10 MAY 1884, Page 1

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

THE Government have sacrificed Monday to Sir M. Hicks- Beach for his vote of censure, which is drawn in these terms':—" This House regrets to find that the course pursued by the Government has not tended to promote the success of the mission of General Gordon, and that even such steps as may be necessary for his personal safety are still delayed." If the debate is not over on Monday night—which is, of course, impro- bable—the Tuesday morning sitting is to be given up, and the discussion continuing for twelve more hours, the division will be taken early on Wednesday morning. The motion is cleverly worded to avoid the Egyptian question, and to attract all the support to be derived from the admiration for General Gordon ; and it is supposed that the division will be close. That, how- ever, depends upon the verdict of the electors, who now act upon their representatives much more rapidly and decisively than was formerly the case. They have, we suspect, made up their minds that as General Gordon is personally safe, his anger at the absence of support in his plans of defeating the Mandi and conquering the Soudan is unreasonable, and that the Government shall not be overthrown. The Irish vote will, of course, greatly raise or depress the figure of the majority ; but morally it will not count.