New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-20
THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.
RADICAL CHANGES PROPOSED.

1ICE OF THE CoMMoNs-A SIGNIFICANT SPEECH
by MR. GLADsTONG--LORD HARnNGroNs EU-
LoGY OF TIE HoUsE-JoHN BRIGHT ON REoR-
CANNING THE LEGISLATIVE MACnINE-GEN-
ERAL TENDENCY OF THE CHANGES PROPOSED.
lIrRod THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIbUNE.l
LONDON Aug Tt is characteristic OF Mr.. Glad
stone that while his Land bill is still in the hands
Of the enemy and its ultimate fate uncertain. he
sloud turn his attention to another Great question
anl to the work OF the next session OF the House.
At the Cabinet council of Saturday the thing dis
cussod was the means Of reforming the procedure
of the House Of Commons. 1t is understood a reSo-
gution was taken to deal with The whole subject
When Ministers appeared at the Mansion House in
the evening their minds were full Of it, Mr. Glad
stone whose mind no single subject however vast.
seems capable of occupying exclusively, dis
coursed of other matters as WE'LL but both
Mr. Bright and Lord Harrington devoted to this one
topic the greater part of their speeches Of the plan
to be proposed nothing is yet knOwn Probably no
plan has been adopted. scheme for rearanging
the business of the House is not to be drawn of
Saturday afternoon But the scope if not the char
acter of the alterations contemplated is pretty
clearly indicated by the Mansion House speeches.
"It has been," said Mr.. Gladstone, g our painful
experience to that great and noble assembly
the greatest aud nobleSt of all representative
bles in the word-to which many of MS here belong.
in degree disabled in degree dishonored in
The state of things which exists has crcated-as he
admits not now for the first time-a necessity for
decisive measures So much Mr.. Gladstone had
said even strongly in the House itself last
week in answer to Mr. RathbOle. He told Mr..
Rathbone, who asked whether the Government
would deal with the question next year. that it was
one of the first magnitude both in Importance and
precedence. He now says that he does not doubt
that tie necessity Will be met by ade-
tn hpi
a Ministerial pledge of action than the pre-
vious statement Iii Parliament, Mr. Gladstone
is the most wary of men out oft, he sometimes
considers that, in his own phrase, he is unmuZzed.
Lord Harrington, the last man from whom an in
discretion is to be expected went further spoke
moro freely than his chief He declared he had
intention of claiming much credit for the House for
which he was responding. Skifully blending criti-
cism upon the body with tribute to its leader, he
observed that when the history of this session is
written, it viii be found to be mainly record of
the achievements of man. And in tones Of
warmth unusual to the measured utteranoes by
which he Is best known, Lord Harrington went
to say 4" am not speaking of the possible results
of the session in after years, That none of
know but speak of the purely Parliamentary his
tory of the session and say it will he a record of
the energy and the resolution of the knowledge
and resource-with which one man has conducted
one great measure through the House Of Commons
under great difficulties"
That is but the expression of the opinion held by
everybody competent to form an opinion: often ex-
pressed moreover, during the last few days since
the Land bill went up to the Lords. But it has a
peculiar weight and significance in the mouth Of
Lord Harrington for years during Mr.. Gladstone's
voluntary retirement the leader of the Liberal party
in the Commons; the man whom the Queen would
have made Prime Minister in Mr.. Gladstone's place:
and the heir of one of the greatest landowners of
England and Ireland He it is who pronounces a
eulogy upon the author of Land bill which its OPP
ponents call bill of confiscation and which its adj
yocates admit to be revolutionary in its character.
Nor is Lord Harrington disposed to be uncompli-
mentary to anybody. Mr.. Gladstone spoke of the
House as in state of partial paraly sis-a phrase
surely TOO strongand of the obstructionisS as
ungraefu OF least erring members, which is still
weaker But Lord Harrington is far too much
grand seieneur 10 nourish anmosites in his breast.
He lives, when not in the House. in an atmosphere
pure and serene that the passions and even the
just of Ministers and members less than duca
in rank vanish when the tina gave to them
is He believes that House of Commons
contained within its walls of greater ability
industry energy and devotion TO the public service
From this euogy he does not except any quarter
of the House. 1t is open to question whether Lord
Harrington did or did not that moment think OF
the Leaguers constituting or occupying any
the legitimate, regular aud constitutional OPPOSE
ton; and of that Opposition the regular army and
not the guerIillas and light-horsemen who hang on
lis TANKS and annoy their leaders and the
enemy in equal proportions. But let the guerrias
and the Whiteboys of the House have the benefit
OF The doubt, if doubt there be. Lord Harting ron
wanted his eulogy the basis of n criticism or as
the first member of antithess. With q House
containing such elemen Is. how is it that nothing
is done, that much less is done than should be
That is his question: put with ingenuity and force
His answer is that however adequate the power or
excellent the material of such machine it cannot
be efficient without that nice adjustment of its parts
and movements which will secure harmonious work.
ing And he concludes by an express declaration of
his hope that during the recess Ministers may be
able to devise those reforms which are necessary to
restore to the House of Commons ITS ancient efli
cheney
Then came surprise. Mr.. Bright was present
but was not to speak. This was an arrangement the
guests OF the evening understand nor approve
and their calls for him continued till he had no
choice buS to riss 1t seldom happens that the or
dered regularity of public dinner in England is
thus broken in upon Probably the Lord Mavor
and still more the POSTMASTER were agbast at sucb
an invasion of precedent and ceremony But a
wholly impromptu speech from Mr.. Bright is not to
De heard every day. and there reason to be CRATE
iui 10 Those who insisted on it. Mr. Bright like his
eoheagues. was fresh from the Cabinet council
almost as FRESH also, from the discredtable scene
oi iast wednesday in the House of Commons, when
the ant-Bradlaughites shouted him down. He was
quite in the mood for freeing his mind-a mood not
unfrequent with him-and he struck the keynote of
ms speech with story of Mr.. Golden which was
characteristic enough of both men. Mr. Golden. to
whom DIT. Bright refers atfectionateIv as nv deor