The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-06 00:00:00

%vim LA I'E EDITION cf " TIIE SUN " at
t NV. SMITHS, " Camden Stores," 78, Park-street, Camden

to Wu.

LONDON, TVEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 1868.

If anything were wanting to prove how unbe-
comingly Mr. GLADSTONE and his friends had taken
advantage of the recent crisis of the Government, it
was afforded last night. We really do not remember
any previous occasion when so much ado was made
about nothing, or such an indecent haste exhibited
for office. In the excitement of their feelings and the.
strength of their indignation these cavillers have quite
forgotten themselves, and are really guilty of dis-
respect to the QUEEN. The fact is, they have
wound themselves up to such a pitch that they
cannot bear the thought of failure, and are
therefore showing themselves to the House
in a most undignified attitude. There was
not a sentence in Mr. DISRAELI'S remarks or
in those of his colleagues either that was not per-
fectly intelligible to those who were willing to
understand; but we all know the proverb about the
deaf adder, and surely Mr. GLADSTONE illustrated
this most forcibly, and he had many to imitate him
in the task. Why cannot they let things alone,
and to what purpose do they weigh each word and
ponder over every possible interpretation that can
be put upon the Premier's explanation? He might
have spoken for ten hours, and yet not have pleased
them ; and, again, by one brief word, he might
have caused them to rejoice, and hail his language
as the choicest rhetoric and the most brilliant elo-
quence that was ever heard. The omission in Mr.
DISRAELI'S speech was the word " resign," and it
was not the sin of commission that offended the
Opposition, but the want of the magic sign that
he would vacate his post and leave it for those who
are so ardently longing for it. It is really quite
contemptible for Mr. GLADSTONE to go on after
this fashion, and we are surprised and sorry to find
him so perverse and untractable. One thing is very
certain, that if he cannot exercise more self-restraint
and keep a better command over his temper he will
henceforth be unfit for the office of Prime Minister.
He made a distinct failure of leading the House of
Commons, and his vaunted majority soon
dwindled away in consequence of the arbitrary
manner in which he dealt with the House and dic-
tated terms to hon. members. Those who aided
and abetted him in the guerilla mode of warfare
which took place yesterday only showed the truth
of what had been said before, namely, that the
Irish Church had been made a pretext for the at-
tack upon Government. We would commend the
speech of Mr. GREAVES to the attention of all who
give heed to this affair; it is manly, honourable,
and consistent, and is positively a relief after the
mean and unworthy tactics some have displayed.
The ordinary business of the country is pu t
off night after night, as he truly said, in
order that these personal discussions may take
place. The *tome of affairs which Mr. GREAVES
put before the House was indeed impressive. Half
of the session has gone, and yet the Estimates have
not been passed, the Scotch and Irish Reform Bills
are nearly untouched, the Bribery and Boundary
Bills have to be considered, and the Education and
Bankruptcy Bills also. On this some called out,
coh,,, whereupon the hon. member very properly
retorted that these might be small things compared
with the " tactics of party warfare," but neverthe-
less he felt it his duty to mention it. We wish
that more independent members had answered the
appeal thus made to them to denounce this
wretched system of " party warfare." He did not
wish to " impute motives, or he should allude more
specifically to the wilful obstruction which had been
offered to the course of business." Mr. GREAVES
was perfectly justified in the strictures he passed
upon the conduct of the faction-party; and, he
said, it was of no use to appeal to Mr. GLADSTONE,
because he had entered on his unexpected course
with an impetuosity and an impatience that made
it futile to expect anything from him. He spoke
to those who last year saved their party from
ruin and disgrace, and who by their combination
with the Government had passed a Reform Bill.
At any rate it is satisfactory to find a speech like
this, and it goes some way to atone for the paltry
course followed by some.

It is really quite absurd to see the way in which
some spoke last night. As for the charge preferred
by Mr. BOUVERIE, that the Prime Minister had
sheltered himself behind the Throne, what is a more
direct contradiction of it than the fact that Mr.
DISRAELI has resolved to appeal to the country
as soon as possible. Nothing is more usual
than for some little time to elapse on ordinary
occasions when a Minister has resolved upon disso-
lution in order that the pending affairs of the
House may be adjusted, and the public business put
in a proper form. Why, then, this outcry ? Mr.
DISRAELI said most truly that the circumstances in
which he was placed were peculiar, and so they are,
undoubtedly ; but it is not a peculiarity of his
making. On the contrary, the onus of the affair
rests solely with Mr. GLADSTONE. We can assure
the right hon. gentleman, and those who are with
him, that they are causing, deep and lasting regret to
the independent embers of the Liberal party, and
that those who look upon affairs without prejudice
must recognise that the attempt now being made is
in every way unworthy of English statesmen and
politicians. The attacks on the Government night
after night are quite discreditable, and it was an
unheard-of thing for the right hon. gentleman the
leader of the Oppoziition to have introduced the
question of the Irish Church at all this year. He
has chosen to do so, however, and he must abide by
the consequences; but he has made bad worse by
the manner in which he has followed up the
attack. Those who carry on this attack
on the Ministry night after night are preventing
the Government from proceeding with public busi-
ness, and so putting off the time when a dissolution
can take place. In conclusion, it may be said that
it is better to avoid direct allusion to honour and
self-respect in making comments on the conduct of