New-York tribune., 1884-12-07
VoL.XI.Iv~ No. l3.oO''
THE NEWS IN LONDON
REVOLUTIONARY COMPROMISE

At
r,ov nu1-ruE CENTRE or POLITICAL ro"I"
''0' ,.oov THE MIDDLE CLASSES TO THE
WORKING CLASSES.
lny CABLE To THE TRIBuSEl
,.oox Dec. 6-The Gladstone Salisbury Ee-
,istrihnton bill, introduced on Monday py MI
Gladstone in the Commons i'll speech oi hi'y
,r;,,tes proye, to be larger measure than was
oxpected. By abolishing boroughs under 10000 III
rouulaton and by taking the second member from
horoucbs under 10000, Mr.. Gladstone obtains l6o
seats. of which he gives the counties SO and .tho
large towns Gi in addition to their present
members The papers have been filled all the
week with elaborate discussions and calculations Oh
the personal and political effects OF the measure
By general consent the two broadcst ana graNesV
features of the bill first, the unexpectedly large
application of the principle of equal electoral
districts. and secondly, the adoption OF the single
member system for each new district. Each county
and each town having over two members is DIVIDED
into single districts averaging $1,000 inhabitants
Both these conditions are understood to be due 10
Lord Salisbury. who has believed 1t possible u
convert constituencies of reduced and manascaDc
size by the help Of new doctrines of Tory dcmoc-
racy.
OPPOSITION TO THE ELL.
Strong opposition has already been shown TO
both these schemes, Mr.. Courtney rcsignng Office
because the bill makes no provision 1or minority
representation, and attacking the singe-men'cr
plan as tending to degrade Parliament and to de
base the character of members. The press oi Man
chester, Birmingham, Sheffield, LeeIs' Newcastle
and other large towns protests against Schemo
deriving them of corporate representation ana sub
stitpting ward members Notice has already been
ciycn of amendments to omit these dividing
clauses but il will be impossible for the Ministry 10
accent the slightest alteration in either OF these
features without Lord salisburys consent
A GREAT REFORM BILL
The bill as a whole though preserving many OF
the existing anomalies and creating others. IS revo-
Iutionarv in IT'S general character, being far the
greatest advance toward democracy since 1882, ana
leading TO a still greater advance before many
Years The Redistribution and Franchise bills TO-
rether insure for the first time In the history oi
England something like representation IN PailA-
,reni of the people Of England. The centre oi
rnlitjrol rnyrr is transferred unce or all iom the
rille classes iB the working classes whether
artisan ~ asfipailhfal Tie 4aree towns almo''
aiWafs isiiufai. eth enormously lhp counties
fass thpii patpi i3m-thdpi tlis tenip ~ ihp lhnl
iuuis ta ihs farmers, though hnlslt hheNs nhat
ine thp uew epaflrs wiii saba iefi Salisbury 70
oanii,ent Il viii be lGrY line, and MI Chamber
laia is equally confident Il will he i'adiaal lin
The increase in the whole number oi an already
unwieldy House of Commons from d'- to u'o "e'"-
hers is one OF the minor hlots III the hIl bu' II
has enabled tho trainers 10 avoid awkward ques-
ton, OF reduction of members III different parts ol
the Kingdom Wales and Ireland remain as before
though neither Is entitled by population to its pres
nt.numbcr.
ADJOURNMENT OF PARLIAMENT
Every detail of the compromise agreed on by the
Coalition Cabinet las been carried out thus lar with
mechanical snoothness. The Redistribution bill
was read second time in the Commons aud the
Franchise bill in the Lords passed almost unnotced
through the committee on Thursday read 4
third time on Friday aud receives the Royal assent
TODAY. Parliament has adjourned until February
10.
Hardly Radical whisper is heard against the
Lords and there is every prospect Of quiet recess
There is general rejoicing over the truce III party
strife. Tory and Liberal journals vie with each
other in appeals for harmony The only noticeable
suggestion of the controversy over the House of
Lords comes from Lord Rosebery, who spoke in
Liverpool on Wednesday at dinner given III his
honor by the Reform Club. He hnted at the
possibility of preserving the present House by ex-
tinguisA.ng the hereditary legislative privilege.
A TRIBUTE TO GARFIELD.
American precedcnts figured largely in Thursdays
debate. Mr.. Courtney grounding much OF his arsu-
ment in behalf of minority representation on mac
curato accounts Of American practice in New-lork
and elsewhere. Mr. Courtncy's reference to Presi-
dent Garfield as a convert TO the doctrine elected
striking tribute from Mr.. Gladstone to Mr. Gar
fields ability The Prime Minister said that his
memory was consecrated in England, but declined
70 accept as an authority in English politics an
American statesman who remained an uncOnycrted
Protectionist.
THE BRITISH NAVY.
Lord Northbrook's statement in the House Of
Lords on Tuesday, and Sir Thomas Brasscys speech
In the Commons, have put different face on the
condition of the navy from the fancy accounts
lately circulating. Rejecting arbitrary classiica-
tons of ships Lord Northbrook shows the actual
numerical superiority of British over French iron
clads to be nearly 30 per cent III tonnage, or nearly
double. He admits, nevertheless that an increase