New-York tribune., 1883-06-07

Cabinet. inyigorated by this wholesome tonic,
has quietly resolved to hold its ground and to
compel the Commons, without hostile menace,
but through patience and persistency, to deal
decisively with every important measure now
before them, the intricatr London Oil alone
excepted
Parliamentary inaction during the present
session has brought reproach upon the Govern
ment. There has been no crisis In lrlsh
affairs there has been no Egyptian entangle-
mept: there have been no foreign complications.
The Commons have had leisure to devote them
selves TO domestic legislation, but they have
scarcely made beginning. The Tenant Right
and the Corrupt Practices bills have been read
twice and one or two measures have been dls'
cussed by the standing committees appointed
under the new rules, but no substantial progress
has been made in clearing of the arrears OF
law making What makes this result the more
humiating is the fact that special session
was held last autumn for the express purpose
of amending the forms of procedure so as to
nut an end to obstruction and to restore to Par
lament its legislative efficiency. Work has
dragged under the new rules as badly as un-
der the old ones, and time has been frlttered
away in idle and frivolous debate. The meas
ures which have been proposed have not been
of political nature. The great measures
connected with tho enlargement Of the fran
cbise have been reserved for another year, and
the business of the present session is of a gen.
eral nature involving no well-defined divisions
of party opinion. The Tenant Right bill is
moderate measure to which the Conservatives
cannot offer serious resistance. The acts re-
lating to bankruptcy, patents, the establish
ment of court of criminal appeal, the codlfica-
ton of criminal laws, the prolong CATION of the
ballot system, the prevention of floods and the
repression of corrupt practices Mt elections,
ought not to excite partisan feeling. The
Liberals would have no reason to- oppose
them. if they were introduced by Conserv-
ative Ministry, and the present Opposition can
not make it strictly matter of party principle
to vote against them. The work which is to
be done could be accomplished with equal
prppriety by either of the great parties; yet
the Opposition and its Irish allies will not
allow 1t to be done.
The species of obstruction to which the Con-
servatives have had recourse cannot be re-
pressed by the enforcement of the new rules.
No effort is made to proong the debate on any
particular measure, but the policy of wasting
time on one pretext or another has been delib-
erately adopted. Under the new rules the
ordinary course of business can be interrupted
by motion for adjournment supported by
forty members, aud in this way special sub
iects are constantly brought before the atten-
ton of the House. The standing committees,
moreover, OF which great things were ex-
pected, have proved to be talking machines Of
the mostapproved pattern. There are no disor-
derly scenes, no disreputable tactics, but time
is Systematically wasted. The Conservatives
wish to convince tho country that Liberal
Administration cannot be depended upon for
practical legislation and the Irish members,
secretly hoping that the Ministry which has
successfully bafled them can he prematurey
overthrown, are willing to cooperate with their
fantastic allies in the attempt to block the
course of public business. Under these circum-
stances Mr.. Gladstone is fully justified in plac-
ing the responsibility for inaction where 1t
belongs and in resolutely keeping the Commons
in session until the work which the constituent
cies cxpect them to do shall be done.