The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-20 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1868.

Another night of excitement, or would-be such,
for some hon. members are resolved, coute qui coute,
to drive the Government to resign, and fancy that,
by continually suggesting the subject to them they
may at last induce them to do so. Mr. DISRAELI
is too sharp for them, and we should not be
surprised if he disappointed their expecta-
tations after all, and contrive to meet the new Par-
ment, as he has every right to do. If he do, it will
not be without having accomplished many a hard
struggle. Mr. BOUVERIE'S amendment had so
excited and elated some of these worthies that
Mr. DISRAELI was beset on all sides, in order
to draw from hi►n a statement of his
intentions. Mr. GLADSTONE first manifested
curiosity, and very innocently inquired what course
the Government meant to take with respect to the
Suspensory Bill. This, it will be remembered,
stands for Friday as at present arranged, and
the right hon. gentleman intimated that the
Ministry had had sufficient time to make
up their minds as to their policy. This
ingenious hint was replied to by Mr. DISRAELI, to
the effect that looking upon the Suspensory Bill as
the first step towards the disestablishment of the
Irish Church they would oppose it to the utmost
of their power. With respect to the Scotch Re-
form Bill, Mr. DISRAELI declared that on Thurs-
day he would state the intentions of Government
with respect to it. So then we have till
to-morrow to wonder and speculate, and ex.
cited politicians may speak and write in the
most extravagant style. We wonder what would
be said if Mr. DISRAELI had conducted affairs after
the fashion of Mr. GLADSTONE, what virtuous in-
dignation would not be excited, and what taunts of
abuse would not the Conservative party have been
assailed with. But reason and justice should not
thus be trampled under foot, and made subservient
to party purposes. If it would have bean uncon-
stitutional for the Conservative leader to have in-
terfered with the course of public business, and the
conduct off affairs during the last session of Parlia-
ment, it must be equally so with the Liberal chief,
and even more so, in one sense, because he should
understand better the popular desire for the Re-
formed Parliament to meet. The Irish Church
has, in fact, no more to do with this
confusion in the House than the most
trivial bill thrown out a year or two ago can affect
present legislation. It is the struggle for place, the
thirst for power that possesses the Opposition, and
has once again drawn more compactly together
that desultory body of waverers. The idea of Hr.
DISRAELI meeting the Reformed Parliament as
leader drives Mr. GLADSTONE to a state of distrac-
tion that knows no license and can have no counsel.
Accordingly we are treated night by night to spec-
tacles such as the English House of Commons has
long been a stranger to, and which we trust it
may be long before it is again called upon
to witness. The most important matters are
put aside, the. most interesting measures
neglected in order that a few perverted
politicians may play out their game, and seek to
effect their purpose. In the hurry-scurry of events
one is very apt to forget what is said or done a few
weeks back, and hence it is as well to assume
that Mr. GLADSTONE merely expressed a desire at
first that the opinion of this Parliament should
be recorded on the subject of the disesta-
blishment ; but to what lengths has he
not gone since, and how widely has he diverged
from the line he marked out for himself. It seems
strange that some of those hon. members who fol-
low on his track so closely do not reflect upon the
position they are putting themselves in, and how
they are compromising themselves before the coun-
try. The object at present in view appears to be
to force Mr. DISRAELI into awkward predica-
ments, and then to prevent a dissolution. As
we said before, we expect that he will get
out of them, and if he does we shall regard it as
a triumph over the manceuvres of a selfish faction,
and not at all in the light of the settlement of the
Irish Church disestablishment. Mr. GLADSTONE
was too impatient and irritable to keep his place,
and do the work he assigned to himself, and has
been ever since smarting with disappointment in
consequence of his rival having done it better, and
contriving to excel in the displayof those qualities of
moderation in which he himself was so lamentably
deficient, as shown by his determination to get
into place, by hook or by crook, during this
session, and with a zeal worthy of a better cause
he is working with might and main to effect that
object. 'l'o say that such a ling of action is unfair
and ungenerous, is treating the matter leniently.
We might go a good deal further, and declare that
by the exhibition of these qualities he is showing
himself deficient in the chief requisites of a states-
man—moderation and reflection. The state of
public business and the wishes of the country ought
to rank higher than the mere desire for place. If
he live long enough, Mr. GLADSTONE must cer-
tainly have many chances of coming in
during the next few years in the usual
changes that befal administrations, but that
does not content him—he must and will have
his own way at once. All that we can fall
back upon is the good sense of the independent
members of the House of Commons, let them
turn to the public interest as they did last year and
stop this disgraceful struggle for place. If they
all fail Mr. DISRAELI must dissolve at all hazards,
and appeal to the country for its verdict on this
strange and most unworthy struggle for place at
cost of all precedent and in defiance of all pro-
priety.

Last evening in the House of Commons Mr.
TREVELYAN proposed his scheme for army reform.
The more pressing claims and general interest of
Parliamentary Reform have of late thrust this im-
portant question somewhat into the shade ;
but it is one which cannot be for ever laid
on the shelf, but which sooner or later
must assume its proper position. No doubt there
is very great difficulty in the way of that particular
reform which Mr. TREVELYAN is most anxious
about. The system of promotion by purchase is of
old standing, and a strong opposition must natu-
rally be expected to any interference with
it. The manifest injustice of the method
which renders military skill and knoviledge,
personal courage and character, and long and
arduous experience, corn' letely subordinate to the
accidental possession of a few spare thousands,
I cannot fail to strike every unprejudiced observer.
Its deleterious influence on the army itself is
naturally very great. Not only does it advance
mediocrity to onerous and responsible positions
which demand the highest capabilities, but it dis-
gusts men of talent and enterprise with the service,
and checks ambitious young men from entering so
uncertain and unsatisfactory a profession. Mr.
TREVELYAN proposes that, after a date to be fixed
for the purpose, the purchase and sale of military
commissions shall be discontinued; that from that
date every officer on full pay shall be credited with