New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-31

81
IN 70 give us for our improvement and
.,".,erment the result OF his meditations else
"s" Ms unon our position" The truth is that tie
I'D Privy :, al had warned his new comrades
49,, ~ they rejected this bill they would live to
' ' their mistake Our living to rue our mis-
.ata" retorted Lord Salisbury. rs a question
', n,ophecy on which one mans opinion is as
"a as another's." And he told the story out
:, "ouentin Durward" in which Louis XI. in
.a,ng evil to Galeotti. his astronomer asks
rim 10 prophesy when ne. the astronomer would
a.. Answered the astronomer: Il cannot tell
,,at with respect directly to myself; can only
,el with reference to another; but l shall die
,,ree DAYS before your Majesty Lord Sails
bury added;
70 the noble Lord insists on my casting the
,aroscope Of this House say 1t will perish few
months before the House Of Commons.
That is a novel or almost novel, suggestion.
lord Salisbury evidently has two things In mind
Ne is quite aware that the authority OF the
House OF Commons has of late been diminishing.
I, Is held in less respect by the country than it
vas II has less authority. 1t is doubtful
xhether even in comparison with the House Of
,oris it has not lost ground There is no sign Of
any great eagerness on the part Of the people of
England TO set 1t up as the supreme arbter Of
the Commonwealth. But more than that, Lord
Salisbury means. think that the existing Sec
ond Chamber Is not likely to be abolished with
ant some form Of civil CONFUSION. whether 1t be
nv force, as Mr.. John Morley recommends or by
.ome stranng of the constitution which will
amount to a revolution. peaceful or otherwise.
And If there be a revolution, man can say
where ii will stop or what II will spare. If one
House goes down may the other.
To he N mi he
most rapidly growing power in this State is not
nolitical mainly but Socialistic 1t is a party
which aims at nothing less than the recOnstruc-
,ion Of society; a much deeper business than re-
modelling form Of government The Radicals
wan; TO upset the House of Lords because 1t will
not pass Radical bills at Radical dictation, nor
until the country has declared its opinion. 1t is
perfectly conceivable that the Socialists. II they
grow strong enough. may wish TO upset the
House OF Commons because 1t will not pass So
cialst bills at Socialist dictation. These new
anostles of a new social order openly express
their contempt for merely political forms and
methods of governments. They have more
reverence for a Legislature than for a throne.
unless IT pc Legislature which VIII do their
Kidding They sometimes talk as II, on the whole.
a Trades Union were more useful than a Par
Nament. or as If London County Council were
the LEGISLATURE Of the hereafter. They want dear
labor and cheap food: laws In the interest OF
class a new heaven and new earth. in short
Is il likely they would let House of Commons
stand between them and the accomplishment OF
,bis interesting programme-which they spell
"program'? The voice Of the people? Did you
ever know a Jacobin who cared twopence for
the voice Of the people? What he cares for is MS
own voice and the government for which he pines
hxya y,1ir ori. no
nority The number Of these gentlemen may not
q, nresent be very large. but they are Increasing
Nor was there ever Jacobn majority in France
or ANYTHING like II. There was a daring. cruel
INSCRIPTIONS minority. and they seized power and
kent II for no small space Of time. Legislatures
went down before them. Why should they not
60 down here?
OF all this there is, OF course. no hint In Lord
Salisbury's speech. The time has not come
when leader Of his authority need concern
himself overmuch about storm signals or
need discuss in public the dark possibilities
of a not very distant future which Is GER
tainiy present to his mind. He does. never
theiess. take a very serious view. and when
. he had bantered Lord Tweedmouth sufficiently.
he spoke with gravity Of his own duty and OF the
duty devolvng the Chamber Of which he Is.
as Lord Rosehery frankly confessed. the real
leader Peer as he is and speaking for the Peers,
YOU may think this passage worth reading:
Surely II does not make any difference in our
duty whether likely to lengthen or 10 aD-
breviate the existence Of this House. The lnsti-
tutions Of this country and the traditions OF cen
turtles have left great power IN our hahds.
Whether Il Is abstractly the best or not IS no
matter or question for us In the exercise or our
duty 10 Judge 1t is our business TO perform
duty that has been placed in our hands. according
10 our conscience 1t is our business 10 resist
dangerous measures which we think have, under
a delusion and with insufficient motives, been
accented by the other House OF Parliament, ana
that duty does not become less when we observe
that II Great Britain had voted alone THIS meas
re would never have come 10 this House.
Well. Lord Salisbury is Tory II you like but
Tory or not he speaks like man with LOFTY
views. with honorable instincts. with large con-
ceptions Of public duty. and with firm resolve
TO do his own duty be the consequences what
they may Such men are never wanting but
they are never too numerous 1t matters, In the
long run but little which party they belong;
all parties are the better for them and for tneir
participation In public life; and the state IS
better. w. W. "'
REPORT ABOUT " ". ASTOFS PLANS