New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-20
NOTES FROM LONDON.
RELAND-THE CHANNEL TUNNEL-PERsoN-
ALIIIES.

xfr 6lodsione,s speech last night at the Lord
Mavor,s bannuet will be studied in vain for new
light on any burning question, unless possibly Ire
land be an exception. And 1T is an IRISH exception
I'm more senses than one, since what Mr.. Gladstone
has IA say amounts almost to declaration that Ire
land Is no longer burning question. He thank
fully records great and providentia change in the
state of Ireland-in the resumption by law of its
natural and proper authority, in the prevalence Of
peace and security where disorder widely pre-
vailed in the restoration of confidence enough to
enable men to set about tho employments OF
their lives The dark dens Of assassination adds
he. have been sfectualy suppressed. The killing
of Carey and the ferocious delight with which the
Irish people hailed the news of that murder hardly
look like it, but let that pass. No doubt there IS
surface improvement in Ireland But what does
Mr.. Gladstone say to Mr. Michael Dayltts speech al
Loughrea on Tuesday, with its contemptuous re-
fusal to accept the 20 80 per cent reduction I'LL
rents obtained under the Land Act ITS declaration
that landlordsm must go, and its demand for the
repeal of every law which impoverished the pros
perty of the Irish peopiei What Mr.. DaVltt
means by laws impoverishlng the prosperity OF the
Irish people are the laws which obilge
them to pay their debts. What again
does MIR. Gladstone say to the spirit OF MS
Irish colleagues in the House of Commons Inc
ParnellIies forced him to abandon last week the
bill which MIR. IfeFoYan DTOusuo III III ''O ~
ranizaton of the Irish Police, bill which Earl
SPENCER was understood to regard as extremely I'M
portant They threaten to oppose to the bitter end
the emigration clause In the Tramways and Emigra-
fion hill and to defeat the whole bill il necessary
They have it in their power TO prolong the session
into October if they like. and they lose no opportu-
nty of making themselves as dlsagreeable as posi-
BILE. And if Mr. Gladstone doubts that the ParnelI-
ties have an Irish majority behind them in Ireland,
what does he say to the Monaghan and Wexford
electionsf
The true thing to say abont Ireland is that
agrarian and political crime has been all but
stamped out by the energetic enforcement Oh the
Crimes Act. Too much praise can hardly be gwen
to Ear, Spencer and Mr. Treveyan for their patient
and courageous and skillul efforts to restore order
But there is unhappily nothing to show that the
temper of the Irish people much better than 1t
YVES Disloyalty has not been stamped out-only the
criminal manifestation of it. The Government has
got the upper hand of asSassins but the spirit which
inspired assassination is as malignant ana general
as ever. So Is the spirit of plumber which Mr.. Par
nell and his confederstes have never ceased to in
fame and to which they have appealed and Will
continue to appeal successfully in their campaign
of con6scaton. The Irish war against property aud
against Government is carried on as unscrupulously
as ever. Mr. Parnel is just as much bent on break
So that on the whole, those deep sentiments of
thapkfulness to the Almighty dsposer of events,
which Mr.. Gladstone bids US entertain. must be linz
tied in their scope.
Lord Richard Grosvenor announced to the share
holders of his Channel Tunnel Company on Tues
day that the directors have by no means given up
the object they had in view, but intend TO remain
in "sem-live" state, that at any favora bic mo-
ment they may become wholly live. SIT Ed ward
Watkins rival company will of course BIO kept 60
ing, though in like state of supended animation
80 long as there Is breath in Sir Edwards body.
And the French company, which on its part has
spent some money and done some boring on the
French side OF the Channel, has just resolved to
hold on to the Government concession which it was
at liberty to relinquish.
Nonsense dies hard. This Channel Tunnel question
has been argued ont with the utmost thoroughness
on both sides. The overwhelming weight of argu-
ment and of public opinion in England is against
the tunnel. There are respectable and
certain body of commercial and sentimental opinion
in favor of it, but the balance stands stated The
majority of six to four against-the scheme In the
Joint committee of the two houses of Parliament
represents vastly larger majority in the nation.
Among those most competent to judge of the military
objections to a tunnel, hardly influential voice
has been raised In its favor, while
nearly every officer of distinction in the army or
navy has pronounced against it. l see comments
in some of the American papers to the effect that
the hostility to the tunnel in England springs from
timldIty OF panic. 1t springs from precisely the
same kind of tlmidity panc which leads you to
protect the Harbor of New-YOrk by forts Every
nation takes precauton against attack. Toaopen
tunnel would impair the efficiency OF the great
natural safeguard with which nature has provided
England. The only question is how much it would
impair the natural defence-whether it would
create serious military risk in place
of an efficient military defence. Military men say
it would and their answer on the purely military
side ought to be conclusive. i may go further and
say that. after having read carefully the able
arguments on the whole subject, and after hearing
it all discussed a hundred times by very competent
authorities / have never read or heard any suf-
fcient answer whatever to the gravest objections,
whether military commercial, to the project
Nor do | believe Englishmen will so far take leave
of their sober to permit clique CT specu-
lators to override the judgment of their generals
and statesmen and open way for the invasion of
the country.
"The uncertainty about my going to the United
States" writes Mr.. Matthew Arnold. sis at last
removed. have got all the leave j wanted and
shall 60 in October. Some details about Mr.. Ar
nolds journey remain unsettled but the words
quote ds?el all doubts to the fact of his visit
The arrap gemeDts for his lecturing not yet
pete. He will however, lecture, and you will have
an opportunity of meeting face to face the English
man who is in his own department the most original
and attractive writer of his time.
The official or inside opposition to Mr.. Sidney Col
WINS appointment Keeper of Prints and Drawings
in the British Museum" has come to naugbt, and
Mr. Colvin is to have the post. The opposition was
believe. very bitter, and proceeded on the usual
ground that somebody within the department ought