The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-05-23 00:00:00

Riberpoot talibarb,

FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.

MONDAY MORNING,

Tun subjects of legislative pastime during the week have
as u multifarious in character, and the consideration of
them has exhibited diversified results. The Peers, although
timely and no doubt profitably engaged, have not made any
va7 extensive display of their legislative functions, but
lava, in a great degree, confined their operations to sedate
agitation, enlivened now and then with a practical appli-
cation of those principles of Conservative deliberation for
uLish their proceedings have acquired distinction and re-
nown. The other branch of the legislature, " the people's
tee„ has been engaged in various and erratic gyrations,
in the practise of which they have included or glanced at
warty every possible and impossible subject of legislation
inquiry, from the regulation of Church property to the
sesaring of personal liberty against the aggression of
pciastly intolerance—from the conduct of the war to the
cseeration of bankers' cheques—from the making of malt
and the distillation of whisky, to the circulation of the
Tr:aft and the success of a farthing monthly periodical.
Sc' wide a range of legislative vision has necessarily re-
ef-tiled many curious facts, and brought to light a consi-
derable array of individual and ministerial peculiarities.
On Monday, the performances began by Mr. J.Wiesoe—
in answering-Mr. C. COWAN, one of the representatives of
the Northern Athens,—stating that it was the intention
of government to introduce a bill for the regulation of
areenrance associations ; but, in giving the intimation, the
Len. member for Westbury omitted to say whether it was
the ministerial assurance association, or that for the re-
formation of the excise laws, which was to be the chief
object of the government solicitude. Probably, in the
absence of more distinct information, it may not be un-
emit' able to assume that both associations feel the"
assirableness of parliamentary protection for their assu-
sauce, and that the patriotic efforts of the government
will be disinterestedly devoted to obtain a general recog-
nition of the pretensions of each. The second and principal
ministerial performance of that evening, was a consi-
deration of the bill for imposing additional duties on malt
andsspirits, which, according to the order of business, was
to be read a- second time that night,—Mr. CAYLEY,
member for the North Riding of Yorkshire, meeting the
proposal with a motion that it be read a second time that
day six months. The hon. member for Westbury (who,
in the absence of Mr. GLADSTONE, appeared as guardian
at the measure,) relied upon the house having pledged
itself to the war as being " a just and necessary" one,
'being bound to supply the means by which alone it could
be prosecuted with vigour and brought to a successful
termination, and urged, with more truth than kindness,
that, for producing the sinews of war, the malt-tax was a
source of income which was never known to fail. Sir
Joins PA.KINGTON and others urged the unfairness, and
who the inadequacy of the tax proposed, as a means to
meet the exigency ; and spiritedly as well as truthfully
impigned the pusilanimity of the government, who had
met the manliness to vindicate their measures. This taunt
(sold not be withstood; so the gladiator of the Coalition
lercklecT on his panoply and speedily took ground, bedecked
with helmet and shield,. On entering the arena, however,
it was soon observed that Lord JOHN was armed only with
a wooden sword, suitable, no doubt, along with his brazen
shield, to parry a thrust, but utterly worthless as a weapon
of offence. Instead, therefore, of rushing boldly at his
antagonist, as has been his wont, in this instance he
sneaked behind his shield, and contented himself with
putting it to the horse to say whether, when a formidable
naetary power threatened to swallow up one of our allies,
a paltry ls. 3d. per bushel upon malt was too great a
sreerifice to save him. The subterfuge was too glaring to
mire detection ; its audacity too flagrant to pass uncasti-
Kited ; and his lordship, along with his brethren of the
" talents," received a flagellation at the hands of Mr. Drs.
seem such as will not readily be forgotten. Nevertheless
their point was gained—the bill was read a second time ;
and, as success is said to be sanctified by suffering, they
will, without doubt, anticipate a double measure of
benefit from the project they have so far carried
amidst sorrow and reprßof. Tuesday night aas chiefly
devoted to one of the crotchets of Mr. MILNER GIBSON,
who sessionally, monthly, hebdomadally, and nightly, tor-
mentellimself, bores the house, and pesters the country
with/ interminable allegations, inquiries, and suggestions
about stamps, newspapers, and cheap knowledge, without,
arobabiy, being aware that the knowledge he has acquired
and distributes with such merciless pertinacity is exceed-
ingly dear in being listened to, and cruelly expensive iu
swallowing up the public time and attention. Every one
thought that a month ago he had for the season slain all
the giants which he-annually creates out of the newspaper
stamp, and nobody was prepared to see their ghosts again
" revisiting the glimpses of the moon" till they had been
Ince more purged by the glowing suns of summer, and
ended and farther blanched by the rains and snows of
winter. The advocates of the unstamped press had for
the hundredth time exhausted all their arguments, and
shown that they had no fresh ground on which to rest
their case, nor any additional facts by which to strengthen
their exploded averments ; but, profiting by the wise man's
intimation that " perpetual dropping of water weareth
away stones," they seem resolved to make up by importu-
:tit,' for their deficiency of reason. The question was once
more debated on Tuesday night, and the debate unfolded
sue or two particularities worthy of note : the first was
the continued and, if possible, growing hostility of Brother
BRIGIIT, of Manchester, to an independent press. That
meek ornament of-passive resistance never missing an op-
portunity of launching a poisoned arrow at the Daily
.News, with which, it is said, he was not long ago pecu-
niarily connected, but which, finding the terms of his
asibances in support of a free press somewhat hard of
digestion, was, it is whispered, under the necessity of dis-
eardine its phlegmatic adorer, and hence his love has
tarred to hate. Another notable matter was the " special
aptitude for business" manifested by the noble HOME
SRO/START, who, with the practised eye of a parlia-
mentary chief, detected at a glance that the ministerial
sqaadron had no chance against the arrayed phalanx of
Mr. GIBSON'S supporters, if he pushed his proposal to a
&vision. Instead of risking this humiliation, or submit-
ting to display a reluctant acquiescence, as a less adroit
Metician would have done, Lord PALMERBTON affected a
satroniSing indifference, but with his blandest grace sug-
gested a trifling alteration, merely to obviate the chance
el misinterpretation. The cheap literary champion, now
mused sufficiently to see his momentary strength,
infused to give way, but volunteered a declaration
that no such meaning was implied or intended as
that suggested to the fertile imagination of his lord-
ship, who, declaring himself satisfied with the explanation,
withdrew his opposition, and Mr. GinsoN secured the
empty triumph of a committee to inquire into the
state and administration of the newspaper stamp-laws,
at some time " to the prosecutor unknown," as the canny
&etch lawyers express themselves with regard to crime.
The manoeuvre of his lordship was complete, and, what
was more, it was completely successful, and that is more
than any one willl say of his colleague, Mr. GLADSTONE'S,
Imancial coups.
Wednesday saw the consummation of another minis-
terial move, which, though not nearly so well played as
Ibe one above referred to, was nevertheless so far success-
Ed that its object was achieved. This was the withdrawal
of the Marquis of BLANDSORD'S Capitular Estates Bill, a
measure which, however, possessed the very negative
virtue of pleasing no one. Its second reading had to
lie moved on Wednesday night ; this was opposed by
Lord A. VANE and others, on various grounds, which
afforded Lord Jomc RUSSELL an opportunity of draw-
ing one of his well-known wind bills on futurity, in
the manufacture of which spurious sort of currency his
kedship has acquired more celebrity than fame,—as wit-
ness his famous Durham diatribe and Ecclesiastical Titles
Bill ; his new parliamentary reform project, cum multis
4this quce nunc prescribere longum est. The present
ease afforded him an opportunity of drawing a picture
sufficiently luminous and brilliant to dazzle the eyes of
Church reformers. It is indeed true the outline was vague,
bat the colours were glowing, of that great healing mea-
erne by which the Government intend, when they can get
time, to abate the grievances and cicatrise the wounds
which rankle in the ecclesiastical body corporate, and by
the application of which they will convert the Church into
a mundane elysium. The "good time coming" was no
atrubt indefinite, but the bait took, and the bill, such as it
was, was withdrawn for the session. The„ time when his
lordship's promised projet may be expected to become Lois
may be guessed by the fact that never, in any session, has
be been able to redeem the promises made at its com-
mencement, and from that deducing the probable period
be will require to perfect one, of which neither the shape
nor the date has been adventured on. Much has been
written, and an incredible quantity of eloquence has been
expended in condemnation of the conduct of what I
ias
been termed a tyrant majority ; but it has beenreserved
fOr OUT own day, and has fallen to the lot of the rampant
-3iberais to aid in the creation of a tyrant minority, an to
justify their acts in bringing the functions of the legisla-
ture and the business of the country to a dead-lock, by a
hypocritical and mendacious adoption of the forms of the
_
Rouse of commOES, and so twisting them as to effect ob-
jects directly at variance with the purposes for which they
and, worse' than all, this tyrant
'rem originally framed ; thepractice referred
minority has been abetted _ to by
Ministers of the Crown. This will be readily understood
lay reference to the p.roceedings on Mr. CHAMBERS' motion
kc a committee to inquire into the management_ of con-
ventual and monastic institutions. The principle as to
the propriety of inquiring had been conceded by the
House after full debate, and in opposition to every means,
"Legitimate, dubious, and,illegitimate, which the hostility
of the Popish faction could bring to bear upon the general
question. The tactics of the Vatican were not exhausted
with the defeat of those preliminary obstacles which their
ingenuity had conjured up ; nor were they satisfied with
the most determined opposition its adherents could offer,
and so obviously are they afraid of investigation, that,
instead of relying upon the vaunted purity of the institu-
tions which they defend, they have again strained the
almost limit of their unscrupulousness in preventing
tie appointment of any committtee. The eommittee
was to consist of fifteen members, and' every available
form of amendment was brought forward against every
ierrvidual named,—not, be it remembered, on any al-
ksgation of personal unsuitableness, incapacity or individual
es of judgment, but simply because
the college of car-