New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-06
POLITICS IN ENGLAND.
.noroNp AND Hys OPPONENTS.

Upon HIS TAIL DkFEAr AND Do"FALL of
nuxoxIous IlBERALs-THK PRENiERs HEALTH
IMPROVED. , ,
,,you THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE lH'SoNH''
LONDON, Jan. pa fOrtnighrs DEBATE mas gwen
the Irishmen ample opportunity to snow "ha' 'neio
ia in them of eOquence and ability. W"h TWO Vi
three exceptions, they have not used it. If, az a
hcdv. they have either one or the other they nave
kent It under bushel. Mr.. Parnell has given the
measure of his capacity long before now. and has
neither added to nor diminished his reputation'
inch as it was. Nobody disputes his power as
Parliamentary tactician. 1t is probable no
man understands the rules Of the House equally
we'll or shows anything like such per-
verse ingenuity Ill bis use Oh 'heii
Forms devised for the protection OF MI
aorities are skfullv and pertinaciously employed
nv him for the oppression. had almost
written suppression majorities AS speaker DO
sxctes no enthusiasm. TIE rattle OF cheers from
the well-drilled squad about him cannon w cai'o"
.,,h,,s;osm The rest of the House listens from
Laan cn,,os,ty TO know what Its arch enemy would
he at but is never rewarded by touch OF eloquence
or weighty thought. He speaks like good man OF
business; speaks to the point when lie IS not Will
fully wasting time; speaks clearly enough always
aud very often bitterly; and has manner wh'ch
contrasts greatly to his advantage with that OF most
of his supporters. Mr.. Mccarthy was spoken OF as
the most promising of the Home Rulers till the other
night, when Mr. Gladstone thought it his duty to
grind him to powder. Probably Mr.. McCartGy's abi-
Ties are much more literary than political, but he is
none the less vastly the superior of the majority Of
bis associates and he msy 10 time recover from the
awful punishment which Mfr. Gladstone admins
tered to him. Others in the House have before now
suffered in like manner; and some of them even
thought il % title to famo and went about giving
themselves airs aud lived through whole session
beaten and content. Mr.. OCOnOr Power is tho
third of this hand who has shown signs of capacity
other than such as belongs to fluent fanaticism. II
must be said of the Home Rulers, as body, that the
stamp of inferioriy is on them III appearance. IN
manner in dictiOn in actin almost everything tiat
goes to the making of strong efficient leaders OF an
Important movement. Not for the first time IN
history a great ap1tatlon has fallen into the hands
of little men. Much the House dis!ikes Mr..
PANELS followers, they would he listened to
readily If they were of the same Class as their
hearers; or could fall IN with the ways Of the
House, accept its unwrjten law, catch its tone ard
take their part in the comradeship which, save in
debate and divisions, knows no party and cares for
none. But they will not, and cannot. Lord Pal
meYston's lannon's remark on famous occasion,
1--WE are all gentlemen" meant great deal. II
is without precedent that tie whips Of
opposing parties should hesitate To trust each
others oral assurances and agreements respecting
the conduct OF business. This week. for the frat
time it was Thought necessary to have i'll writing
the PROMISE of the Irish division that the debate
sLonld cease at II specified time. The hooking
langhter--t was more like howl OF derision than
Iaueli-with which TIE Irish bcnc1es received the
reference to Ike nir1cr of Lord M0untmorres dis
credited then ,oore than everything else Other il
hut f,,.in mot
t. dwell uppn Mr.. Forster understood the feeling Of
the House perfectly VIXEN. after peculiarly savage
and indecent attack which two Home Rulers made
Gu him, he said quietly that - rr.vocation should
teIoot him to notice personal assaults. The Irish
men who say those things do not understand the
feeling of the House al a'l-the newest of them
especially. They think they are Stunned because of
their politics. They are Stunned but it is not be-
calse of their politics.
TOBY's VIEWS OF TIE SITUATION
Perhaps the most comprehensive piece of political
wisdom a,nong the utterancts of the week is t. be
found in Punoks Essence Of Parliament. which is
now done far better than it has Eeen of late, and
almost as we'll a: when Mr.. Shirley Brooks was the
writer of II. This Parliamentary record now al.
pears under the form of extracts from TIE diary Of
Mr.. PuncPs ur.footed partner, Toby, NJ. T., whose
election. though not REGARDED in Dod, has been
of Commons Toby's latest contribution in aid OF
the repression of obstruction ia as follows:
The vory is vrry plainly telling on Mr.. Glld
stone. He is a greet man, and can do almost 8Il-
thing but take matters quietly lie SITS all night III
his place listening anxi1nsly. and won't 90 home
and be nut to bed by ~ O'clock, as he shOlld. He
passed me in tie Corridor Just nov, looking five
years olcer since the sesslon opened.
Toby" lie said, YEARLY: Whst would you do If
yOur tail tried 10 way YOU r.
.ir.3 replied, II would sit on it,"
That's net bad idea" the Premier said. walk
ing Oft with flesh vlGor in his stride.
Wise as this u.s. 1t is to some extent of being
wise after the event. Mr.. Gladstone has sat that
radic tail which both before and since the beginning
of the session undertook to wag him. Mr. Chamber
lain was reduced to order in the Cabinet The
ObstreperOus minority below the gangway, which
raised its voice during the first week so loudly
AGAINST coercion has since learned something OF the
yirtues Of silence and discipline. Only the shrill
voice of Ilr Arthur Arnold is now heard piping his
to quarters. Mr. Labouchere is
more Of a free lance than regular Liberal. MI.
Cowen is not Liberal at all. Mr.. Bradlaugh in
flucnces no vote but his own, and there is not
another name that be mentioned out of the eight
who voted for Mr.. PaInclps amendment that has any
other than numerical value. Mr.. Rylands who
was not ono of the eight has promised to keep the
peace. Sir Wilfrid Lawson has not promised. but
means TO keep it all the same. Mr.. Stansfcd will
never figure az the leader of forlorn hope Of rebels
Mr. Dillwyn Is a pillar CT coercion. Mr.. Ashton
Dixie is too young and able politician to mar his
career by au act of characterization that might con-
denim him to lasting repentance. And 50 on. This
is not a business in which one feels inclined
to hazard predictions. but it is certain that the
men who know most of what is going ON consider
that very nearly the full Liberal vote may be re-
lied on to support the Government In its coerclve
policy.
As to Mr.. Gladstone's health, Toby paints his
sketch in too dark colors A rather severe cold ex
cepted, Mr.. Gladstone has been very well. He has
kept away from the House more patiently when Ill
than his friends dared hope He has insisted on sit