The debate in the Lords on the Address lasted three
hours, but was almost devoid of interest. Except the mover and seconder, only Lord Granville and Lord Salis- bury spoke, and both made rather perfunctory speeches. Lord Granville travelled over the whole field presented by the Queen's Message, making various acute remarks, but hardly indicating the line of resistance that his party will follow. As to foreign affairs, he did, not feel so confident of peace as Prince Bismarck ; and as to home affairs, he wanted to know, first of all, if Government seriously expected anything from coercion I presume that you punish not for the sake of revenge, but to deter others from following the same course. Do you imagine that a short imprisonment has a very deterrent effect when the head of a municipality comes out of prison as a triumphant conqueror ; when the priest emerges from his con- finement and is viewed as a saint by his flock ; when Members of Parliament come back to their constituents with a still more certain security of being re-elected ; and when men in an ordinary position are viewed by their fellow-citizens not as criminals but as heroes P" There is much truth in that sarcasm, and we may hope, therefore, to see Lord Granville introducing a Bill to make the punishments under the Crimes Act really deterrent. If he does that, he will be perfectly logical, but hardly, perhaps, so popular as he is now with the Parnellite Party.
