The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-31 00:00:00

fact that there is noticeable a difference of merely
three upon the side of the Government.

It is unquestionable, we take it, that the clear
majority of Fifteen secured to themselves last
evening by her MAJESTY'S Government, in a
house (including the four Tellers, the Speaker,
and the Chairman of Committee) of 583 altogether,
is virtually, under the circumstances of the case, a
far larger majority than that won by Ministers on
the 2d of May in a House of 586 altogether, that
earlier majority of Eighteen ! In effect it was at
once recognised last night when the numbers were
announced. There were audible then, no hopeful
counter cheers from the aide of the Opposition—only
reverberating shouts of applause again and again re-
newed from the ranks of the victorious supporters
of the Government. The division in fact is decisive.
That clear majority of Fifteen in a house of 583
members, after so very prolonged and resolute
an opposition, fixes the seal of acceptance upon the
Budget, dooms for ever and for ever the paper
duties after the Ist of October, strengthens almost
beyond calculation the hold upon power of the
Liberal Coalition, hurls to the winds this session
the hopes of the Opposition, and the fears that
were beginning to darken about us as to the
terrible possibility of a dissolution at midsummer.

The discussion which led the way to last night's
decisive division, while relieved from absolute
inanity by two or three speakers, must neverthe-
less be acknowledged to hive been upon the whole
one of almost unexampled dullness. The only
really telling speech in the debate was the one
delivered by the noble lord the Foreign Secre-
tary. The impassioned repudiation by Lord JOHN
of the disgraceful imputations directed against the
Government of which he is a member touched all
the nobler sentiments of the House as with so many
electric flashes of indignation. In answer to each
vivid lightning word of scorn in regard to these
baseless accusations came "the applauding thun-
der at its heels"—and this alike from the side of
the Government and of the Opposition. Another
deeply interesting incident of the debate yesterday
was the really heartfelt welcome accorded alike
by personal friends and political foes to Mr.
COBDEN upon the occasion of his reappearance !
The " unadorned eloquence ". of that veritable
Genius of Common Sense again telling with signal
force upon the discussions in that the popular
branch of the Legislature. Otherwise than in these
two instances the debate of last night was, how-
ever, as dull and as uninteresting as its result has
proved decisive both as to the success of the Budget
and the triumph of the Ministry.

Father DALY would do well to remember the
wisdom of that old threadbare proverb, Ne sutor

ultra crepidam. One is almost tempted to give it
a sort of punning half echo in our English verna.

cular—avowing, by an allowable change of mood,
that No suitor could well go beyond his (Father
DALY's) " last." The Prime Minister's graphic ac-
count last evening of his lordship's interview with
the rev. gentleman whose name we have just
now particularized certainly lifts the curtain upon
as delicate a little political mission as was perhaps
ever adventured uponby ecclesiastic. The incident is
as certainly very exemplary in its character, or as
our cousins across the Atlantic would more aptly call
it—cautionary. As described by the noble viscount
immediately after the taking of last night's divi-
sion, the interview is brought before us so clearly,
so vividly, so picturesquely that we seem somehow
to make quite one of the party. We are conducted
into the apartment as it were by the noble lord
himself, and become as from behind a screen
compulsory spectators and eaves-droppers.
" There is no use in concealing names,"
says Lord PALMERSTON with charming
naïveté beginning his pleasant little prelection.
" Father—that is Mr.--,-DALY," says the Premier,
with a humorous twinkle in his eye while correct-
ing his of course quite unintentional lapsus lingua
—"Father—that is Mr.--PDALY called upon me on
Saturday and urged upon me reasons why the de-
cision of the Government with regard to the Gal-
way packet line should be reconsidered. Well."
said Lord PALMERSTON, "I stated to Mr. DALY
that I did not consider him authorised to repre-
sent anybody on the subject, and I declined to enter
into a discussion with him on the Galway packet
contract." Nothing daunted by which, Father,
that is Mr., DALY replies—" It is a public ques-
tion." The reverend gentleman might have added,
in every sense of the word —" and a purely," no, not
purely, that's not the phrase, " a strictly," yes,
' strictly will do—" and a strictly mercantile
• transaction !" What is Lord PALMERSTON'S reply ?
Why, exactly the reply that might have been
looked for from Lord PALMERSTON ! "Itis a
matter that can alone be discussed publicly in the
House of Commons," observes the Premier in
answer to Mr. DALY—" and not privately in my
own apartment." Thereupon—" Mr. DALY said,
if I would not discuss it with him, would I do so
with a deputation of Irishonembers ? I said I did
not see that it was a matter between me and the
Irish members, but between the Government and
the Galway Company ; nor did I see what the
Irish members had to do with it more than to
take part in the division that must follow on the
motion:, Such delightful obtuseness on the part
of Lord PALMERSTON ! Of course the House could
only listen to the rest of the interview through its
own laughter. The noble viscount continues—
" Mr. DALY said I was mistaken, because the
Irish members must take some action on the sub-
ject. I said Yes, that action will be on the dis-
cussion.' (Cheers, and laughter.) Well, Mr. DALY
said, That won't exactly do—(laughter)—l wish
to bring a deputation of Irish members to you on
Monday.' But Monday I told him was the day
appointed for the Budget, and the Galway con-
tract is a different question. (Laughter.) I
said There is no discussion on Monday about
the Galway contract. There is no reason
why I should receive a deputation on that day,
and, moreover, if I were to receive a deputation, I
know already everything they could say to me, and
I can only tell them what I tell you—namely, that
it is a public question to be discussed in the House
of Commons, and not in a private room in my
house.' Well, but,' said Mr. DALY, lam
anxious that you should see them on Monday, be-
cause they must take action on the subject—(laugh-
tcr)—and that action must be taken on the Monday
evening.' (Renewed laughter.) Oh,' said I,
' I now understand you—(much laughter)—and
when it is put to me in that way I must, with all
deference and respect for the Irish members, entirely
decline seeing any of them.'" A t that, as the
crowning record of the interview b atween Father
DALY and Lord PALMERSTON, the 'House cheered,
as it well might, and that hearl;ily. The ex-
planation which has now been given by the noble
Premier in regard to these ugly rumours
about the Irish members, the Galway
Packet Company
and her MAJESTY'S •Government—
coincides entirely with the view we took of those
rumours yesterday. The disgracefe. accusations
directed through those rumours agailast Her
MAJESTY'S Government have been now ,‘:ffectu-