New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-25
cDY CABLE TO THE TRiBuyg.p

Jondon Feb PA lamentable fiasco" Is tne
Radical description Of what was meant to be .
great marty attack or tn, House of Lords IN
the House of Con mons Tuesday. 1t was
"distressing business" a "ghastly failure, .
"Iudicrous scene" You may have some uih-
Guilty In understanding that these phrases arc
levelled at Mr.. Gladstone, but they are ana
others still more extraordinary which VIII
ouote presently. The truth is that the RADICALS.
,ybo arc laving siege to the second chamber. ex-
pected Tuesday to be a field night, and II was
hardly skirmsh. Great preparations had peen
made and not by the Radicals alone. The party
leaders we~o concerned in 1t. Mr. Gladstone
himself We, concerned though it will probably
never be known Just how far he meant to go.
But one thing is certain. he had made up his
mind to move that the Lords amendments 10
the Employers Liability bill be laid aside. The
formula was embodied in the red line notice
issued by Mr. Marjoribanks chief Liberal whip,
10 the whole party whose attendance was most
urgently requested" The red line notice Is
never used save for great occasions, and the
formula quoted IS more than unusual That the
two together signifed battle nobody doubted.
The party mustered in force. The Conserva-
tives, summoned by fve-line WHIP came GOWN
in full strength. But it presently appeared that
for once the Old Parliamentary Hand had made
q parliamentary mistake. He had framed his
motion without consulting precedents or the
Speaker No motion is ever put from the chair
which is found irregular. The Speaker, exam
lining the precedents for three hundred years.
found there none for such motion as Mr.
Gladstone proposed. save where the privileges
Of the House Of Commons were invaded by the
House Of Lords. There in this case no
pretext Of privilege. Mr.. Gladstone then under
- ha
agreed with. but this was out of order, be-
cause that motion had already been made, and
the standing orders of the House forbid the
same motion being made twice.
There remained nothing for Mr.. Gladstone
but to propose th5t the order Of the day
lating to the Employers Liability bill be dis
charged in other words, that the bill be
dropped. This he did. and on this he hoped to
take a division which should wipe out the
memory OF those two unlucky ones Of last week,
when the Government had to content them
selves with majorites OF twenty-five and Of
two. Even this poor consolation was cruelty de-
MED him. The Opposition leader saw his advan-
tage and seized 1t. If" said Mr.. Balfour. the
Government wish to destroy their own bill, why
should we nterfere?" And he declined to divide.
But even had there been division and good
majority, that would not have made the Radicals
bility. or little in comparison with their CAM
paign against the Lords What they wanted
most and first Of all was a fighting speech from
Mr. Gladstone against the hated House He
would not make II. He at least is not governed by
mere passion or blind fury. What line he might
have taken had 1t been possible 10 put his orig
inal motion is. as said known to himself only.
but he is not the man to make strong speech
on a weak motion. or to sound the trumpet for
a charge when he knows that he must draw off
his forces.
The conjecture is that his speech would have
been on similar lines TO his Edinburgh speech
last September a speech of menace but not Of
open war. That also would have left the Radi-
Gals unhappy. They are bent on war at all costs
and all risks. There is no hope they think. for
the New Radicalism till the Lords are out OF
the way. In the savageness of their mortilca-
ton and chagrin they turn on Mr.. Gladstone.
His speech" says THE Chronicle" mot only
did not invite a conflict; it scrupulously avoided
it, II was in sense worthy Of the occasion.
Its arguments were jejune and mainly irrelevant
to the larger moral and industrial issues. AS to
the effect on the Premier's party, it is enough to
| say that II chilled them To the bone" His
| speech continues this outspoken journal, was
"conciliatory to the Lords to the point Of SUBJ
servience" More than that, it was distressing
and disheartenng in the last degree to the party
which depends upon his leadership
There Is a whole column OF this unmannerly
| invective. Growing boder as 1t proceeds, this
/ organ of the New Radicalism almost summons
! Mr.. Gladstone 10 ,esgh The time has come
! to ask Mr.. Gladstone plainly what he intends to
| do" Processing respect and even tenderness. for
! the aged statesman. ii continues: I'VE are In
for a great struggle. and if the army does not
! nd ha cd IN
treat or to fight or to throw up his post. it is
simply going to predestined disaster" And
again Are we TO have the country ringing with
| denunciation of the Lords. and 10 have few
words of whispering humbleness from the Prime
Minister" And still again IF Mr.. Gladstone
feels that age and infirmites press too heavily
upon him for the leadership Of an uncompro-
missing crusade. 1t is for him to say so. We
think he is bound to say so. and 10 let us know
how the situation rests" Finally after admit
ting that 1t is a great thing to have so illus
trious name. "even to conjure and to play
with" 1t declares II to be a better thing TO
reckon up the chances of the future and to look
even the misfortune of Mr. Gladstone's with
drawal steadily in the face
Nor can it be pleaded that these declarations
are but the expression Of an impatience follow
! ing hard upon a bitter disappointment and forth
with repented or. They are not repented or !
hear that on the same or the next day a solemn
| council was held in the office of THE Chroni-
cle" and it solemnly resolved To continue
as they had begun. The abolition Of the House
of Lords Is their settled purpose, and through
Mr. Gladstone over Mr. Gladstone 1t Is to be
carried out 1t is for him to choose They an
nounced 1t yesterday in these terms: Lead us II
you can That would be best But II not, let
us go on" If he refuses he Will silently ana
humbly submit to see his political life brought
to an inglorious close" which seems incred'-
ble" for 1t would reduce his party to laugh
ing stock" and "all for want of one clear call
| from him"
| Such is the considered opinion and declared
policy Of a journal which is by far the ablest
and most powerful OF those London papers which
call themselves Liberal or Gladstonian. or Rad