The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-16 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY, MARCH 16, 1868.

To-night will witness the resumption of the Irish
debate in the House of Commons, and, of course,
expectation is still rife, though the excitement on
the question is not so great as it was at one time
supposed that it would be. Many speeches of re-
markable
ability have been delivered during the
discussion, but, to all intents and purposes, no real
proposition has been put before the House of a na-
ture that it can entertain. We do not mean to say
that no good has been done by the debate, or
that it would have been desirable not to have
had it come on, for after the events that
have occurred, and the state of feeling in Ireland,
it was most necessary for the attention of the
Legislature to be drawn to the subject. To have
passed over the session without a special reference
being made to the state of that country, and some
efforts being directed to benefit its condition, would
have been quite impossible, and if the zeal or
assiduity of Mr. MAGUIRE had not precipitated
things a very short time would have seen the Go-
vernment enter upon the subject, and afford the
House an opportunity of hearing their determi-
nations. One curious thing strikes us in this
matter, and that is the discrepancy which prevails
between thecourse pursued by the Opposition leaders
in both Houses. In the Commons they are chiefly
conspicuous by their silence, and no serious inten-
tion can animate them, or they would have given
notice of some motion at an earlier time, but it is
far otherwise in the more august assembly where
Earl RUSSELL presides over the councils of the
Liberals. There a kind of fury seems to possess
them, and it would almost appear as if they were
indignant with their friends in the other House for
the moderation they are showir.g, and were
resolved to do something themselves rather than
present so quiescent an appearance to the world.
Lord MALMESBURY asked very pointedly if there
was no member of the party in the House of
Commons who could ask Mr. DISRAELI himself
what he meant by his remarks at Edinburgh, and if
the answer to this very natural question had been
given, we should perhaps have learned that the will
was wanting, though the opportunity favoured such
a scheme as that referred to. At any rate we think
that all disinterested persons will agree with us in
giving the preference to the mode in which the
Opposition is conducted in the Lower House, rather
than to that which directs its proceedings in the
" other place." The remarks which Lord RUSSELL
made upon the occasion when Lord MALMESBURY
announced to the House that Mr. DISRAELI had
accepted office were quite uncalled-for, and, indeed,
were_so violent in style that the Premier judged it
advisable to depart from his rule, and direct atten-
tion to them in a letter to the noble earl. This was
not answered, and the public might have been jus-
tified in thinking that the subject was dropped,
when another RICHMOND appears in the field, and
the fight has to begin again. The Duke of ARGYLL
took upon himself to recommence the whole thing,
and renew the vexed question ; but we
think that the noble Duke has gained nothing in
the encounter of a character that is likely to induce
him to follow the same course again. Of all the vex-
atious interruptions and unnecessary interference
with the business of the House this personal rating
of Friday evening is about the greatest, and it would
have been well for the dignity of the House of
Lords that it should not have taken place, even
though thereby we should have lost the admirable
speech of the Lord Chancellor on the subject,
which will long live in the recollection
as a masterpiece of wit and humour.
The worst part of the affair was the time which was
selected for the onslaught, and it was certainly a
specimen of very bad taste to make the inquiries
when an important debate was going on in the
other House, but tact and discretion do not often
distinguish the factions of the Whig coteries, and
they look to the end more than to the means. In
this instance we consider that the attempt has met
with the failure which it deserved ; and the very
excitement and bitterness which characterised the
speeches of the Duke of ARGYLL and of Earl Rus.
SELL only showed how mortified they were at their
opponents' success. The only effect of all this tirade
in the House of Lords will be to show the inde-
pendent members of the House of Commons how
eagerly some distinguished individuals are looking
to a change of places.

There is always something to mystify one in the
affairs of Prussia, and the journey of Prince NAPO-
LEON to Berlin has given rise to all kinds of ru-
mours and speculations. The various accounts
which have reached us of his doings in that city
seem to show that he had some intention, although
it is as yet impossible for us to fathom it. That
the French EMPEROR has in some way concurred in
this affair is most likely, and naturally this idea sets
one to work assiduously to find it out. Had he
not been willing that this expedition should take
place, we should not have heard so
much about it in various directions, and
the Paris Press would not have announced
his departure in so open a manner, and evidently
with the desire to direct attention to it. There is
no country in Europe where the policy of keeping
back intelligence and hushing up awkward things
can be practised more perfectly than in France,
and hence we all know what to expect when there
is the manifest endeavour made to be open and un-