The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-08-10
Tho Parliament Of England.
THE DISRUPTION OF PARTIES AND THE IRIsn
REPRESENTATIONS.
Grrop, che Pan Mall aazstte.l

The DISCRIMINATION of the present House
of Commons is now 80 complete that no
parallel to it can be fOund excape oy going
back to events only just within the Nom
DRY of the elder men OF this generation.
The 6rst House Of Com mons elected after
the first Reform Bill had very strong re-.
semblance to the House elected in 1869,
and it included the same vast majority
which went to pieces in the same way,
1t has become evident that English par
liamentary institutions, which are never
so much put to the strain as after great
organic changes such as occurred In 1882
and 1867 will only work with decent re-
gulaIity and smoothness under the two
sets of conditions. The assembly which |
really governs the country has no counter
part 10 any similar body in any country as |
respects the multitudinousness of its compo- |
sition, and it can be made to transact the |
business ofgovernment with exactness when |
one side has O very great majority over tae
other. In that case the House of Commons,
80 to speak, works itself The House OF Com
mons can again be worked under very
different circumstances, when both SIDES
are very nearly balanced, when the two
great parties sit watching one another like
| hostile armies, and when all the resources
of parliamentary management are system
| aticaily and patiently used to seize the
smallest chance of advantage and to pre-
vent surprise. Neither state OF things
now exists. Mr.. Gladstone's great major
ity Ia practically gone, not so much nom
tho dlsconteut OF small sections such as the
pure Wings or tho pure Noncomformists,
as from the unconcealed disaffec ton OF the
Irish members, who are said to be SO con-
Fstaptly on the look out for opportunities
of joining tho Opposition that they posi-
lively brighten the Conservative leaders
On the other hand, the period of skilful
tactical management has not yet arrived.
On the Liberal side, at all events, the evil
| fa IN Z
unskilfulness, or rather the tactics are
those of generals at the head of a beaten
and dissolyiug army.
It is a favorite topic of consolation with
men of both political parties that the next
general election will set all this right. We
do not share the belief The increasing
disposition of the Irish members to organ.
: ize them selves as a separate party. and to
mako terms with esther side Inadvertently,
, seems to US one of the most serious symp-
, toms of our times. We have the smallest
I possible faith in the representations OF
: ardent partisans about the composition of
z the next Parliament, but certain broad as
. sertions may be confidently made. The
2 represen tation of Scotland will DC very
( slightly changed, if at all. In England
/, there will in all probability be very con
t siderable transfer of seats from the Liberal
q to the Conservative interest. The British
j representation will therefore be very near.
v ly divided between the two great political
10 PARTIES and it is immaterial to consider
o which Of them is likely to have an advan'
IL tage over the other (; the indifference mus
10 be small. The state of the Irish represen
2. tation will therefore be all-important, ant
1t IL ia tolerably clear what it's color will be
!. All it's members will be pledged to SOM
q. form of Home Rule, and q few of them Il
10 form Of it distinguished from Fenlanlsn
70 onty by the faintest shades. 1t Is ever
v. possible that one or two seats now held D.
I'd Protestant Conservatives will be won b.
Ill Home Rulers. Beyond the limits of tn
pe Northern Province, however, every singl
I'd Irish mem Der viii have openly or implied
hit acauiesced in the claims of the Catholi
bit Episcopate to dictate Irish policy. TheI
he are some, no doubt, who see the danger l
ed all this to Liberal ascendency. Woe
n. Home Rulers first made their appearane
IRA in the House of Commons they are known
he have delighted the Liberia! WHIPS. me
nd might have strange opinions on SON
In points, but they voted remarkably straigh
Ter Rat that is all changed and while tt
"a. whole Irish representation is drifting Il
ds words Home Rule, it is also more and mo
We, divorcing itself from English Liberaiisr
H. ton to set up in political business for
ION self. We expect not only that these tel
the denotes of the Irish p:embers will becou
The more aud more marked in the new Parli
to ment, but that they will become their al
the tpctive tendencies. If this expectation
to tical symptom has appeared in our time
of We are very far from insensib1e to t
es- many difficulties which seem to forb
We. anything like a closer approximation
hen the Papal and Nationalist party to t
our Conservatives. Among the least of the
ye- we place the sense Of obligation to t
yer liberals for, in fact, the Republication OF
opt. gratitude to them is the first and fund
ad, mental tenet of the Home Rule tactic
'or- But to many important sections Of
1t Conservative party, the alliance abe
emit pointed at would be absolutely hatef
the it will be long before the Church of Ell
ows land looks back with patience on the d
gels establishment of the sister Church, and {
Der. staunch band of Irish Protestant Cons
en- natives, for which the-more old fashion
'vo- portion of the English territorial arts
ame cracy has strong affiuitles, would reg;
ny measures adapted to "Irish ideas" sim
eel as the abomination of desolatiou. ]
und there are various reasons why the appro
len- nation we have spoken of should not
ess. considered out of the bounds of possibIl
med In the first place. all political tendent