Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-27

The debate in the House Of Commons ove
the royal grants bill can scarcely fail to have
marked effect upon the next popular election
In England II has absorbed general atten
6on, to the present exclusion Of thu
lrish question and all the other issuei
raised In political controversy there. 1t ha,
the merit of being quite within the understand
ing Of the masses Of the people. who, though
they may have NO grasp Of the intricscies OF
the land question on the other side Of the chan
mel, know what . tax means - soon a. they
hear the word. The discomfort of the sober
middle class, loyal they may be, at the idea OF
adding 10 their already heavy burdens, ID DOW.
erfuliy supplemented by the spirit Of the multi.
tude Of recently enfranchised vorkingmen, who
belong almost universally 10 the radical wing
OF the liberal party. They pay few taxes
directly, but they regard royalty altogether az
an ornamental appendage to the government,
and tolerate it with q contempt which they
make no effort to disguise. Upon these people,
the spectacle now in progress at Westminster
makes an impression which il bound to bear
fruit at the hustings. Some years must still
elapse before the present parliament will ex-
pire by limitation, but such by-elections as that
which occurred in Marylebone the other day,
where the royal grant question figured more
conspicuously than any other, shows very well
the current of popular feeling.
To persons outside Of England who cannot
be affected by the result the debate is chiefly
interesting for the fresh proof it has given of
the magnetic force Mr. Gladstone sxerts even
in his old age. His leadership could have been
put 10 no severer test. few Of the friends
who have resoiutely followed him into the
shadows Of defeat during his vigorous fight for
Ireland forsook him on this new issue, but not
in bitterness. Mr.. Labouchere's spicy wit
could throw derision upon Mr. Smiths statis-
ticsi and sneers at Mr.. Chamberlain's flunky
democracy, but for Mr.. Gladstone's position it
had only words of respectful regret. Mr..
Bradlaugh could deal Balfour blow for blow in
siedse-hammer style, and Sir wilfrid Lawson
could satirize the renegsdes from the liberal
ranks now sitting on tory benches, but neither
had 30 much az an unkind aIlusion for
the ex-premier. A yet more striking feature
OF the case was the steadfastness with
which such men az John Morley, Vernon Har-
court, and Mr.. Parnen and his following al
most bodily stood by Mr.. Gladstone in his con-
servative course. Few of them spoke, but their
silent support was, if possible, even more i'm
pressiye.
As for Mr.. Gladstone himself, his share in the
two days contest was at once dramatic and
touching. In his speech he defended the bill
on the ground that the plea for the grant was
accompanied by . pledge, as solemn a. q royal
decree, that no more such favors should be
asked He did not feel that he had ever failed
in his duty to the people Of England, but he
felt no shame for the fifty years of service he
had given to the ilustrious occupant Of the
throne. No chivalrous Englishman could fail
to be thrilled by the sight Of this aged states
man casting aside all considerations of politics
and private interest to declare once more his
answering allegiance to the Queen he Ia.
served so long and faithfully, and who has not
always shown proper sense of gratitude for
these great labors in her behalf.