The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-01 00:00:00

successful, and the right hon. gentleman showed
how some of those who then differed materially
from the Ministers had compromised themselves by
a sudden change of opinion, and first and foremost
in the remarkable list was Mr. GLADSTONE himself.
Lord CRANBORNE'S unbecoming attack on the Go-
vernment the day before was taken up by Mr.
HARDY in the right strain, and he showed how the
noble lord himself had not been so consistent
as he would have the House believe, and that he
had gone some way with the Government, and
then suddenly left his colleagues when the sub-
ject of Reform assumed an aspect that he did
not like. As a rule it is best for those who dis-
cuss matters of great public interest to abstain
from personal attacks and hostile criticism, but
when such a mode of attack is commenced, it is
certainly fair to retort, and no one can blame
Mr. HARDY for the course he took in showing
the House how completely the most bitter and
extreme of his adversaries had overreached them-
selves. As for Lord CRANBORNE'S very ancalled-
for sneers at the inconsistency and want of
principle shown by the Ministry on Reform,
he himself has been a renegade on the ques-
tion of Church Rates, and may hold his
peace with a very good grace. Mr. HARDY
then proceeded to expose Mr. GLADSTONE, and
quoted a passage from a letter which was written
before the last election at Oxford, and though that
was handed to the right hon. gentleman the leader
of the Opposition, he did not deny its authenticity.
This certainly contradicts what Mr. GLADSTONE
claimed to have done in warning his constituents
as to the change about to take place in the Irish
Church. " One dignatary," a consistent supporter
of Mr. GLADSTONE, made his vote dependant upon
the explanation of the doubtful point, and, speaking
of that, this right lion. candidate observed that "The
question of the Irish Church is remote and apparently
out of all bearing upon practical politics of the day."
He adds that one thing must be mentioned, because
it is a clear land mark, and that is in any measure
dealing with the Irish Church, though he scarcely
expects ever to be called on to share in such a mea-
sure, " the Act of Union must be recognised, and
must have important consequences, especially with
reference to the position of the hierarchy." We do
not think that this reflects great credit on Mr.
GLADSTONE, as it certainly puts him before the
House somewhat in the light of those who are all
things to all men, in order to effect some object
worthy or otherwise, as the case may be. lhe Oppo-
sition cheered when Mr. HARDY said that he would
pass on from personal questions ; but, as he aptly re-
minded them, they only objected to personalities
when they were directed against themselves. It was
a very effective passage in Mr. HARDY'S speech in
which he described the wrongs and injuries that Mr
GLADSTONE would inflict if he succeeeded in effect-
ing his purpose, and warned him that, in bolding
out an olive branch, as he declared he was doing,
he was all the time forgetting how much he was
alienating, how much he was distressing the mem-
bers of the Church, their friends. "We are here, as
it were, but lookers on at a picture that is passing
before us in the distance, but it touches their hearts,
it touches their feelings ; it is to them not only a
sentimental grievance, it is a practical wrong."
Mr. HARDY'S speech was long, and it was most
effective also, being indeed a powerful and success-
ful reply to the remarks of those who had preceded
him. It is to be observed that he took a very
decided tone, and seemed to feel his ground, as it
were. On the whole, it may be said that the Govern-
ment has gained strength by each night's debate, and
may now feel assured of gaining the day. Mr. BRIG HT
addressed the House at some length, but adopted a
more moderate tone than he often doe 4, and though
he, of course, advocated his own extreme views, he was
not personal in his remarks. Indeed, towards the
close of his speech, he offered some advice which
was doubtless not very palatable to the Opposition.
Ile said it should not be thought that he was speak-
ing with "personal hostility to the Prime Minister,
or imagined that he was one of them who were
seeking to dislodge hon. gentlemen from the
Treasury bench. Ile wished to treat the subject
as a thing far beyond and above these party
differences. This question comes before the
House, of course, as all these great questions must
as a party question, and I am one of the members
of the party, but it does not follow that all the mem-
bers of a party are actuated by a party spirit, or by
a miserable low ambition to take the place of Mini-
ster of the Crown." We agree with Mr. BRIGHT
that there is something far higher and better than
that, and it would indeed be well for the dignity
of the House if more shared the opinion he so boldly
expressed. Mr. HARDY complained with much
justice at the style adopted by some speakers who
had infused into the debate a :bitterness and
animesity which made the adoption of
the resolutions a direct attack upon the
Government. Such a course is one not
to be admired, especially under the circumstances
of the case, when the question before the House
is one of such deep interest to many and of such
paramount importance besides. Mr. BRIGHT tried
to defend Mr. GLADSTONE and extricate him from
the awkward position in which he was placed, by
declaring that the change which took place in all
times were the glory of the times, and that pos-
terity would " regard them as the natural and
blessed fruits of the growth of intelligence, and of
the more comprehensive justice of the age ;" but to
effect this end they should be made in a dignified
form, and not time in so exactly with the
exigencies of the political situation, as Mr.
GLADSTONE'S have douc. Mr. BRIGHT IS an ear-
nest advocate for the disestablishment of the Irish
Church, and arguing that people feel more hopeful
on the matter now, because there is a growing feel-
iug iu the House in its favour, but it is one thing
to be willing to look into the question and remedy
abuses, and another to uproot the whole structure
and startle the unprepared by the suddenness of the
attack and the completeness of the change. Four
nights more will most probably be occupied by this
debate, and it is vexatious to think that no good end
will have been reached by the discussion, for Mr.
GLADSTONE at the outset infused a bitterness into
it that cannot be effaced, and will continue to its
close. While we feel convinced that the Govern-
ment will triumph, it would have been just as well,
if not better, had they not had to brave the encoun-
ter, but it was not of their seeking, and no blame
attaches itself to them. All censure rests with those
who concocted the scheme, and sought to plunge
the House into confusion in order to gain a party
end by advocating a cause which that party had not
before favoured, and it requires very little time to
arrive at a due estimate of such proceedings.