The Indianapolis journal., 1883-06-07
ONE WEEK In ENGLAND.
The Derby, the Queens Birthday, and
the Fisheries Exhibition.
The Liberal Party and the Politicians
Victoria and the Prince Of Wales
Figures About Fishes.

Queens birthday and the growing success OF
the international fisheries exhibition. On
the eve of the great race l was waiting at the
entrance to the House Of Commons for my
card to be acknowledged when all at once
the stiffness of the vast corridors was broken
by a loud ringing of bells, and simultaneously
there was stampede of people from the in
side lobby To a stranger the situation
looked alarming. Thoughts of fire and
dynamite flashed instantly through the brain,
but before these suspicious had communi-
Gated with the legs and feet an explanation
was forthcoming. A vote was about to be
taken, and the bells were sounded to sum-
mon to duty members who had sought to re-
ieve the tedium of dry discussion by a
lounge in the coffee-rooms or the more in
spring exercise Of an interview at the bar
The clearing of the lobbies was necessary, of
course, to enable the tellers to do their work.
But such commotion! No wonder the coun-
tryman, in the midst of such a scene, being
told that ''the House was dividing" took the
matter literally, and ran as though old Nick
was after him. The division was upon the
question OF adiourning over Derby Day
It's result your readers have long known.
But that the opposition to adjournment
should be led by Sir Wilfred Lawson, who,
from having been in an apparently hopeless
minority on other questions of fsocal reform,
has finally carried his colors to victory, is a
fact which those who think the preservation
of the nation depends upon the everlasting
observance of this great race-day as legis-
latve holiday must regard with some appre-
hension. Another noteworthy fact in con-
nection with this division was that among
the eighty-fve who stood out against this old
custom there was only one Conservative.
This, however, is not surprising to those
familiar with the attitude and traditions of
the two parties. The Conservatives hardly
ever favor reforms of any kind. With few
noted exceptions they are opposed to the ex-
tension of the franchise, and look with disfa-
vor upon all measures for the restriction of
the liquor traffic. So, when it is proposed to
widen the gate of admission to Parliament
by passing an affirmation bill or as in the
present instance, to lift from a professedly
Christian nation the stigma of giving parlia-
mentary countenance to a vast gambling in
sttution, the Tory party in both cases goes
almost to man against change. Those who
desire to know the reason for this have
only to look at the two elements
from which the party draws its strength.
There are, first, the old aristocracy of the
country, who are averse to progress because
the security of their personal prerogatives is
pound up in the perpetuatlon of the old
order of things. Not all these are in the
ranks of the Conservatives, but large ma
jority OF them are. Then there is the under
strata, which is composed of those who favor
the continuance of the old customs because
the license they give is agreeable to their
moral tastes or profitable from business
point of view. The Conservative party to-
day embraces nearly all the publicans, and
very naturally since the vote on local option,
this class look upon their party as the spe-
cial friend and protector of interests which
come very near their pockets So bitter just
now is the feeling of the publicans against
Mr. Gladstone, and so vast the influence
they WELD, that l am really afraid if Parlia-
ment should be dissolved in the near future
the Liberals would lose the country, or, if
they were not beaten entirely, would at
least, have their majority very much re-
duced.
But to return to Derby Day. And look
ing at this event from the standpoint of one
whose special mission it is to observe
the social status of the people and to mark
Whatever of progress or deteriora-
ton may be indicated, l am de-
lighted to have so encouraging a report
to present. There were the usual large
crowds; the usual mixing of high and low
was observed; the customary 'chaff7' was in
dulged; the heterogeneous mass abandoned
themselves, as of old to the enjoyment of
the sports provided; but it is the universal
verdict of all serious observers that there
was far less brutality than under the old re-
gime OF twenty years ago, or even ten; that
less vulgarity was displayed, and that there
was not. nearly so much liquor guzzling as
formerly. The police courts of the next day
showed great diminutlon in the numb of
arrests for drunkenness and disorderly con-
duct, so much so that some of the magistrates
commented on the improvement. Gambling
however, seemed to show, if anything
bolder front than common. In the EPSON
Police Court no fewer than fifty-two persons
were charged with this offense, and the Chief
Inspector testified that his entire force of de-
tectives were occupied during the whole day
in trying to keep this class of offenders under
control. But that the small fry of the pro-
fession should be defiant of the law in this
matter, when their social superors show
such utter regard for it, is scarcely to be won
dered at and before any marked change for
the better can be hoped for, the police must
be instructed to let the poor catch penny
gamesters alone for season, and give atten-
tion to the more respectable and less excusa-
BILE transgressors.
THE QUEENS BIRTHDAY
The anniversary of the birthday of the
Queen occurred on Thursday, and was
observed in respectful way in nearly every
European court The only place, probably,
where any outward show of displeasure mani
tested itself was in New York city, where as
the papers forewarned us, some of our Irish
fellow-citizens were to burn her Majesty in
effigy. Whether or not they carried this
dread purpose into effect we have not yet
been informed. The news gatherers evil
such ebullitions of Celtic spleen, and l can
assure you that little is thought of them bv
the people of ENGLAND, for they are well