New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-20
lBY CABLE TO THE TRIBUNE.l J
Copyright: 1891; BY The Tribune Anooiation.J

Prime Minister most of all. They attacked NJ.
Casmr Perier in true Radical fashion ac.
count OF letter by the Papal Nuncio to the
French bishops advising. or rather commanding.
them not TO obey the law about submitting
church accounts to the projects. He made an
swer that the Nuncio had no right TO address the
bishops and that the Government had asked and
obtained an apology. That would have satisfied
rational people. But the Radicals thereupon
challenged a vote OF confidence because NJ. Casi-
mir Perer had said he thought 1t his duty to
consult the Pope about the appointment OF
bishops who are d.gnitares both Of Church and
State. They made very violent speecnes, ana
were beaten by 334 to 142.
Such conflicts and such triu.nphs strengthen
the Ministry. NJ Casimir Perier appears to have
learned the fundamental lesson of French poll
tics-namely. that II is useless 10 attempt TO con-
ciliate the extremists They do not understand
compromise. the doctrine of give and take.
They are always ready to take, never TO give.
The Government has csst in its fortunes def
nitelv with the moderates. and to their support IL
must henceforth look. Clericalism is really the
most dangerous Of all questions In France or
clericasm NJ. Casimir Per.er cannot be suspect
ed But on that, as on other questions, ne II
moderate. and It is not moderation in dealing
with the Church which the Radicals will ever for
give.
A fresh attack on the House Of Lords is now
announced 1t ,s the fourth or fifth, or per-
haps the SIXTH since that wicked body last year
threw out Mr.. Gadstone's last revised. recon-
structed disembowelled and re-embowelled Home
Rule bill by majority OF ten 10 one That
audacious act Of independent judgment remains
thus far unavenged. There was 1t Is true, an
instant cry for vengeance, and an appeal to the
! tha 0rd9
try would not rise. Then Society for the Abo-
lItion Of the Lords was organized but believe
the society has since abolished itself. while the
hereditary chamber still lives Then Mr.. Glad
stone went 10 Edinburgh and made speech, but
his speech disappointed his too eager cohorts.
and did no damage TO the Upper House
Then the caucus took the matter in hand.
| Mr. Schnadhorst Issued manifesto. The Liberal
legions were summoned to Portsmouth and went
| Sir William Harcourt went with them. or at the
head OF them and the mighty voice OF that
| mighty warrior heard In the land. announc-
| ing the near doom OF the impenitent legislators
| who had never. like Sir William himself. fonno
salvation on the subject OF Home Rule. The
| echoes Of the voice died away. and 1t was seen
that the walls OF Jericho had not fallen.
Then the House OF Commons. under the august
leadership Of Mr. Labouchere. passed resolution
/
had almost forgotten TO mention 1t. Little
| spurts OF agitation burst out here and there.
| nickered and sputtered and died away The
| Liberal press from time 10 time. like the Ice
! Iandc geysers shot forth volumes or BOILING
! rhetoric and then subsded Finally one cried 70
! their great leader: Send US against the Loros'
or resign Mr.. Gladstone answered with
final Grafton Of reasoned and regretful invectVe
! against the House which had so often resisteo
his tn,perlous will Then he disappeared from
! the scene But the House OF Lords remained.
| To the frequent and shrill and shr1ller cry;
Down with the Lords"' there had come no
| general response from any part OF the country.
| II was seen that the cry was party cry anu
! nothing more II won no votes at oye-eiecuohs.
II stirred no deep feeling 1t dropped and
| instead of an agitation against the house OK
Lords the party managers thought 1t prudent 10
| set on foot a movement for overcoming what II
hecame the fashion to call the veto OF that
| Uouse Even that modified and emascuateo
| movement llmped and halted from the start.
| Lord Rosebery differing sharply from TWO OF
| his leading colleagues Mr. John Morley and MI
| Asquith who for the French convention
| over again. announced himself "a strong second
| chamber man." He Is for mendng, not Tor end
| ing the Lords. He told his followers that this
ouestion can only be dealt with by the backing
| and on the summons and inspiration OF great
popular feeling without that. said the Prime
| Minister ominously. I'VE are in this matter aoso-
u,elv impotent" That was long ago as last
| March His words were taken 10 heart. Ihey
were understood by the public in general as
funeral Grafton. He thought 10 nave laio
abolition quietly on the shelf, side by side with
Home Rule. both neatly tied up and carefully
| iahellei that they might be found when wanted
Meantime matters were not mendng with the
partv either IN the country or in the House Of
| Commons The party wirepuers began TO feel
strongly that something must be done. They
were still convinced, or at least tried to be con-
| yjnced that their best chance lay In crusade
| against the Lords. The militant wing OF their
party was for II. as It had always been. Iney
took counsel together. Finally. on Tuesday OK
| this week. they launched another bomb. Inc
! Central Caucus which calls itself the Natonal
liberal Federation-the same which had held
the Portsmouth meeting-issued second, IL II
be not a third. manifesto. and convoked another
| gathering Of the Liberal clans. this time AZ
| Leeds.
| It is a rather Incorporate and ill-wntten
| document They remark, artlessly enough thas
| ,bev have been considering for some time what
steps can be taken to give definite ana cohcrees
expression to the feeling OF the Liberal party
oro,,s, tha Lords They denounce the House Of
Lords as "a standing menace to everything
which we understand as representative govern
ment" They mean. OF course. not representa-
tive. but elective. It has been generally ad-
mitted. and is admitted still, that on the one
great question of last year the hereditary Lords
and not the elected Commons were the real
representatives OF England. However that may
be, Mr.. Spence Watson and Mr.. Schnadhorst
proclaim the Upper House an obstacle; which.
| from their point Of view. it undoubtedly Is; ana
they assemble this conference to consider. or. az
| they regardless OF grammar express 1t. ITO prao-
ticany consider how this obstacle "can best be
surmounted or removed"
The conference meets on June 2o 1t Will be
| an interesting occasion. No safe indication OF