New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-04
THE NEW COLLISION BETWEEN LORDS AND
COMMONS.
ipRou OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

~
uoent ON the Purchase question, to wflcn ON
49, -. Iottor was announced in both Houses on
rr,,u,,loy oveninp II shows surprising Nlsol' 80
,bons tbo first thing done this year eNIhclhs lV"i
,,o~nino mower and real courage together anu II
5os had a magical effect on the broken Spi''o az"
Aorbtfnl temper of the Liberal party On no o'iiei
,,res1ion would the same opportunity nave oe,h
oG,red In Mr. Gladstone; all credit to nm 'n"V III
seized it, 5000 onoo+od
The Purchase system in the army was not cfeatcu
NV statute hence it diu not need statute 10 aooS
II The existing laws provide that the OIoMh eA'"
I'll nv Roval Warrant what terms of Purchase are
norritfed and the effect of that statute is, as
~, Gladstone stated that the existence OF Purchase
mode To depend on the action OF the Executive
Coyor,r,ont II il be asked why then did the Gov
s,-r,e,t anpeal to Parliament in the first instance
Dor ia addition the answer is that no Government
,Vouh have felt itself strong enough even IL IL had
the wish. to do away with so extensive system OF
20 attack sneh powerful interests, without having
,ooo,rse IN the opinions Of the House of Com
mans Observe that that is Mr.. Gladstones phrase,
NOT mine and that he properly says House OF Com
mons instead of Parliament. The House passed
the bill which the Government brought IN, Out
the Lords rejected il, OF at any rate adopted an
amendment equivalent at the time to the reJec-
bon of the bill. Mr.. Gladstone has heretofore
shown himself 80 cOnclliatOry, indeed, so dete-
RENTAL TO the authority of the House
Of Lords that few Liberals ventured to hope Tor an
overthrow of their decision. 1t was believed, the
Lords themselves certainly believed, that the CUES
on must 90 over to next session, and that Purchase
vas safe for another year But MI Gladstone felt at
last that the credit if not the existence OF his Gov
erunent was at stake. he saw his supporters IN the
House almost daily falling away, and his former
supporters in the country clamoTing III pubic meet
ipcs for that radical and energetic conduct OF
,nhlic affairs to which the Ministry stood
ueAyod He was fully aware, moreover
of the injurious, perhaps dangerous ehecC VI
keeiug the army agitated and bali dlsOrgahl1eu our
,he next tyyeyemonth. Three courses were open
70 him to yield wholly to the Lords to reintrouuce
the hill in the Commons and force it through by
threat Of cTeating peers was done when the irst
Reform bill was passed in 1882 or TO accept the re-
sponsbities of power and put in forcethe authority
which the statutes conferred on the Crown and
serve the ROYAL Warrant for the abolition OF Pur-
chase. He chose the last course, chose wisely and
bravcly; and basing his decision on the Judgment
Of the House of Commons as declared IN the Diu
they had passed, he announced on Thursday even
ing that he bad advised the Queen to cancel the
Royal Warrant under which Purchase is legal, that
the Queen had accepted and acted on that ADVICE
sid that Purchase would no longer exist after the
first OF next November
Iisbardly necessary to say that this announce
ment was followed by an explosion of anger. The
Lords we're angry though the statement made to
them by Lord Granville at the same time with Mr.
Gla6stones to the other House did net Immediately
occasion "A scene. Theirs is a kind Of wrath which
grows hot by nursing. Mr. Disrae and his party in
the Commons had the air of being taken by SURPRISE
as they doubtless were, and the Tory leader con-
tented himself al first with calling this exercise
Of power hielhanded. Lord Elcho was much more
prompt and stiguatized il as a coup G6tat The old
Wings, like Mr.. Bouverie and Mr.. HOrsman, were
moro grieyed and shocked as usual On constitu-
tional questions, than the Tories themselves. But
two things are especially worth notice. The first is
that the radicals hailed this step of
opposition TO the perverse use of its powers
by the House Of Lords Mr.. Jacob Bright,
plying to MI Horsmsn said there was a growing
conviction that the Lords from knowing little of
the country in which they lived, were much too
nee IN obstructng legislation. Mr. AuberOn Her
pert, brother OF Lord CaDaTyon. referred pOntedly
10 the probable collision between the two Houses,
ana thought 1t degradation 10 the Commons to
Submit 10 the rejection Of its by the Lords,
which so enraged Mr. Bernal Osborne that he called
MI Herbert whippersnapper of politics. Still
more significant was the remark of Mr. Forster,
later IN the evening, during the discussion of the
niuOt Dill, mat the Government meant to carry
mat bill through the House of Commons at least,
leaving TO the other House the responsibility
rejecting" Such an observation, coming from a
cabinet Minister, seemed TO the Torres little short
OF treason TO the Constitution Mr. Disraeli-
ana this is the second fact Of which |
spoke above-had spent the intervening hours
IN consultation with Tory Lords, and had come back
lnto the House prepared to take a much stronger
hne than his remarks had at first Indicated He
seized upon Mr.. FOrster's observation as a new text
declaring that Mr.. Forster glOated with triumph
Nne English is Mr.. Dsraelfs) 40 the idea Of a new
Ooiiision and that every member connected his OK
PRESTON with what had occurred earlier in the even
ing a. If the whole thing were part Of con-
sp'iacy INTO which the Government lad entered
Ser, part Of an avOwed and shameful conspiracy
"sAnst the undOubtod privileges of the other House
u armament The Chairman at once called Mr.
D'Sfael 70 order, and he withdrew the offensive ex
piesion' out his bolt had been shot He went on TO
gay ul.t the Government Lad ccntriyeG, and bad ap
pSiont'y Iohg neditltcd 90 pix q quarrel gtil the
House Of Lords.
-i'S u not wise nor prudent course for
e''"si 'he Lords or Mr.. DisraeIi to adopt. They
cuiu 20 wen To avoid instead of courtine "A col
V"' iDru salisbury, however seems to be supreme.
1'i ms leadership the Lords intend 10 pass the
A. ei OH i0T the sake Of getting coynpensatiop,to
V"uoois ID Inc speedest and surest manner
I,S''y propose, al the time 10 nut into the |
.! way OF I7der adeclaration of censl,re or tbe
~ t'"nt Tor fcsorting ~ the Royal prerogatiyc
c. M ~ D"Ae oi Richmond announced thig. Lord
'''o "'c'ed 1t with singular meekness. and. /
"n 4Vi%a'hHcc, asSented to 10 party TO recoyding
~hnFmnaNon against the Ministry of