Year: 1877

ing matter. In the event of q foreign wal


there would not be many troops to spare


for the suppression of insurrection in Ire
land.


In what spirit the working classes and


the class below them, would approach a
| great DatiOnal danger 10 at the best q


doubtfnl problem. We must remem5er


that their most popular guides of the


present day laugh at patriotism and "Brit-
| ish interests." Moreover, they have been
| told, and doubtless believe it, that they
have long been oppressed for the benefit Of
| the rich, They have been taught to regard
| the "rulipg classes" as their mplacable foes.
Large Landed estates, and even email once,


have been acquired at their expense.
themselvee, but now they can. They are
conscious Of their power, and begin to on-
derstand how to use it. When the great
trial comes, they will use it for their own
interests, without much regard for "Brit-
ish interests" The spirit which mani
tested itself in the Commune is not pecu
liar to France. There are thousands upon
thousands of men in thie vast metropolis
who could not be stirred to enthusiasm
over anything except the sight of the red
lag and the cry that there was q city to
be sacked. 1t will take a small army to
keep London in order the next time Eng
land is at war, and the pinch of distress
ocSiuS 10 Uc Iclt uy poOPio. b6u8
gogues, high and low, have not been at
their work in vain.


This does not give cheerful picture of
Eogland, but, 80 far as it goes, it is strict
ly the truth. I must cay that look upon
it all with sorrow, and would fsin tell you
a very different story. But facts are facts.
and here they are too piain not to be
seen, except by those observera who, hav-
ing "made up their minds" ," never conde-
acend to look around them afterwards.
They will not see anything which might
disarrange the harmony of their conclu-
sions. There are not many men and very
few journals, which would do otherwise
than sneer at any attempt, to point out
the dangers before England as the mere
croakings of an alarmist. In the United
States the position is likely to be studied
with less prejudiced eyes.


The difficulty to which l have referred
with regard to carrying on business in the
House of Commons is now very strongly
felt on all sides. The Irish "obstructives"
declare that no alteration of the rules Of
the House will prevent them accomplish
ing their object, and from what have
seen of "filibustering" elsewhere should
think they were right. Mr. Bigger or Mr..
Parnell, to cay nothing of their new ally,
Mr.. O'DonnelI, could very easily speak by
the hour together, and thus delay impor-
tant votes and put an end to practical bus
iness. The Spectator to day, suggests that
the Speaker should be permitted to "give
a member who, in his Judgment, was in
tentionally stopping business, into custody,
and insist that the Sergeant at Arms' fees,
amounting, we believe, to $500 should be
paid before he was released" But it is
easy to imagine occasions when it would
be very uuwise to entrust such q power as
this to the Speaker, and even if 1t were
discreetly and justly used its exercise
would always excite great discomfort and
ill will ir The constituency which the ar
rested member happened to represent.
Probably much could be done as things
now stand by more prompt and adroit
use of the forms of the House on the part
of the Speaker, but at present our Irish
friends have it all their own way. The
general tone and character of the House
are very much lower than they used to be
and this deterioration is sufficiently shown
in the debates, which, as ageneral rule, are
DO longer worth reading. The new ETY. lie
of members may be ae good ss the old, but
they do not make speeches which any body
cal es to hear or read and it is striking
proof of the Indifference of the public to
Parliamentary debates nowadays that the
paper of the largest circulation, the Daily
Telegraph reports them only in the most
condensed form. The proprietors know
what the public want, or we must assume
that they would not sell over 24O, 900 copies
of 0heir paper day-and this is the actual
circulation of the Telegraph. L J.J