The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-12 00:00:00

THE CRISIS.

The John Butt has the following on the crisis :
" The air is thick with rumours, and we may be said to
be living in an atmosphere of intrigue. It is hardly
necessary to warn our readers against giving credit to the
multiplicity of reports, some of which have a substratum
of truth, but many of which are pure inventions of the
enemy. Such emphatically was the ruse of the Tinies which
pretended on Tuesday that the peers had altered their
mind. The only shadow of foundation for this rumour
was the statement of the Earl of Devon in presenting
a petition ti°,;he House that he did not advise the rejec-
tion of the bill on the second reading. This was fully
anticipated. Indeed, last year, when in office, his lord-
ship had plainly indicated that this was his intention.
It was not, however, we believe, till Thursday, when a
second and stronger Opposition whip was issued, that
the Government really believed that serious opposition
was intended, and the Cabinet Council for to-day was
summoned, when the course of the Government in
case of defeat will be decided upon. The Government
have issued the word of command to their supporters in
the press not to bully the Peers. Hence the cessatio' of
the violent articles, and the wise silence of the Govern-
ment. Nevertheless, it is well known that every arrange-
ment is matured for getting up a spurious agitation to
order, if necessary, by Mr. Potter and his friends.
It is idle to deny that the Cave is a considerable one ;
and that though there is an assured majority, it will not
be so large as we predicted last week. No effort
must be spared to bring up every peer, and to secure a
substantial majority. Many peers will probably not
decide till the last moment, and speeches will very likely
have a practical effect on the voting. The Archbishops,
we fear, are among those who have made up their minds,
and it is even said that they may vote for the Government.
The Marquis of Bath is among those said to be most active
in the Cave, as indeed nearly all the High Church peers.
The Bishop of Oxford is stated to have convinced himself
that it is his duty to vote for the bill, on the alleged
ground, which is being urged with too much suc-
cess on some peers, that the Queen desires the bill
to be read a second time, as, if it is not, her Majesty
feels she cannot resist any course suggested by the Prime
Minister, whereas if the bill is read a second time, the
Queen will use all her influence to make the Government
yield to any amendments passed by the Lords. Surely of
all the improper uses ever made of her Majesty's name,
this unconstitutional suggestion that she would interferewith
the discretion of the House of Lords is the worst, and only
equalled by the folly of imagining that the Commons would
yield any substantial amendments. If the Government re-
fused the least concession to Sir R. Palmer, Mr. Wickham
Martin, Mr. Pim, Mr. Vernon Harcourt, and other of
its own supporters, it is worse than idle to contend that
they will yield to the House of Lords. We are authorised
to state that there is not a shadow of foundation for the
rumours that the Earl of Harrowby ' rides to lose,' as the
phrase is, or that Mr. Disraeli wishes the bill committed.
In reply to a deputation of Irish gentlemen now in
London, after speeches from the Revs. Dr. A. T.
Lee and Reichel, and Messrs. Hamilton and Macrory,
Mr. Disraeli expressed his warm sympathy with their
desire that the bill should be defeated. A deputation of
Irish Churchmen waited on Friday on the Archbishop of
Armagh, who had asked several English bishops to meet
them. His Grace and the Bishop of Derry have kept
almost open house for the gentlemen from Ireland."
The Daily News says that Mr. Bright has addressed a
letter to his Birmingham friends on the situation created
by the resolution of the Conservative leaders in the House
of Lords.—lt is also stated that the Duke of Richmond has
addressed a letter to the Earl of Derby disapproving of the
course he is pursuing, and declining to support it.