New-York tribune., 1880-02-29
cuRRENT AFFAIRS IN LONDON.

BY CABLE THE IklBUNhl
LONDON, Saturday, Feb. 2S, 1880.
There is much reason to believe that the Govern
ment intended at the beginning of the week to dis
solve Parliament and appeal to the country against
obstruction denouncing the Liberals as Irish allies
The Tories themselves jubilanty proclaimed this
purpose in the lobbes OF the House of Commons.
On Monday night the Government took the most
unusual course of proposing Tesolutions modifying
the rules of the House without consulting the
leaders of the Opposition, relying the hope that
the Liberals would criticise their manifestly weak
measure, and so present themselves to the country
as defending obstruction. This measure failed
first, by Lord Harrington announcing his hearty
support of the Government, only complaining that
the resolutions were not sufficiently coercive !;
secondly, owing to Mr.. Sullivans brilliant speech
demonstrating in detail that nearly every
member of the Government previously practised
obstruction in an extreme form against educational
and ecclesiastical measures when the Liberals
were in power The Ministerial plot was so pal
pable tlIat even most of the Home Rulers united
with the Liberals to battle the scheme Mr. Shaw
spoke sensibly. and his violent colleagues
have refrained thus far from filibustering though
1t is reported that they have appealed to Mr..
Parnell against Mr.. Shaw. So damaging was Mr.
SuIlivan's speech, so complete the Liberal tr-
umph on the general ISSUE that the Tories now
say they never meant to dissolve Parliament on
this issue. So passes away one more dissolution
scare
The debate continues, the Ministers meeting
with no unfair opposition yet the manifest truth
is that both parties show extreme timidity In
of Parliamentary FORMS Neither Sir Stafford
Northcotc's nor any other scheme yet proposed
can effectually suppress obstruction.
1uE CnNsUBE on SIR. PLIMsoLL REVOKED.
Nj. Sullivan won an equally brilliant vic 'oTy
over the GoyeTnm ut IN organizing the Campaign
on Monday night whereby the House reversed
the foolish privilege vote censuring Mr. PlmsOll
passed on the previous Friday.
DISSATISFACTION WITH DEAN sTANLEY.
Dean Stanley's elaborate speech on Tuesday. re'us
ing 10 reconsider his decision TO allow BOnaparte
monument to be erected in Westminster Abbey, pro
yolxes general condemnation. Lean Stanley's best
friends rcgretf tly pronounce the speech dsingenu
ons, and the alleged reasons illusory Only two jour
mails, The Daily Telegraph and MorRing Iosi, sustain
Dean Stanley the Others of every shade of political
opinion, attack him. All admit that Dean Stanley
Is Welding TO Court influence. The Deans attempt
to denounce Thomas Carlyles signature as forgery
is eonfutcd b. letter from Carlyle's niece saying
that the signature was appended to the memorial
by her. at Carlyle's express request. Mr.. Glad
stone in published letter, his hostility
to the project. The agitation against the statue
continues general. The council of the Working
mems Association-a Radical organization-Iesolve
TO take immediate steps to obtain renewed ex
preston of workingnen's opinions 1t is proposed
to hold public meeting and subscribe an address
10 the people of France. and thus endeavOr to
counteract the unfrendiy impression the memorial
produces. The Daily Ne'cs, Pau Mall Gazette, Spec
tator and Saturday Reeiew join hands in resisting
the Deans scheme.
SHARP ATTACK ON GENERAL RoBEETs.
Frederic Harrison replies in the March Fort,i0hly
Rere,o TO General Robertss answer TO former art-
cle He reviews the whole evidence carefully reit-
crates the substance of the accusations. de-
elines to accept General Roberts's defence
rs sufficient, and. while not impugning
General Roberts's honor or veracty. convicts
him of publishing inconsistent statements. He pro-
tests against the policy under which the British
army invades an unoffending people and carries
into every valley the halter and the lash. Since
Professor Harrson's article was written dispatch
has appeared in The Times purporting to give an Off
cial statement Of the Indian Government, admitting
that men were hanged for possessing the property
of the Embassy melting people to rise. and attacking
the escort General Roberts personally confirmed
each sentence of this dispatch. This amounts to a
confession of the gravest charge.
ARNOLD ON COPYRIGHT.
Matthew Arnold publishes in the same periodical
m importarft article on copyright, urging the Eng
lsh publishers to adopt the French system the
only solution of the domestic difficulties arising
from the growing public demand for cheap books.
He advocates international copyright the only
means Of securing justice for American and English
authors. He admits the expediency of concedng to
Americans the exclusive manufacture of foreign
books approving of an authors and not publish
er's copyright He declares that under the present
alleged liberal payments by American publishers to
English authors he never himself received altogether
E1OO.
CARLYLE SEEKING REPosE.
Carlyle has been lately much ndisposed. He is