Notwithstanding the paralyzing effect of the inclement season, Parliament has
managed to keep up a degree of animation in word and work somewhat above the average. The Budget of course has been the leading subject, in its sections ; but the continuance of transportation, the inspection of conventual establishments, the honour and disorder of Irish Members, and the irregularities of English boroughs, have also been amongst the subjects occupy- ing the wisdom of the nation.
The Budget makes decided progress in spite of Tory hinderances. The obstructive amendments are not suffered to spoil the measure, and the influence of the Opposition undisguisedly loses strength. Mr. Palmer's amendment, to assess the Income-tax upon land according to the net instead of the gross value, was negatived by 276 to 201; Mr. Vansittart's, to assess the farmer's tax upon a third instead of a moiety of his rent, was negatived by 120 to 60; and notwith- standing the evident desire to throw the question of the extended Legacy-duty over Whitsuntide holydays, Mr. Gladstone was enabled to explain, on Thursday, the actual nature of his plan for extending the duty to the succession of real property. His ex- planation must, from its character—from the pains which he has taken to avoid undue pressure upon encumbered estates, and from the greatly mitigated character of the charge which he is to im- pose upon land—disarm many of those who objected from vague fears. Instead of the magnified rumours about his plan, the coun- try gentlemen have Mr. Gladstone's explanation to ponder during the holydays. The Irish Members have been talking away without mea- sure, about the "corruption" which they started last week : but all their imputations have come to nothing. There was no at- tempt to " bribe " Irish Members ; there was no bargain to remit the Income-tax upon Ireland if they would turn out the Tory Go- vernment ; there was no conference between themselves and " ac- credited-agents " of the present Ministerial party. All that happened was, that two Members of the Irish band met Mr. Hayter casually, and asked his opinion about the; probability of an Income-tax for Ireland : on which Mr. Hayter reminded them of Sir Charles Wood's objections to that impost for Ireland. As Mr. French admits, since the present Government is not a Whig Government, inferences from these past data do not apply. But the key to the whole mystifi- &lien is given when we have the explanation of that archetypal Irish Member Captain Megan; Of whom surely O'Keefe sang pro- phetically. He claims to call a gentleman "an accredited agent? whether he is an accredited agent or not ; for he insists on regarding "any Member in any light that he pleases." Grant that postu- late, and Irish facts are unquestionably become always reconcile- able to truth ; a circumstance which explains how Irish Members can be continually saying the thing which is not and yet be hon- ourable persons. ' They view everything Maganically—in any light they please. For a second time, Sir Robert Inglis recalled the House of Commons from the vortex of this Irish turmoil to business. It is only a matter for wonder that other English Mem- bers can so long endure the nonsensical distractions to which they are subjected. If there are any Slavery-Abolitionist Members amongst them, they should stop these exhibitions, lest the United States point to our House of Commons as an example for avoid- ance in the admission of an nnallied race to a national legisla- ture. " See," they might say, " the result if we admit Negroes to Congress!"
English sins are almost enough for English energy to counter- act : our corrupted boroughs, which sent up spurious Members to Parliament, continue to hinder us every day with petitions against, Election Committees, Committees to mcptire into circumstances, Commissions to inquire into corrupt practices conference- between the two Houses, motions to inquire into general facts, and bills to disfranchise.
The conventual establishments were brought under notice by the bill of Mr. Thomas Chambers, subjecting them to inspection, and to specific provision fqr bringing persons suspiciously de- tained under the prompt operation of the Habeas Corpus Act : a nteasAre Whickthoronghly ne.cerds with the genera/ *ling of the
ptiblice - Perteredy eitougb, Johnltuiáell ehoce take VW opportunity of making a speech as a set-off against his Ecclesias- tical Titles Bill : he had an invincible repugnance to call a bishop by the name of a place in England or Ireland, but he has no ob- jection to run the chance of having man or woman illegally imprisoned in a nunnery if the Roman Catholics wish it. The House of Commons failed, in the proportion of 138 to 115, to per- ceive the common sense of Lord John Russell's view ; and Mr. Chambers brought in his bill. Lord Grey's attempt to make the House of Lords pass a resolu- tion as if transportation ought not to be discontinued, although he has learned to shrink from affirming that untenable position, was equally unsuccessful against the common sense of the Peers. This singular opponent of ford Howick appears to be haunted by some unsatisfied dtemon, in the shape of a convict, to whom he has given a promissory note signed with his blood ; he is restless and uneasy; he labours under a morbid appetite to stand confessedly "in the right"; and as the whole conduct of Colonies, English public, and Parliament, is tacitly leaving him in the wrong, he is exasperated beyond quiescence. Accordingly, he " moves " something: but he is cursed with a degree of intelligence, and he cannot put on paper
the full assertion of his own ineffable desire—he dares not ask Parliament to revive the abominations of the system to which his affections cling ; and so he moves the expression of a hope that Ministers will not abolish the abomination until they shall have found a substitute and explained it. Evidently, poor Lord, he
thinks that impossible. But it is done : Ministers hare a substi- tute, such as the public was prepared to expect, and they will-ex- plain it ; and Lord Derby, who cannot resist the impulse to bat on anything against the Coalition Government, found himself in a palpable minority with his querulous ally.
