The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-22

Saxon, and the efforts of the latter to free
himself make up the record of English his
tory from William the Conqueror to Victoria.
For time the Norman ascendancy was un-
disputed, and the contest for freedom was
carried on between the lords and the king.
In the course of years, however, the common
people began to be power, but it is not
until our day that they have seriously threat
ened to overturn the long-enduring YES
tiges of serfdom, and practically as we'll
as theoretically take the administration of
the entire powers of the government in their
own hands 1t has been tacitly consented
on all sides that the House of Lords is q
political nullity an ornamental. appendage,
like the throne; and SO long as it did not at
tempt to run counter to the will of the people
as expressed by their elected representatives
it would probably have been permitted to
exist for an indefinite period, until the alb
surdity of such a body in free State should
have impressed itself upon the average
British mind. 1t now seems as if the time
was near at hand when the House of Lords
was to be swept away, with other membranes
that are neither ornamental nor useful, and
for the existence of which no good reason
can be alleged Indeed, the Lords may be
said to have committed hari-kari, and if they
are abolished it will practically be by their
own act.
The Irish Church bill is the rock upon
which they have split. BY refusing to accede
to this measure as it came from the House of
Commons, they placed themselves in a pecu-
liarly unpleasant predicament. They can
scarcely consent to the original conditions of
the measure and avoid bringing themselves
into ridicule and contempt; whereas if they
refuse, they are themselves seriously threat
ened with a deprivation of the hereditary
privileges they have hitherto enjoyed, and of
being placed politically on level with all
other citizens
The Commons lost no time, when the Irish
Church bill was returned to them with the
disabling amendments of the Lords and the
Government achieved a decisive victory by
the prompt rejection of all the encumbrances
imposed by the other House. Last night the
bill came up again i'll the Lords, and the cable
dispatches Of this morning give us a full and
interesting statement of the proceedings.
Mr. Gladstone was accused of not having re-
spectfully considered the amendments of the
Lords, and there was a general futter of in
dlgnaton all around among the conservative
peers. They then, with char acteristic Tory
obstinacy, refused to recede from the position
they had assumed, and on test motion to re-
store the preamble the Government was de-
feated by vote Of 95 to 173, majority
of 70.
In the House of Commons Mr.. Gladstone
was received with cheers on entering, and
Mr.. Melbank asked the significant question
whether it was competent for the House of
Commons to demand an apology from the
House of Peers for the language used by their
lordships-insolent to the Premier and insult
ing to the dignity of the House of Commons.
The Speaker decided that the House of
Commons was not cognizant of what passed
in the other house; but that such query
should be made is significant of the temper
of the lower house, and it BODIES no good for
the peers.
All the influential newspapers, including
the Times, unite in condemning the House of
Lords in the most emphatic Manners and they
are held directly responsible for any disturb
ances that may occur through their opposi-
ton to the plainly expressed will of the ma
ton. 1t seems to be conceded that the fate
of the Irish Church bill has been settled for
this session, and we are given a significant
rumor that Mr.. Gladstone will withdraw it,
and as soon as supplies have been voted will
prorogue Parliament, in order to introduce
the bill at the autumn session under circum-
stances which will cause the Lords to hesitate
before they reject it, There seems to be
scarcely any doubt that the ultimate result of
this difficulty will be the downfall of the he
reditary House of Lords, and its reconstruc-
ton on different and more practical basis.
Mr.. Gladstone may accomplish his immediate
object by packing the House with batch of
new peers; but the most statesmanlike course
considering the present popular feeling
would be to make a decisive movement
against the House itself, and sweep away, at
once and forever, this relic of feudalsm.
MLDDLES TO THE RESCUE!