New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-28

rordon July 27.-The two subjects when nave
euod cvervbody's thoughts this week are the
pora1 wedding and the debate on the Royal grants.
Neither is of vital importance, but together they
save engrossed the general attention L leave
,bc Royal wedding entirely to other hands. Inc
ssnes raised in connection with tins proposal
~ fresb supplies for the Royal family have be-
come crave. They involve relations between Mr.
Gladstone and the Liberal party. They have
brought to a head long-festering mutiny IN the
ranks They have brought all sorts OF secret
cabals into the light of day. Perhaps the whole
future Of English Liberalism is imperilled Mr..
Gladstone has made a great effort TO avert the
disaster: but has made it probably in vain MOI
since his closing speech in the debate on tho
Second reading of the rejected Home Rule bill III
1856 has Mr. Gladstone equalled his performance
Of Thursday night. He showed US what he can
still do when he tries, ana "h'"
he is moved "I have observed, ho
said yesterday morning to friend, " that man
always speaks at his best when he speaks againsO
ais party. l do not see why should not 40 'Ile
same thing 1t is startling to hear Mr' Ui"u-
stone talk thus cooly of being against his party
or his party against him. But it is true; nopouy
knew how true till Thursday afternoon nc
smoke to an almost unbrOIen accompaniment oi
Tory cheers: his own party sat silent or hedrIy
silent 1t was unworthy of them; II was not goou
politics or good sense or good feeling' lhey
Justify their attitude the ground that the oPpo-
sition front bench is divided on this question: oi
ROYAL grants No doubt il is divided. Mr. Johh
Morley has broken away from the ponucal leauer
who has made him what he Is In ponticS. oir
William Harcourt is straddhng the fence, wmch
threatens to break beneath his weight There are
others whose Difference to popular prejudice and
tboi, Iowa ltv N r
Gladstone But while Mr.. Gladstone lives be is the
Opposition. There is none other. The strength
of Liberalism lies in his lons, not elsewhere; and
if Liberal politicians understood their position
they would follow him on this as on other ques-
tons But they are in full revolt against him.
hope that they liked their new leader on
Thursday night. Mr.. Labouchere is their new
leader. and melancholy indeed the spectacle
of his leadership IIe has wrought long and
played his game low down for this opportunity.
No matter by what arts he procured it, the oppOr
tunity was such as comes but seldom in lifetime.
IT, was a great night in the House of Commons.
Public expectation WAS high the question, one
on which every section of the English people
feels strongly The House thronged on the
foor and in the galleries, where peers, Am
basSadors the American MInister--who ought TO
be an Ambassador, but is not-snd other dis
hnguished outsiders looked down upon the scene.
There was everything to stimulate man 10 do
bis best everything TO lend splehdOr 10 triumph,
and everything to enhance the bitterness OF the
failure which Mr. Labouchere actually achieved
He spoke for nearly an hour and half. The
House listened at inst in eager expectation; then
attention relaxed: then during the body of the
speech arose that dreaded hum of general talk
which half browns the voice of a speaker who
boId .bp IIo 1ah
fused and dull IT, said distinguished Liberal,
Mr. Labouchere does not understand that he
is here 10 amuse us, he had better go
away" His effort to be serious was
fatal to him. All his ingenuity, his undoubted
abilities his mastery of business, his reputation
for ShrewdnesS, went for nothing in the presence
of an emergency which demanded really great
powers. lie became amusing for few minutes at
the end. but he sat down under the CONSCIOUSNESS
that he had thrown away his chance. His labored
euogy on the Queen and his labOred profession
Of loyalty 70 Mr.. Gladstone rang equally hollow.
Each sounded like a last desperate attempt
TO redeem a hopeless position. His piece Of
good fortune was in being followed by Mr.. Storey,
of Sunderland, man who has Mr.. Labouchere's
ambition minus his capacity professional Rad
ical. an eX-SchoomaSter, retailing " a weary
House an interminable string of cOpybOol maxims,
the whole speech empty and pretentious. He
stood between the House and Mr. Gladstone, whom
the House was impatient to hear Members bore
with Mr.. Storey. in the vain hope that he would
repay their tolerance by sitting down; but he
would not. On he prosed, till a full hour had
passed regardless of official pulls at his coat-tai
perhaps not knowing that they were official
When he sat down no cheer broke the silence
which proclaimed his collapse
Mr. Gladstone rose and the atmoSnhera oh
with his first half-dozen sentences Mr. Smith
had opened the debate with speech which, if not
brilliant, was businesslike, sensible, and in the
right tone. With those who followed the debate
had gone down into vulgarity. Mr.. Gladstone
hited 1t TO level which no other man now in the
House ever reaches; nor he always. He was in
his best form, his voice good. his diction finished
lie had reverted 10 his grand manner He spoke
Tor nifty minutes. There was period in the mid
die where interest was hardly sustained but ID
rose again at the end and no sentence ever pro-
nounced IN the House more impressed the House
than that with which he concluded II was a
speech OF perfect dignity and of beauty. unmarried
by single flaw. Hardly once was he cheered
py his own party. IL is the first time that Mr.
Gladstone has spoken 10 the music of Tory an
plause.
The Tories, the next night, found tbemselTes
cheering another orator from whom Of late they
have withheld their voices Lord Randolnb
Churchill. His speech and Mr. Gladstones we,e
the two speeches of the debate Each in his own
way delighted the House. " 1t is Djsraeb o,or
again" said an old member, OF Lord Randolnb
No doubt there is similarity of style. but Lord
Randolph is too individual to initiate anvboav
lie spoke with humor, and with good bumor--
perhaps the most effectual way of dealing with
opponents in the House. He invited Mr. Rrad
laugh not TO lecture the Tory party so much. Hc
sent shaft after shaft of ridicule through Mr.
Storey, Mr.. Picton and others of their kind. He
defined Mr.. LAbouchere as Cheap Jack Repub.
Gcan, remark which defines about all the re.
publicanism there is in this country. But the
substance of his speech WAS srgumentative.
weighty fully informed; defence Of the Gov
fnr or fhnn r.n....l..-