The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-07-02
The Political Situation In Ensiand-Thc Lords
and Commons I'm ColIislon.

The Political Situation In EnSiand-The Lords
and Commons in ColIision.
In the HERALD of yesterday we published q
cable despatch giving an outline Of the closing
debate in the House of Lords on Monday
night on the Irish Church Appointment Sus-
pensory bill, the division that followed and
the result. A majority of ninety-fve against
the bill justifes Mr.. Disraeli in pushing this
struggle to its bitter end. So powerful ma
jority in the House Of Lords against Mr.. Glad
stones policy Is the best argument which Mr..
Disraeli has yet found In justification Of the
course he has pursued. In the same Issue we
gave full account of the dinner at Merchant
Taylors Hall on June 81, including the re-
markable speech which the Premier delivered
on the occasion. With this speech and the re-
suit Of Tuesday nights debate before us It is
not difficult to form an estimate of the struggle
which will begin in real earnest when the new
constituencies proceed to elect representatives
for the new Parliament.
The presumption is that the Scotch and Irish
bills will be completed in time enough to allow
members to take their usual autumn holidays.
At all events, It Is all but certain that Parlia-
ment will be dissolved in October, that the
registration lists will be completed and revised
in time to allow the election to take place in
November, and that by the 9th of December
the reformed House of Commons will be in ses-
sion. The question then will be settled whether
the tories or the liberals, Mr.. Disraeli or
Mr.. Gladstone, shall rule Great Britain. From
the present time till then it will be our priv
lege to witness an election struggle such as
the United Kingdom has not experienced for
the last quarter of century.
As the reform question has been settled it is
now an absolute. certainty that the testing
question at the polls will be the Irish Church.
The cry will be, Gladstone or Disraeli,
''Vested rights in danger" 1t is not to be de-
MED that Mr.. Gladstone has been backed up
by the House of Commons and by the country
with singular unanimity of feeling. 1t is
believed by the present House of Commons,
and it is believed by the great bulk of the
people, that something must be done to con-
ciliate the Irish people, and the sentiment
seems to be general that as the Established
Church in Ireland is standing practical
grievance the best thing to be done in the cir
cumstances is to disestablish, disendow and
remove it out of the way. All the world, how
ever, sees that the destruction Of the Irish
Church logically leads to the destruction of
the Church in Scotland and to the destruction
of the Church in England. Though the neces-
sity is not equally great the question is in
reality one and the same in each Of the three
Kingdoms. 1t is not a question of logic at all
the logic is plain to the meanest observer-it
is simply question of time The Dissenters
of Scotland and the Nonconformists of Eng
land see In the fall of the Irish Church their
own triumph in the not distant future, and are
jubilant at the prospect. 1t IL this general
feeling which constitutes Mr. Gladstone's
strength. 1t Is this same feeling that, strange
as 1t may seem, gives Mr.. Disraeli hope. The
Established Church is the Church of nearly
one-half Of the Scottish people; the Established
Church is the Church Of an unquestioned ma
jority in England; and the rights of
patronage in the two kingdoms range on
Mr. Disrael's side almost the entire strength
fact, he may count with safety in Ireland as
WELL Interior intentions against the Church
Establishment In Scotland and in England Mr..
Gladstone and his friends openly, and perhaps
honestly, disavow; but principles are stronger
than men, and Mr.. Disraeli, with his usual
cleverness, points out the danger. General
disestablishment would be general revolution.
The Church, as established by law, is an in
tegral part of the British constitution. 1t is
the Church which secures to the Lords some
Of their more important privileges tits the
Church which secures to the bishops not
merely their splendid incomes but their seats
In the House of Lords 1t is the Church which
secures to her Majesty and her heirs their
right to the throne The destruction of the
Church Of England would of necessity dismiss
the bishops from the House of Lords and make
an end of the Protestant succession. These
are the broad issues which Mr.. DisraeH raises
and on the ground thus taken be intends to
fight Mr.. Gladstone before the country.
The Lords have, perhaps, determined the
fate of the Irish Church Suspensory bill during
the present Parliament The bill will, accord
Ing to rule, be sent back to the Commons.
The Commons are in no mood to modify 1t,
and as there is no reason to presume that the
Lords will change their minds, 1t is likely to
be thrown out as often as it Is sent up. The
deadlock Is all but certain to remain till the
Lords find themselves face to face with the
now power which they have helped to call into
existence. Meanwhile the attitude of the
Lords gives interest to the situation, and It is
to the coming conflict at the polls.
ANOTHER MILITARY COMMANDER REMovED.-