NEWS OF THE WEEK.
3o far as indications of a first night can be trusted, Government appears to have a clear stage and no disfavour ; the Opposition attempting no more than criticism, and that only in a slight and to some extent careless fashion. The Queen's Speech was more than usually unpretending in manner and substantial in matter ; formally announcing as it did to the reassembled Par- liament those great events of the recess which are already fareiar to our readers, and the contemplated measures of the Rasta, few but important. The criticisms with which the Opposition testified to its own political existence for the ensuing session turned upon the announcements of the Speech,—the commercial treaty with France, the Congress and the Italian question, and the Reform Bill. And the day sitting on Wednesday worded the usual continuance for such members as had not had the opportunity on the first evening.
A proof that the course of the Opposition had not been well studied was supplied by the somewhat serious mistakes of the leaders. Mr. Disraeli, for instance, made a dead set at the close alliance with France which has superseded the proposal of a Con- gress, resting his complaint upon well known electric telegrams, which had also given the alarm to the Times and to the Austrian Government ; a triumvirate of authorities in support of ex- ploded telegrams which almost makes the apocryphal piece of his- tory look like truth ! Lord Derby complained that there was no information respecting the Congress, and attacked the treaty on its merits. Mr. Seymour Fitzgerald, going a step further, some-. what severely criticized the details of the treaty. Lord Nor- manby attacked the French affiance and the support of Sardinia by the Western Powers, affirming ;bat the real opinions of the Italian people are not in favour of displacing the Dukes. In the Upper House, the leader of the Opposition made way for the pre- cedence of Lord Grey, who more especially animadverted on the joint expedition for the coercion of the Chinese, and proposed an amendment on the Address, to censure Ministers for not having betimes informed Parliament of the expedition.
Of course none of these positions occasioned Ministers much trouble. Lord Grey's complaint was met by the Duke of New- castle, who showed precedents in which the Executive had pro- seeded to warlike measures without simultaneously informing Parliament ; and simply added that when the Chinese expedition
'was ordered, Parliament was not sitting. " It might have been summoned," Lord Grey would perhaps have answered ; but in that event, undoubtedly, the most crushing answer would have oeme from both Houses of Parliament, whose Members would certainly have visited with a chorus of denunciation any such punctilious interruption of their autumn amusements.
Criticism of the treaty Mr. Gladstone answered by referring to the treaty itself, which was not yet before the Members, with the remark that Mr. Seymour Fitzgerald had laboured under a disadvantage in not having the text before him when he was delivering his criticism. But here, it seems to us, Mr. Gladstone was wrong. Mr. Fitzgerald is a very intelligent man, with a genuine regard for the public interest, and quite able to un- derstand the ease on its own merits. But if he had had the
treaty before him, with the full explanation, be would probably have been prevented from recording that censure, which now
does some kind of duty as a party manifestation. So that the absence of the treaty was for the time at least an advantage rather than otherwise.
As to the sitting of Congress, the statement in the Royal Speech, and Lord Palmerston's more explicit statement, are precisely in accordance with what we have from time to time reported. The proposal for a Congress has not yet been abandoned, but if any important Governments choose to remain absent, they will necessarily leave the other Powers to determine what shall be their own relations to Italy. As to the separate affiance with France, Lord Palmerston directly stated that there is no such thing ; the telegrams on which Mr. Disraeli relied being simply fictions. But on this point Mr. Gladstone made the most forcible reply. Even if it had been true, there is nothing to alarm England or Europe in an alliance between England and France : the differences between the two countries have too often prevented a thorough understanding between them; and, said Mr. Gladstone, there is in history no instance of their being allied except for good.
Thb nett result of the whole of these first debatings was, that the Opposition had nothing substantial or serious to say against the proposed commercial arrangement with France, and there was an absolute unanimity as to the principle of opposing armed ,intervention between the Italians and their Governments.
The list of measures announced for the session is not nume- rous ; but while the Opposition avows that it has no intention of "- factious" or captious resistance, Ministers appear to have ma- tured their plans and prepared their measures in a way that looks like business. The Reform Bill—Mr. Horsman protesting against its delay—stands over to the end of February ; but the practical examinations which have been made, and the ri:- tending assurances of Ministers, imply that it will be a m
worth debating, and likely to pass. The measures arising from the French treaty will come under the review of Parliament. The law reforms belong to a class in which considerable progress has been made of late years ; the necessity of one amongst them having recently been improved by important and difficult eases— Mr. M'Mahon's Bill for establishing a Court of Criminal Appeals.
Various measures have been introduced by official or private Members, without much discussion in the first stages. Amongst the successful motions was one which gave rise to a Ministerial announcement. Sir George Cornewall Lewis carried a resolution that no motion be made for the issue of a writ for Gloucester or Wakefield without seven days' previous notice in the Votes ; and at the same time he announced a bill to amend certain por- tions of the Corrupt Practices Act and the procedure for trial on elections ; Sir Fitzroy Kelly has also introduced his bill for the prevention of bribery.
Mr. Bouverie's motion that the adjournment of Friday should stand as a matter of course until Monday was negatived ; lead- ing Members on all sides of the House,—Mr. Monokton Milner, Mr. Disraeli, Sir George Lewis, and Lord Palmerston,—objecting to the proposal of taking away that right of speaking without notice which used to be exercised on the presentment of peti- tions, and has now been transferred to the order for adjourn- ment. It is quite impossible to suppress the right ; equally impossible to have any better control over it than the common sense of the House.
Mr. Gladstone has introduced, not without some signs of op- position, a much-wanted bill to give depositors in Savings Banks a sufficient State guarantee, and to increase the control over the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the disposition of pertain of the public funds, Savings Bank funds included.
