New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-02-24
THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

IRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBusE.l
LONDON Feb. 0.-The Government have got well
through the first night with Parliament, and once
more observers are called on to admire the iannty
tactics of Mr.. Drae The that crowns
them is their best eulogy. l am far from meaning
that the real difficulties Of the session have been dis
posed Of in single evening. They will prove
formidable enough by and by. But 1T looked not
long ago If the first meeting Of this Ministry after
recess with Parliament would I've pregnant with dis
aser The naval catastrophes and mishaps, the
troubles with the army, the slave circular foreign
policy, and some other matters had been discussed
during the vacation by leading Liberals in tone
which Indicated something very like ministerial
crisis on the first opportunity. There was serious
talk of an amendment being moved to the address,
which would have been equivalent to want-oi-
confidence motion. And the so-eaed Queens
speech is always target always Offers occasion for
criticism alike what II says and on what IL does
not say. Well, somehow OF other the crisis has not
come of. The thundcrbolt was not launched. There
was a debate, Of course. Lord Harrington in the
Commons and Lord Granville in the Upper House
fulfilled their constitutional duties as leaders of Her
Maiesty's opposition, aud made themselves mildly
disagrceable the leaders of Her Majestys Govern
ment. But from beginning 30 end of the perform
ance there was not trace of real hostility, still less
OF any cOnNlcIOn OH the pdft VI liociaiS Una"
they strong enough for a general engagement or
would have chance OF beating the government on
any issue they coud raise.
Nor is this due wholly 10 that clever management
on Mr.. Disraelrs part which / just now mentioned
as one cause of hls success 1t need not surprise
anybody who has had occasion TO watch the differ
ence between the lines taken by English statesmen
and politicians in the House and out of the House
The speeches hear in VACATION even those OF the
most serious and practical men, are invariably
pitched in a somewhat higher key than the speeches
made by the same men when their voices come to
be- heard within the walls of 81. Stephens. In the
one case the words are only words; in the other
they become facts and factors in political life
The House of Commons is good deal more than the
talking machine which il pleased Mr. Carlyle To call
il i'll of his cOnempluous moods. u Is a govern
ing machine, and the talk il tempered by sense OF
responsibility; by the knowledge that the line
which divides speech from act is narrower there
than anywhere else. Then there il that feeling, of
which Mr.. Gladstone last night gave 50 striking an
illustration that the Government IL TO be supported
if possible, in dealing with other Governments; and
there in what SIR. Disrae, in praisiDg the mover
and seconder of the address. called Iouse-0f-Com-
mons spirit, the influence Of which is probably
greater AT the beginning of "A session than III the
mid lie of H. Men If opposite parties meet az mem
beers OF the same House. the club IL ~ often
called with all kinds of social and personal rela-
tons 20 mitigate the asperity of political differences
With all this help Mr. Disraeli's adroitness il still
,r,at enoug 10 excite al nration. There has been
no Quce..s speech for long time like this; none 80
clearly the work Of a single hand, none which 80
artfuIy AIDED the pcrls of the situation The most
il made # what has been well done by Ministers.
IL il not merely that, everybody remarks foreign
affairs are made prominent. But the speech is I'M
pcra in tone IL is thoroughly calculated to enlarge
The narrow view which Engishmen are too apt to
take OF English affairs If they were all included
m the little island which contains the capital of
woodworking Empire. Were all EnglishmaD
should be disposed to forgive Mr.. Dsraeli many
things in gratitude for the service he does his conn
try in "A point where every other political leader
since Paine ston has failed. The of the magi-
nation in politics il greater than most politicians
believe Mr. Disraeli belongs TO the perceptive
class and his genius equal to making others per-
ceive something of the splendor of his own VISION
The England Of this speech il European Power
acting with other European Powers upon Turkey
An Oriental Power keeping ts road To India visit
ing the East in the person Of the son OF the
Sovereign; Naval Power enforcing its will on the
other side of the globe against the most populonS
empire of the world, and not disdanng To punish
Malays az The sane time; and Colonial Elnpfe
with posse in every latitude, busy just now IN
,etting up new Confederation of States IN South
Africa.
Hardly less admirable j. the t0nein which Mr.. Dis
raeli rcplicd 10 Lord Harrington. On domestic mat
tiers he does not spend five minntes-not five sem
fences nnless III include the Fugitive Slave circular
under that head, where it scarcely belongs. The
proposal to turn that subject over to Royal Com
mission H. of course, device TO gain tline and 10
weaken the force of an expected attack. In an
American il would be called sinartness, and even IN
an English Minister il does no, earn the praise oil
scruplIlousness. Yet there is no effort TO shirk re-
sponsibility for blunlcrs OF the first circular Mr.
Dsraali saws with mixture of generosity and cyni
cal auda,ity al am myself responsible for 1t, al
though did not see it," lts opponents had been
discussing whether Lord Derby or Mr.. Ward Hunt
was to bo the scapcgOat, and Mr. DisIael conionhds
AL these specua,ons by suddenly advancing to the
altar ~ "A victim, not, however, with the slightest
intention of offering himself up in sacrifice. Il am
not here" he ad H. to defend the circular for mo
,ncnt The country has condOned the error ", and
| need not dwell on it. To my mind the second cir
rular il n much more fit subject for our consdera-
ton.n As if he were wholly disInterested and i'm
partial person, well qualified to be umpire in the
matter and judge his judges. There has been moth
inp cooler than that. All the rest of his speech
devoted to the Turkish question and the Sucz pur-
chase.
On both these, he gives most interesting inforina-
ton, with frankness quite remarkable. III
England had refused to support the Andrassy ote,
the sultan would he tells ~, nnqucstionabIy
have rejected it and could England. having coun-
selcd rejection, afterward refuse to support the
snltani "Would it have been prudent tn support
the Sultan under such circumstances; choosing the
auestion of the government of small province like
4.an..uinr, vi, fha of