New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-30

clauses and all, against his own supporters. sud
denly announced that he would challenge
a vote of the House the whole question
He invited tho House to say thar II would
be satisfied with no legislation " which provides
for the permanent retention of corporal punish
ment for military offences "a clums'lyworded res
oluton, which said much more than he meant As
IL was necessary to account for this change of 'front.'
Lord Harrington declared he had supported the
Government on the ground that the Government
thought the retention of logging essential TO dlsc
pine. but tina. the Government had shown so much
yacillation n TO make II clear they had settled
ossnIon, and he AT liberty to act on his own
personal Judgment and feeling, which were opposed
to hogging He added that be had come TO this de-
termination before the dispute with Mr. Chamber
lam. That Lord Harrington made this last
statement in good faith. himself believing
in its utter truthfuness, is certain; but u
would be dificul5 20 find anybody else who
believes II, or who understands the process by
which Lord Harrington convinced himself OF it@
accuracy. On a division he was beaten By LOG ma
jOrity. The quarrel and the heavy majority were
alike detrimental to the Liberal cause On the
other hand, the party stands committed to the
abolition of fogging when IL comes into power ana
humanitarians like Mr.. Bright, who care more for
the sentimental gain than for the political loss, re-
gard Thursdays vote as a triumph. II III DC
triumph, It has been dearly bought
Nor need any such price have been paid, as the
Tories have provedi they, too, have had their
party troubles, but how they disposed of them.
They, too were divided the h)ggug question:
but with them it was the chiefs who wanted 10
give up the lash. and the bulk Of the party
its military section especially, with its large
quota of militia colones-who wanted to retain ~.
There was no contention in the House. meet
ing of the party was called presided over By Lord
Beaconsfeld. and attended by nearly 800 members
Lord Beac0nsield spoke, the Others listened, anu
in twenty minutes the whole matter was settled.
The Government gave its followers pledge that 1t
would not retreat any further. When, few days
later fresh symptoms of weakness revealed them
selves on the Treasury Bench, Sir Stafford North
cote and Colonel Stanley were notified that If they
made any further concessions, there would be
revolt-and that is why they stood fast when Lord
Harrington faced about. They suffer, however, be-
cause although they did their quarrelling within
doors they could not keep from the public a secret
known TO the whole party in the House. But they
suffer tar less than the Liberals.
These are facts which tell their own story They
point 10 the decentralization of Parliament. If such
incidents such scauddlous scenes, such weakness.
such indscipline, such absence Of authority, and
such contempt for the forms of law. 10 prevail.
they cannot but prove fatal IN the end. It may b.
hoped that they are only exceptional But matters
have grown worse aud not better these last two
sessions and it hard to doubt that party exists
bent on bringing Parliament into disrepute. And
there are people VINO say that tins Is a result which
Lord Beacousteld would contemplate with tran
auility. q. W. :.