NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THIS Easter will be memorable for three events, illustrating the progress of the country in politics, commerce, and art : it gives to the Upper House of Parliament its new abode in the splendid Palace at Westminster ; to the London public a second Italian Opera ; and to the commerce of the nation the new port in the Mersey, the great Docks at Birkenhead. In other respects, Easter happens this year to be dull. The -season is one at which affairs are always localized ; but this year, -the nature of affairs is such that they lose their interest as soon as they cease to be metropolitan and imperial. The great subject of debate in Parliament, Ireland, is not one for parish discussion. There are no party contests to carry down into the country and continue in guerilla skirmishes at public meetings. The only to- pic that is a gage for contest is the Education scheme ; but even that quarrel fails to excite real interest, for more than one reason. There is no real combat—there is no defence. The measure itself is not hazarded in the lists : such as it is, it is done. It does not wait for leave. The agitation against it is mechanically got up, -and is confined to a section of the people, numerous and in- fluential, but not a majority not occupying i a high position in- tellectually or socially. The post of leader n the agitation has so little in it to attract ambition, that no rival has appeared to contest its possession with Mr. Edward Baines junior ; and even his literary standing has not been raised by his remarkable at- tempt to make out that there is no want of education among the people. The agitators have invaded Scotland, and made a demon- stration in Edinburgh. Dr. Chalmers proved to be beyond their thigh-water-mark: he knows better. This subject is the only one that has engaged any general discussion. Of course there have been vestry meetings, and other purely local movements ; but =ere parish business cuts no figure in the newspapers. Nor do the festivities of the time display any novelty. The English are not inventive in holyday affairs, and their amuse- ments are haunted by the daimon of sameness : they cannot get out of the beaten track. The enormous concourse of visiters to Greenwich is due not solely to the natural attractions of the place, but also to the sequaciousness of the English and their lack of invention. Their idea of festive liberty- is the licence which they take to go to some entertainment that at any other -time would be deemed " low " ; or they pour by thousands into exhibitions which are open every week in the year. The great enjoyment of a strictly personal kind is eating and drinking—one which is not much under the ban of censorious vigilance in this country.
