New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-12-04
A POLITICAL TREATY.

The second reading of the Redistribution bill
will be carried to-day by great majority Ill the
House of Commons. 1t is a political treaty, OF
which the protocols have been drawn up by
the leaders of the two hostile camps, and the
ratification of the text is a mere matter OF legis-
lative routine. AS it is not Government
measure, but the joint production of the Cab
met and the chiefs of the Opposition, 1t VIII be
rapidly advanced to the committee stage as
satisfactory adjustment of. question which
ought not to have been settled in partisan
spirit. There are Radicals with crotchets ~
there are also Conservatives with lngralned
preiudiccs, who may raise their voices against
the scheme of redistribution, bat the number OF
these malcontents will not be likely to prove
large The Irish members, moreover, have
decided to support tho measure, since 1t does
not contain anything that can be justly con-
strled as an invidlOus distinction against the
island. The number of members allotted 10 the
island remains unchanged. and the advantages
to be derived by the Parnelites from the extern
sion of the franchise will probably be an ample
offset to the disadvantages caused by tho ab"ll-
ton of the small boroughs The three parties
have thus resolved to make the best of the
situation The elements Of opposition to the
measure have rapidly disappeared.
The Liberal constituencies will undoubtedly
be greatly relieved to find that the chief effect
of the Ministerial negotiations with Lord
Salisbury has been to enlarge tho scheme OF
redistribution and TO impart to it elements OF
unity and consistency that were lacking before,
The argument, moreover, that two parties by
Joint action could deal more equtably with this
subject than either one acting single handed,
is unanswerabe. 1t seems to be generally con-
coded that the measure has been improved
rather than injured, and that although the two
main parties have been acting in concert, no in
Justice has been done to Ireland. II this be the
outcome of the compromise, the Liberal con-
stitucncics will probably be ready to accept the
explanations of the Ministry and to justify their
course as both wise and courageous. At the
same tine there can scarcely fail to be Il feeling
of regret on the part of these same constituent
cies that the opportunity for conducting a
successful agitation against the House of Lords
has been allowed to pass. Popular resentment
has not abated There is strong conviction
wherever the Liberal party is effectively organ
lied that the legislative functions of an
irresponsible and obstructive Chamber ought to
be restricted. The franchise has been granted
TO two millions of new citizens; the Cabinet
have secured an equitable scheme of redistrbu
ton and these are great legislative gains.
But the Lords are entrcnched in their strong
hold of hereditary privilege, and probably
cannot be disturbed for fifteen op twenty years
to come.
There are sincere Radicals who can perceive
in these two great and progressive measures
| only the untimey failure of minority repre-
scntation. They ought to have been prepared
for this result since il was one Of the inevitable
conditions of Il compromise 1t is TO be doubted
whether the principle of minority representa-
ton. even rs explained by men of remarkable
lucdity of mind like Mr.. Hare and Mr.. MILL
ever made deep impression upon SO practical
"a people ~ the English. Certainly, the substi-
tute for it provided in 1867 in the three
! corucred constituencies" has never been
adequately understood by the voters and prac-
ticaly the minority in these constituencies have
, not always been able To return one member out
of three. Even when the minority have
succeeded in elccting "a representative under
this system, he has not been eligible to Cabinet
Office, since HIS acceptance of it has involved a
resignation of his seat aud an appeal for re-
| election to the hostile majority. The English
people have no strong liking for eXpedents SO
artificial as this.