Year: 1869

The Irish Cnurch QuesthOn-COnHlCt BctWeen
the Lords and the Commons Comments Of
the Press and Public Feeling.


LONDON, June Z, 1869.


The announced predetermnation Of the majority
OF the House OF Lords reject the Irish Church bill
has caused intense excitement and threatens to pre-
bipitae eventually inevitable conflict between the
Lords and the Commons. 1t is rumored in some
quarters that the announcement was only made to
feel the public pulse and to ascertain how far the
House Of Lords dare go. 1t is the general i'm
preston that the bill will be thrown out on the
second reading.


The Standard tory admits that the peril OF the
proposed action is obvious be ignored by
the least thoughtful Conscientious OF the heredi-
1ary legislators but that the Lords have resolved
In compliance with the urgent demands from tens and
hundreds OF thousands every part Of the country,
TO risk all in contest with the imperious Minister
and an overbearlng majority in the Commons.
Should they be crushed In the struggle, not only
will the Church and the constitution fall with them,
but the liberties Of England will be sacrificed to the
hscendancy Of that democratic principle which Is
the most dangerous foe personal political freedom.
1t matters not whether those who approved regret
the decision to give battle. There is nothing left
FOR them to do but take their places In
fhe ranks and fight for all they hold dearest, with
fhe full certainty that everything is at stake. Let
She whole Protestant conservative power Of the
realm be exerted to give the House OF Lords such
support by public opinion to restrain the struggle
within the limits OF the constitution and make the
self-willed overbearng Minister, who at heart has
blway5 been an enemy OF the Lords, and likely is
exasperated at his unexpected defeat feel that there
are limits which he dare not transgress. Already
bis organs have threatened that what has transpred
deserves impeachment and 1t Is necessary that he
be made to feel that he dare not execute O threat
which would not only be dealt at the Lords but at
The wealthy and resolute influential classes Of Eng
3and and Ireland, which form actual majority in
The English nation.


( The Morning Post shows that the rejection Of the
bin will not prevent its ultimate passage and dis
Credits the idea that the Lords will refuse q second
feadng.


The Stdr, In threatening language, says that the
erish Church must not cumber the ground after
fDecember ana that least said that subject will
he proclaimed from the house tops. The House OF
Lords Is not a more logical, desirable or excusable
institution than the Irish Church. ana In the fever
heat that Will follow the rejection OF the bill heat
will be generated such has not been since the
people of Birmingham threatened to march on London
In the name OF REFORM and cries will be heard calling
for the downfall Of an obsolete Chamber, that no
longer dsguises its anachronism Of existence by
hereditary descent. The Difference to popular will
which the late Duke Of Wellington once said ought
never again to be withheld, with pure blindness,
buzzards the misguided nobemen, who require 10
be further convinced of the opinion OF the country
ut large. II Is not worth while to attempt demon
etration Of that opinion. When the issue comes their
lordships will probably wish they had been wise In
time.


The Neocs states that the vote Of the House Of
Lords can at the worst postpone for only few
months the fate Of the Irish Church. and the Indirect
effect will render It graver TO raise the question.
The position that the House OF Lords holds in the
constitution and relations with the constituencies
OF the House OF Commons and the executive powers
of the Crown self-adjustng, and II o hitch
occurs in the machinery sets itself In order by Its
own action. The House Of Lords stands outside OF
She system, guided by good sense, and fails
only to be brought into harmony with the rest OF the
constitution when the orcibe obtruson put upon 1t
by number OF It's members, is suflcient to overbear
the opinion OF the original body. biased jury
has to be packed TO Judge whether the second Cham.
ber In doing It's work these conditions can be
permanent on the part Of the government. The
Lords seem bent upon forcing public notice on the
position OF the Peers and threaten revival OF the
pretensions long since abandoned by 1t, OF the old
baronIal attitude OF its natural days. when the Com
mons were only allowed the humble supplications
OF petitions ana did not In reality govern the
country.


The Telegraph In a moderate timid article con-
cludes that the voice OF the country has spoken
nistakably and finally, and II forced TO speak again
its accents would be resolve no longer to utter
free indignation or to preserve moderation, mood
which to the last II would earnestly maintain.


The Times says that on the eve OF the coming
crisis nothing since the throes which preceded the
passage OF the Reform bill can be compared TO the
consequences which win attend the threatened
conduct OF the PEERS and the result Of the struggle
Ia at all doubtful. II the Lords succeeded at rst
they would be compelled TO undergo q second ten.
der OF the measure already rejected. The frst r O.
suits OF this action will touch all interests, and
jeopardze not only themselves and their privileges
but also the peace Of the great towns and the main.
tenance OF law ana order throughout the country.
Above oil, they will do their best TO provoke On out
burst Of passionate violence In an unhappy country
che vast majority OF whose Inhabitants they propose
20 outrage by contemptuous disregard OF their
wishes. AS to the majority Of the opposition,
the Times draws the conclusion that the mem.
bers have resolved TO intrench themselves In
their own opinions and rely on their fan.
cied power In disdain Of tho consequences
70 themselves The nation would bs rudcly
awakened from the dcusion, and II cannot DO doubt
ful which party will succeed In the contest the Peers
themselves or the nation. The only question will
not be whether the power which the Lords think
they possess shall not be proved 10 be nonexistent
but whether the power they exercise will not be
20 irreparaby broken as to vanish out OF existence.


Outside OF the comments Of the public press the
people generally talk in very revolutionary strain.
The probability Ia that the Lords viii be alarmed
into the passage Of the b but the mere fact Of the
announcement Of their inclination to use their power
TO defeat It evidently excites general discussion ad
verse to the continuation Of hereditary legislation.
Lord Derby's Decision ON the Irish Church


Bill-1IeetinG Of tho Conscrvatives-Mr.


(aIadstone's Proposed Determination In


Case of Rejection.


LONDON, June !, 1900.