New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-19
MR.. GLADS7ONE's HOME POLICY.

When so industrious a Premier as Mr.. Glad
stone lays out work for short session OF
Parliament there is no time TO spare with
only ten weeks before him, he submitted
financial proposals involving the Encouragement
of the wine duties, the abolition OF the matt
tax and the addition of penny to the Income
tax, and at the same time encouraged his
associates to bring forward the BurIals bill, the
Ground Game bill, the Irish Relief acts, the
COMPENSATION for Disturbance bill, the En-
Movers Liability act, and several other impor-
tant measures. This programme was as full
AZ the records of recent Parliamentary sessions
had been empty. The temptation to defer to
more convenient season domestic legislation
involving class interests and consequently
endangerng the peace and security OF so com
posite an organization as the Liberal party was
stoutly resisted. The idleness and barenness
of SIX years of Conservative rule were to give
place Immediately to industry and fruitfulness.
The country was to have once more working
government.
These excellent intentions have been
thwarted i'll various ways The Bradlaugh
episode has absorbed almost as much time as is
ordinarily required for the passage of a reform
bill. Whole el enlngs have gone to waste in
debates on points of ORDER and tIivlalities. The
energies of the Government have been strained
by continuous efforts to keep the various
clements Of the party together. The opposition,
at the same time, have not hesltated to turn the
embaIrassments OF the Ministry to their own
profit, prOlOnging for PARTISAN ends their
resistance to public measures, while the h1sh
Obstrrctionists have been more meddleS0me
and Irrational albeit less violent, than tncy were
in 1877. The result is that htde has been
accomplished. The votes on the financial
resolutions have been delayed, and the
prominent measures which the Ministry have
introduced are all dragging behind. Barely
fortnight remains wherein to complete the
numerous votes on supplies and to dispose of
the Compensation for Disturbance bill, thc
Extension of the Ballot act, the Ground Game
bill and other measures. Notwithstanding
the great cxertiOns which he is making, the
Premier may find the abandonment of useful
and enlightened legislation to be absolutely
necessary.
This is a necessity to which the Conservative
Ministry repeatedly yielded during their
recent term of six years. 1t is one, however,
which q Premier who is so thoroughly i'll earnest
as Mr.. Gladstone always is will be very
reluctant to face Already his impotence and
irritation find expression in threats to prolOng
the session month OF six weeks, until the
Obstructionists, amateur and professional, of
the Opposition and the Irish section shall have
fairly talked themselves out and allowed the
Government q chance to finish their work.
During his last administration the Irish Church
act, the Irish Land act the Reorganization of
the Army, the Ballot act and various other
measures of the first importance were success
fully carried through the Commons His own
lauIels in progressive legislation will not suffer
bin to sleep. Yet we are not sure that the
country will lose anything bv the withdrawal
of several of these new mt aSures Useful and
necessary they may be, but not so useful OF so
necessary that the Government cannot well
afford 10 throw them over if their passage will
impair the efficiency and stability of the Liberal
party. Lord Harrington frankly confessed
not long ago that the downfall of the Admin
istration in 1874 was caused by what he termed
@harassing legislation" The Commons and
the people were irritated by being dragged from
one thing to another without being allowed
time to master the complex questions of
national policy that were brought before them.
To attempt to do too many things at once is
as hazardous as to do great thing at the wrong
time.