper House to hear the Royal Assent
given to new bills. The number of Commoners who
obeyed the summons-and attended the Speaker was not
very large, for hon. members who had not taken the pre-
caution of being present at prayers, were not minded
to lose their seats by leaving them to the group of
weary wallflowers who stood leaning against the door.
The questions were numerous, many of them were
important, and Mr. Ayrton, of course, had something dis-
agreeable to say, and that something amounted to an
announcement of the indefinite postponement of the New
Law Courts. The Speaker then, amid great cheering
announced that he had received from the Chancellor of
the University of Oxford a communication, inviting him
to attend to receive the honorary degree of D.C.L.,
and he asked the permission of the House to absent
himself from Parliament on that day. Universal accla-
mation shewed how popular Mr. Denison is, and Mr.
Gladstone and Mr. Disraeli vied with each other in their
compliments and congratulations. So it was arranged
that Mr. Dodson should take the chair to-morrow in order
that the Speaker might go to Oxford and come back as
Dr. Denison, entitled, if he pleases, to wear a gorgeous
scarlet robe over his sombre black breeches and stockings.
Then came the business of the evening. "The question
is that I now leave the chair." Alas for the paulo-post
future D.C.L., there was no such good luck in store for
him. It was to be a field nigh* with great speeches from
great speakers, bent uponshe jghow difficult it is to teach
little children the three R's ithout infusing into them
some of the thousand and ne " isms" which vex the
theological world. Mr. Henry Richard opened the debate.
A bald-headed, black-browed, white-bearded man is this
ex-dissenting minister and leader writer in the defunct
Morning Star. A very able man, moreover, with
such a gift of language, and such decided
views on theology, that the Welsh Calvinists,
Methodists, and others of Merthyr Tydvil,
at the last election preferred him to the present
Home Secretary. He spoke with deliberation, and with-
out hesitation. He never seemed to be at a loss for a
word, but always had the right one close at hand. No
doubt his speech had been carefully prepared, but
he had the art to conceal the art, and while most of our
great orators have evidently finished, and refined, and
worked up before hand, Mr. Richard seemed rather to be
thinking out his argument as he went along. The
strongest part of his speech was where he contended e
Mr. Gladstone, profound theologian though he was, skil-
ful constructor though he was, would find it impossible to
invent a religion that would please everybody, and leave
out everything which displeased anybody. Very humorous
was his enumeration of the religions in the House of Com-
mons, concluding with, "and for aught I know Turks,
Infidels, and heretics." The weakest part was where Mr.
Richard quoted amid ironical laughter the argument of
Mr. E dward Baines against denominational education, argu-
ments which all the world knows Mr. Baines has recanted.
He was loudly cheered by both sides when he asserted
that education must be religious, and there were cheers
from below the Liberal gangway when he said that the
State must give that which it could give—a literary, scien-
tific education, and leave the churches to give religion,
thus fulfilling the precept of Him whom nearly all then,
present aclmowledged as their Master, " Render unto
Cmsar the things which be Cwsar's, unto God the things
which be God's."

During the whole of this speech Mr. Gladstone had sat
stretched out, with closed eyes, and face up-turned, pale
and weary looking, but evidently listening to all that
was being said by this Dissenter of Dissenters, this repre-
sentative of the party for whom he had lost Oxford and
Lancashire, and, as it seemed, all in vain.
Mr. Forster leant forward with head buried in
his hands, as if he, too, found the burden of legislating
too heavy to bear. In striking contrast to both was Sir
John Coleridge, who sat fast asleep. He was aroused, I
think, by the noise of members rushing out to dine when
Mr. Richard sat down, at 6.17, after exactly an hour's
speech. Sir Charles Dilke rose to second Mr.
Richard's amendment. The young baronet is not
an orator, and never will be—his voice and
manner are against him. But he generally has
something to say worth hearing. It soon appeared that
it was not from any love of Nonconformity that he sup-
ported the member for Merthyr, but by reason of his
secular notions ; and he addressed himself very little to the
religious, and a great deal to the compulsory question. As
soon as he began to perorate Mr. Forster prepared to get
up, but glancing across the table at the Opposition bench,
an interchange of signals took place between him and Mr.
Hardy, and the result was that the ex-Home Secretary rose
to speak. He spoke for seventy minutes, and it was
without doubt, one of the ablest speeches ever delivered
in the House of Commons, lam not referring to the
arguments, for this is not the place to pass judgment upon
them. I refer to the speech as a specimen of eloquence
and logic, and I am sure that all who heard it, however
much they might differ from the speaker, would admit that
this speech places Mr. Hardy among the very first rank of
Parliamentary debaters. He took up one point of his
opponents' after another, and dealt with each in
a really masterly manner. Granted, he said,
that the religious education is not satisfactory,
we seek to improve it, you to forbid it.: Who,
he added, will guarantee that if the religious edu-
cation of the children is left to the ministers of religion,
the children will get it? Will the parents demand this
religious education ? If so, how comes it to
pass that so many of them never attend
any place of worship ? Then he referred to
Mr. Baines's retractation of the opinions quoted
by Mr. Richard. He added, amid great cheering,
that what he contended for was freedom to teach religion.
Have your conscience clause if you will, but do not do
anything so unwise, so unjust as to forbid religious teach-
ing. But the finest part of Mr. Hardy's speech was the
close, where, with fine sarcasm, he asked the Secularists
what they had been doing all these years. The two great
religious societies, the National and the British and
Foreign, representing the Church and the sects, had
covered the land with more than 15,000 schools. Shew
us one that you have founded, said Mr. Hardy. You
will, at all events, have no excuse in the future, for
Government will aid you whether you teach reli-
gion or not. You have subscribed £50,000 ; but
unfortunately it is for destroying the present means of
education. Devote your energies, your money to filling
up the gaps which you say we have left, and then you
will deserve the thanks of the community. Mr. Hardy
sat down amid great cheering, and I should add that,
during many portions of the speech Mr. Gladstone joined
in the marks of approbation which the eloquence of his
old rival at Oxford excited.

It was now twenty minutes to eight, and Mr. Melly
rising to speak, it became clear that the debate would
last all the evening. So the Treasury Bench, the front
Opposition Bench, and many another bench were cleared,
as if by magic, for it faut manger. Mr. Samuel Morley's
disapproval of Mr. Richards' amendment was one of the
incidents of the evening. The member for Bristol
has at least as much weight with the House
as the member for Merthyr. The first has more than
once shewn that he will not adopt the extreme
programme of the Liberation Society. Last night it was
clear that he feared the alliance of the Nonconformists
with the Secularists—feared that it would imperil religion.
So he would have none of it. Next to the handsome Dis-
senter
came the grotesque Anglican, Mr. Beresford Hope.
He raised many a laugh by his oddity. Dr. Lyon Playfair
made a very able speech from his side. Sir John Pakington
followed, and repeated the wish which he has always
uttered, and which he has loyally striven to fulfil,
that the education question may be settled this session.
Then at last Mr. Forster rose, and in a speech which I
will not attempt to summarise, and which occupied the
best part of two hours, he defended the bill, and au,
nounced, amid much excitement, that the Government,
would not consent to any further alterations, and threw
upon the opponents of the bill the responsibility, of delay,'
ing a settlement of this great question.
•

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ROYAL MUSIC HALL, HOLBORN.
Proprietor, Mr. J. S. SWEASEY.
The Press have unanimously praised and acknowledged the
entertainment provided at the above Hall for the "Whitson
holidays to be the best in London. The Brothers Voltaire,
the Champion Gymnasts, in their surprising performances,
particularly their aerial leaps, extending the whole length
of the Hall (nearly 100 feet), engaged to appear solely at
this establishment ; Mr. H. Collard (Le Petit Sims Reeves),
the miniature man, the smallest and sweetest tenor
singer in the world, can be heard at this hall only ; Messrs.
St. Albyn, P. Corri, and Miss Barrie have made an immense
hit with their operatic selections ; Miss Georgina Smith-
son has returned to meet with fresh admirers ; Mr. Baldwin
has supplemented the brilliant encomiums he has already
received from the provincial press ; Miss Louie Sherring-
ton is received nightly with uproarious applause ; Mr. J.
H. Milburn is an old favourite ; the Great Vance is not to be,
heard elsewhere, excepting at his concerts : Mr. J. H. Ryley, and
Madame Barnam, as comic duettists, have met with decided
success; the acknowledged largest and best band in London. Bal-
cony, 6(1.; stalls, ls.; private boxes, 10s. ad.

ROYAL OLYMPIC THEATRE,
_ Wych-street, Strand.
_

Lessee end Manager, Mr W. H. LISTON.
LAST FOUR NIGHTS of Miss BATEMAN as MARY
WARNER, assisted by Messrs. G. Belmore,W. H. Vernon. Blake-
ley, Elliott. David Fisher; Mrs. Poynter and Mrs. W.ll. List m.
In reply to numerous applications at the Box Office, and to
prevent disappointment to parties desirous of securing seats
several weeks in advance, Mr. W. H. Ligrox feels compelled to
announce with regret that, in consequence of previous arran2e-
ments. the hr !liant engagement o th's distinguish( d Artiste
must POSITIVELY TERMINATE on SATURDAY, JUNE 25.
Commencing with MUSIC BATH CHARMS. Concluding
with THE 'VARSITY BOAT RACE. Box Office open from 10
till 5.

LYCEUM THEATRE (under the management
of Messrs. Mansell).
THIS EVENING, at 7.30, HIS OWN RIVAL Mr. F.
Jharles and Miss L. Morgan.
At 8, BREAKING THE SPELL.
After which, at 8.30, LITTLE FAUST: Mr. T. Maclagan, M.
Marius, Mr. Aynsley Cook, Mr. Odell, and Mr. Wilmot; Mdlle.
Debreux, Mesdames Lennox G cy, Lawson, Lee, and Emily
Soldone.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Sole Lessee and Manageress, Mrs. Fwanborough.
THIS ENENING, at 7 o'clock, LOVING HEARTS. Messrs
Edward Tetry and Turner; Mesdames Bufton at,d,Santley.
Followed by KENILWORTH. Messrs David James, Ring,
Turner, and Fenton; Mesdames Sant'ey, A nstiss, Goodall, Met-
calfe, and Moore.

VAUDEVILLE THEATRE, STRAND.-
Lessees—Messrs H. J. Montague, D. James, and T.
Thorn. THIS EVENING, at 7 30 CUPBOARD LOVE, by F.
Hay. After which, at 8, a new and original Comedy, in Three
Acts, entitled TWO itOSES. To conclude with the new and
successful Burlesque. DON CARLOS; or, The Infante in Atms
Supported by Messrs. H. J. Montague, H. Irving, G. Honey, W.
H. Stephens, ar.d T. Thorne; Mesdames Nelly Power, Amy Faw-
silt, T. Lavis, and A. Newton.
Doors open at Seven. Commence at 7.30.

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