, 1885-05-17
THE IRISH CRIMES ACT.
The Cabinet Quarrelling Over
the ACCESSIBILITY Of
Renewing the Irish Crimes Act
in Ireland.
An Interesting Scandal From
London.

cabinet over the ACCESSIBILITY of renewing
of Irish crimes act came to a head this
evening. A minority of ministers,
headed by Mr.. Chamberlain, president OF
the board of trade, advocated the enact
ment of the act. THIS minority was final
ly o%verborne- aud the government has de.
cided to propose a renewal for two years
OF the act in a modified form. The Par
n%ellites are this evening indignant at the
government for this decision. They have
privately warned the ministers that the
effect of any attempt to renew the act,
even in a greatly mitigated form, will be
the throwing of the influence Of the home
rule vote in the English constituencies to
the opposition. Ministerial arrangements
have been made to bring the present par
liamentary session to a close by the mid
die Of July at the farthest. In all likeli-
hood this intention will be thwarted by
the determination Of Parnells followers
to resist the passage of the renewal bill.
Parncll is a master Of parliamentary tao
tics, and If the renewal bill be obiectiona-
bic to his party, there can be no doubt
that he will SO obstruct its passage as to
prclong the session uncomfortably. He
may be able to extend the session for sew
eral weeks aud thus tire out the govern
ment Gladstone's promises to give Ire
land certain schemes for the extension of
local self government and to facilitate
land purchases in ireland, have failed to
soften Irish opposition to his policy con-
corning the Irish crimes act. They will
accept nothing short of an abandonment
Of the whole crimes bill.
Tho approach Of the general election
campaign is bringing forward unexpected
political strength among the British work
ingmen. The w%orkingmen are %concentrat-
ing everywhere upon labor candidates for
parliamentary seats. This is noticeable
particularly in the larger boroughs, such,
for instance, as Glasgow. Newcastle and
other centers of manufacturing industry.
The workingmen in these places are act
lively engaged in the work Of raising sub
scTiptions for the purpose Of sending
workingmen to parliament. There can
hardly be a doubt hat the reason why
there are so few representatives of poor
men in the British parliament, to day lies
in the fact that no man with a secured
livelihood can afford to accept an unsal-
aired parliamentary seat. and few labor
constituencies can afford to pay salaries by
subscriptions. If members were to-day
salaried like congressman, the house Of
commons would soon be revolutionized in
its character.
Joseph Arch, the agricultural laborers
candidate, has consented to contest the
constituency Of West Norfolk, and is
supported in his determination by the
Liberal leaders. There is
movement organized in parallel
lines to raise a number of workmen to the
magisterial bench in Lancashire and York
shire, and. several members of the trades
associations have already been offered
magisterial appointments.
Parliamentary circles are greatly excited
over the attacks on the character Of Glad.
stone, Sir Charles Dixie. colonial secre-
tary, and the marquis Of Harrington, sec
Rotary of war, made in letters sent to the
Paris NouneHe Rerue by Count Paul
Vasali, Advance sheets of the letters
have been supplied to a number of Eng
lish papers and the counts letters give a
number of scandals against the three gen.
tlemen named. Some Of these scandals
arc old. but many of them are new. 1t
will perhaps be news TO most American
readers that Gladstone IS vulnerable TO
gossip, especially to gossip concerning
women But Count Yasali refers cir
substantially to the premier as hay
ing been engaged in a not very cred
liable intrigue with Il loving
woman described as Laura B."
who is known to many, and who is de.
scribed in the counts letter as a woman
who had contracted some very respectable
debts in Paris society, the only thing
about her" says Vasali, which can be
called respectable. The count, in that
part Of his literature in which he asso-
ciates the name Of the British premier
with that of laura B., declares ''the
beauty named had a person send her por-
trait to the old %admircr, and Mrs. Glad
stone, who jealously watches over the
whims and fancies of her husband, sent
the portrait back" Concerning the
same subject, Count Paul Vasali says
among other things: Il cannot tell you
| whether the relations Of the grand old
man with Mrs Langtry have ever really
stepped beyond The bounds Of a certain
sentimentalism, but | can tell you thai he
has not ceased to pay his court to women.
He has a passion for billet dour, and
even from his seat in parliament he
sends notes to one Of his beautiful assist
ants, often handed to discreet messenger
under the eyes Of Mr. Gladstone, ar,
suppressed Commenting upon the ru
mons about Gladstone's alleged relation
with Madame Novidof, the editor Of the
NoureHe Reruc, which is publishing
Count Vasali's letters, declares as a frienC
of this lady that the reports arc false. Hi
adds, however, that he n affirm tina
n woman of such intelligence as that pos
sessed by Nine. Novidoff is not fattereC
by sentiments with which she inspire
Gladstone, but he denies she has ever no