NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THAT which was to have been the chief subject of debate in the House of Commons this week has been thrown over by the con- currence of Lord George Bentinck's two avocations of statistics and horse-racing—his speech on Tuesday about Silk and Timber, and the Derby-day at Epsom on Wednesday. Pushed up into a corner between the close of Tuesday evening and the dawn of Wednesday morning, Mr. Hunie postponed his proposition involv- ing "the four points"—we cannot say the four points of "the People's Charter," since the party advocating it is not unlimited, but the four points of some people's charter—until the 20th June. For this dilatoriness he was rather sharply assailed by Mr. Fear- gus O'Connor, as being guilty of trifling and insincerity; though what right Mr. O'Connor has established in the public view to east the reproach of trifling and insincerity is non-apparent. Mr. Cobden came to the rescue of his colleague ; boasting that he had often encountered Mr. O'Connor's party at public meetings, and had always beaten them. Onthestrength of those past vicneies Mr. Cob- den hurled defiance at the-great Peargus: perhaps aft impolitic bra- vado, since publk rmietinge in favour of the new Reform movement have oftener tbwnnceb.z beaten by the Chartists, and it seems indiscreet to add a new exasperation to the 'hostility of that not quite unsuccessfin party. However: this dissension among the "independent" Liberals was meat and drink to Lord John Rus- sell; who .seized the opportunit: to declare his convid-ridn ihat "the people?' had no wish either- .r "the People's Charter" or for Mr. Hume's plan : the new Reformers, therefore, must get along at least without .Whig sanction. Lord John, who can see as far as the walls of the Commons, has no great apprehension about the new movement ; he does not think it worth even the show of respect. It is true, there is no conclusive evidence to rebut his assertion that the real people are indifferent to the affair; but he will be made to smart for his momentary vaunt: Mr. Hume and his friends may not be "the people," but they are au organized political section, in possession of a large agitating ma- chinery, which, like factory machinery, must be keptgoing' even in dull times ; and they may prove more troublesome to a feeble Premier than Lord John supposes. Nay, the agitation itself may not be quite so contemptible as he supposes ; though he was pro- bably misled by what Mr. Hume let fall in a recent debate on the Borough ElectiOns Bill : the Member for Montrose was asked to join in postponing that measure until his own, as the larger, should be carried; on which he replied, that if the success or his own should be secured, he would waive his vote in favour of the smaller measure, but not otherwise ; a kind of reply indicating no great confidence that his scheme would ever assume a sub- stantial shape. By the postponement of his motion, however' he really secures for it a better place—the first on the Motion-list for the 20th of June; yielded to him by Sir William Molesworth, who had pos- sessed it for his own motion on the Colonies. Sir William had secured that place by a long notice, and in courtesy to Mr. Hume he has exchanged it for the precarious opportunity of a Supply night. • Of course, Ministers will take care either that the oppor- tunity shall occur so late in the evening as to preclude a full dis- cussion or they will only permit it on some understanding that shall disarm its terrors for official consciences. Sir William Molesworth• is blamed in the City for too great easiness in making a practical and ripe question yield to one which has not yet a-sumed practical shape : but it is to be recollected that Sir William is Member for Southwark, and the tenure of his seat perhaps implies some priority of consideration for Radical pro- tects. At all events, the effect is considered tantamount to a throwing overboard of Colonization for the session.
The charges advanced against certain persons engaged in the Sligo election come as a rebuke to the trifling and inefficiency of the Commons. The story is, that a person intrusted with a peti- tion against the return of Mr. Charles Towneley was induced to withdraw it on the payment of 1,500/. through a Parliamentary agent ; the person having previously been promised the support of Mr. Towneley, his brother the Member for Beverley, and Lord Camoys, in obtaining a good post under Government. The nego- tiation failed for technical reasons ; but, unless the new petition which tells the story be a fabrication, a most disgraceful case of dealing in Parliamentary seats and Government places is disclosed. If this kind of system go on, the mere fact of sitting in the House of Commons will imply participation in practices wholly unbe- coming a gentleman. Lord Morpeth has earned much praise for his "good humour" in allowing everybody to maul his Public Health Bill. The statistical display against the relaxation of the Timber and Silk duties, which proximately caused the delay of Mr. Hume's motion, was hardly worth attention : Lord George dragged out a tedious array of figures, which were refuted by Mr. Gladstone. However, it has been the great Protectionist parade of the session.
The Lords have ended the queetion of Jewish Disabilities for the season, by throwing out Lord John Russell's relief bill. The Lords knew that it was safe to do so—that they were provoking no great popular resentment. However, it will be scored on the tally against that " House of Obstructives." As to the Ministry, the defeat is only one among the many small rebuffs which ex- pose their weakness. The result is likely to add the Jews to the new Reform party, and will probably bring handsome subscrip- tions to the fund of the League.
