The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-08
TyE IRISH CHURCH BILL IN THE
HOUSE OF LORDS.

THE IRISH CHORCH MN LN LHE
HOUSE OF LORDS.
Tzr old maxim, ''whom the gods would de-
strov they first make mad, " is likely to receive
striking illustration in the course of the
legislation upon the Irish Church. On Satur-
day, q meeting of the Conservative members
of the House of Lords was held in London, at
which it was determined to oppose the further
progress of Mr. Gladstones bill for the dis
establishment of this iniquitous institution,
Earl Derby, the predecessor of Mr.. Disraeh
as the head of the late Tory government, ear
nestly advocating the opposition of the bill
when the question of q second reading shall
come up, and succeeding in carrying with him
a large majority of his colleagues, despite the
sensible warning of Lords Salisbury and Caer-
narvon. Yesterday, Earl Derby was waited
upon by a conservative delegation, and again
gave expression to similar views, venturing so
far even as to defy an attempt at coercion.
1t is said that, if the counsels of Earl Derby
prevail, the bill will be rejected in the House
of Lords by majority of about eighty votes,
making due allowance for the detection of the
more sensible conservative noblemen who
will be apt to follow the leadership of Lords
Salisbury and Caernarvon.
If the Derby policy is permitted to prevail
it will be fraught with disaster to the order of
the nobility. AS it is, the House of Lords is
merely an ornamental fgure-head to the
British Legislature. 1t is very seldom that
any stand is taken by the majority on a ques-
ton of vital Importance. According to the
terms of that vague political idea-for it is
nothing more than an underlined and undeter-
mined principle-the British Constitution,
the Parliament of the United Kingdom is
possessed of absolute and unlimited sove-
reignty, and is composed of three coordinate
branches the House of Commons, the House
of Lords, and the occupant of the throne.
The latter, as in the case of the Executive of
the United States, participates in legislation
only by means of the veto, but in these days
never presumes upon an exercise of this pre-
rogative. AS Roebuck declared some years
ago, ''the crown is the House of Commons"
and when the direct representatives of the
people in this branch of the Legislature have
once given their sanction to any measure, the
so-called sovereign acquiesces with as good
grace as is possible under the circumstances
the Lords in the same manner; and when the
former have once assented to any measure of
consequence, the most that the other branch
of the Parliament has ventured to do is to
modify it by comparatively trifing amend
ments. When Lord John Russel's Reform
bill of 1881 came before the Lords for their
consideration, a proposition was entertained
by the Tory leaders in that body to reject it,
just as they are now contemplating the rejec-
tion of the bill for the overthrow of the Irish
Church. But they were soon convinced of
their utter weakness and helplessness. They
were met by the counter-proposition for
packing the upper house by the creation of
new peers of liberal sentiments in sufficient
numbers to overrule the conservative maj ajority.
AS this would have added humiliation to
defeat, number of them remained at home
when the final vote came, and the Reform bill
passed by clear majority.
Mr.. Gladstone, it is asserted, has deter
mined to pursue a similar course in the pre-
sent crisis. If the Lords reject the Irish
Church bill, Parliament will at once be pro-
rogued; and when it reassembles, the obsti-
nate Tory peers will find themselves in the
minority through the elevation to the House
of Lords of the eldest sons of most of the
Liberal peers, and such of the Scotch and
Irish peers as do not now hold seats in the
house by election. In this way, while there
will be no increase in the numbers of the
nobility, q decided liberal sentiment will be
impaired to the House of Lords for all time
to come, and the Conservatives will find
that they have cut their own throats
politically, in case they should ever
hereafter secure a majority in the House
of Commons. With this inevitable re-
suit staring them in the face, it is extremely
doubtful if Earl Derby can succeed in per-
suading his Conservative colleagues to COM
NIT hari-kari. But if his arguments should
prevail, they will certainly be powerless against
the voice of the people, who have decreed the
downfall of the Irish Church and the inaugu-
ration at last of general policy towards the
people of Ireland which shall in some measure
approach the principles of common justice.
GTRARD COLLEGE,