New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-06-12
A PARLIAMENTARY
WHO PROVOKED IT AND HOW IT IS TO BE


1t Is not usual for Prime Minister TO call MS
supporters together and address them at length. I'M
less in case of distinct political emergency. Mt.
Gladstone is SO much man of traditions that 1t
must be supposed he saw in the circumstances Oh
the day sufficient warrant for the meeting he sum-
moned at the Foreign Office yesterday morning
No doubt he himself has felt the pressure proceed
| ing from two very different quarters. He has, IN
the first place O passionate desire to get the Dusi-
of the session done. and, In the second place.
an utter repugnance to putting the House OF Com-
mons under the stress of Ministerial dictation; or
of anything that may seem like 1t. He found him
self between the Devil of Obstruction and the Deep
Sea Of radical discomfort with the enforced impot-
ence Of Parliament of much popular discomfort as
well. What shall a man do who beholds In front OF
him Lord Randolph Churchill and Mr.. Bggar, and
feels on his flank the hot breath of Mr. Jesse Col
llngs and the Birmingham Caucusf The most
| inveterate Wing slave of precedent may charitably
hold his leader guiltess il this dilemma he calls
together his lieges Of every degree TO take counsel
| with him.
Before now Mr. Gladstone has told the country
the part that WAS being played in tho House OF
| Commons by what he called veilod obstruction.
Nobody doubts that the thing exsts-nobody. at
any rate, who spends an hour in watching tne
processes of legislation as now conducted In the
popular chamber The coarse metnods OF recent
sessions which the new rules were meant TO coh-
bat have been pretty much abandoned in favor OF
moro subtle mvre secret more stealthy and equally
effective tactics. The Conservatives as party are
not above entering into such man9uvres. To
them legislation means innovation and II they were
perfectly frank they would avow that they arc OPP
posed TO legislation As legislation, save and except
such as they themselves at times may take IN hanu
with view to regaining power. They know that
the Liberals stand pledged to the constituencies to
pass certain bills They regard these bills 80 FAR
Us they understand them. as mischiovous and they
desire TO defeat them, partly on their merits ana
partly because their defeat will discredlt tho LILO
eral party with the country
Thus fur they have succeeded and the Government
has failed. The session is hale gone and nothing is
done. The Opposition debated she Address for
twelve nights What was there In tho Queens
speech to require or Justify discussion OF twelve
nights OF of twoT Mr.. Gladstone's programme for
the session was of tho most moderate kind. a
Bankruptcy BILL q Patents bill. bills for the ii-.
provemcnt OF the law, bill for the government OF
London-surely there is nothing here to call forth
the energetic hostility OF a great party In tho
most critical hour OF the last Ministry, when Lord
BeaconsiieId entered with light heart upon the
Afghan war. tho debate on the royal speech In
which that melancholy policy was announced ran
TO but fonr nghs aud OF those four the Liberals of
Cabinet OF of any considerable rank, took but
| small share They left Lord harrington their
| leader, TO state their case In single speech n
speech moderate in tone and longth, and OF marked
ability and foresight. OF the Government nights
since this years debate the Address was con-
| cluded twelve have been occupied with Supply
that is. with the voting OF the Estimates and
| money for the public service Twelve nights, and
| why twelvei Because the Opposition have de
bated and divided on the most Inoonsldernbe and
oil mil
consuming time in divisions, each of which takes
n quarter Of an nour. This newborn Conservative
zeal for Swing proceeds by the most elaborate art
fccs known 10 Parliament There are men In the
House known, and long known, n sincere advo
! Gates OF scrupuous economy In the spending OF
money SIR Charles Dixie is one. Mr. Dilwyn Is
another Some years ago. with Lord Beaconshods
Ministry IN power. these two Liberals went over
the estimates with view TO directing the atten-
tion of the House TO every point where proiligate
or wasteful or needless expenditure was involved
Between them, md including tho votes they
thought proper to take. they occupied two hours OF
the time OF the HouJe. Set against these two
hours the twelve nights which the Opposition con-
trived to cut to waste at the beginning OF this ses
sion, and say whether yelled obstruction Is too
hard or too soft term to apply to such proceed
| ings. Look at the two hours nightly occupied
with questions TOR the most part futile Oi vexa-
tious Look at the four five long nights through
which the debate on the Affirmation bill was made
| to 6awde. Look At the sort OF thing that goes on
| in Grand Commttees-thrty or foIty speeches IN 4
singc sitting by three of the Opposition. OF whom
Lord Randolph Churchill Is one. 1t is worth not
ing that in the House itself tho operation Of squan
derlng time has been pretty equally divided between
the CONSERVATIVES proper the Fourth Party and
| the Pnrnellites-a distribution which has every
appearance OF having been preconcerted. and IN
fact probably was. The Conservatives who nom
naIly are chiefs Of their party Sir Stafford North
cote Sir Richard Cross and tho res. take but a
moderate part in the business OF delay. But their
assent is implicit IL not EXPRESS and active. No
ody suppcsos that Mr.. Warton, Mr.. Ashmead
| Bartlett and the various other misch. ef-makere
| who get behind the front Opposition bench, would
play such pranks II their leaders really dsspproved
Of them Sir Stafford gets tho benefit without
the odum, or all the odium, of n constant resort to
| dIscreditable tactics.
It ha, been SAID and II IL not too much to say.
that Parliamentary government is now its trial.
| That Is What comes OF the Conservatism OF the
| daH Tory malignants and Irish rebels join hands
| In an attack on the political system to which Eng
land owes so great share of her existing cOnstitu-
tional liberties. The House OF Commons. with the
splendid tradt ions OF centuries Of wellordered ex-
istonce-to quote fine sentence latoly heard-is
to be az tue mercy of the political forocity and po-
!, litlcal frlvolty which have joined hands In the
persons OF Mr.. Parne and the Fourth Party, Is to
be, unless m effort, and great effort, be made 10
rescue II out OF their control. So Is the Ministry
itself at their mercy. except upon condition OF q
similar effort For weeks and months the Tories
have bsen predicting n coming. disaster to the
Government. They hoped to pitats 1t by tho
Bradlaugh business, and There is no doubt-Mr.
Gladstone himself admitted it-that they did sue
coed IN damaging the Government with the
country by the perfectly INSCRIPTIONS strategy
they adopted IN that case. III @ Torres know we'll