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1 PARLIAMENTARY JOTTINGS.

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PARLIAMENTARY JOTTINGS. THE holiday week for Whitsuntide, and the beautiful weather, combined with the commercial panic, have led our minds entirely from politics, and instead of persons asking about the new Reform Bill, the Church Rates Abolition Bill, or the Customs and Revenue Bill, the inquiry has been, what new companies are likely to go next, or what banks are likely to weather the storm. In the lobby of the House of Commons, during the past week, members were asking their friends whether they had anything to do with Overend and Gurney, and were sympathised with, or con- gratulated, according to their loss or escape. A barrister, who occupies a high position in the House of Commons, said he bad been hit for nearly £ 5,000. Oh," said another member, it must quite have upset you." Why, no," replied the learned and witty gentleman; I only lost my balance." The commercial panic, indeed, seemed for several days to occupy the attention of members more than the business of the House, I and the conversation in the lobbies and smoking- rooms was confined to this subject. A very strong party spirit is, however, getting up in the House of Commons, which, I think, will shortly be exhibited in no ordinary manner. There is a determined tone in the speeches of the leading members on the Opposition benches which seems to say "beware:" then there is Mr. Lowe, who gets up on all occasions when he fancies he can injure the Government, and the people's representatives," as they are termed, watch with a jealous eye the concessions that the Chancellor of the Exchequer from time to time makes to the Tories; they do not believe very much in the Re- distribution of Seats Bill, and they fear that the county franchise will be raised from the sum first proposed to a higher one. At the same time, the Members for boroughs where there are Government dockyards, object, of course, to the clause which dis- franchises the Government employes. Altogether, Mr. Gladstone has much to contend with in the progress of his Reform Bill, and he displays occa- SIonally a little irritability, which his friends regret. He visibly winces under the attacks of 7\r" Disraeli or Mr. Lo<ve, and audibly talks to his friends sitting on either side of him on the Treasury Bench as to the injustice of such and Buch an accusation, and you will occasionally hear the remark, That's decidedly untrue," No such such an accusation, and you will occasionally hear the remark, That's decidedly untrue," No such thing," &c. There is no doubt that the Chancellor of the Exchequer works excessively hard; that he Uses every means in his power to arrive at a proper conclusion, and that he honestly prepares every report to the best of his ability before he submits it to the House; and he therefore does think it hard when rebukes come for omissions which have all been con- sidered, or of being prompted by a party spirit, which has never entered his brain. He misses Lord Palmerston, who always took things coolly and managed to keep his colleagues cool also. The late Premier would hear rebuke after rebuke heaped upon his head, and would appear in a som- nolent condition, perfectly beyond hearing of the hard hits of the speaker. He had always one eye open, however, if the other was shut, and when the proper time came could hit an hon. member as hard as he had received. I remember upon one occasion Lord Palmerston, with his hat slouched over his face and his chin resting upon his breast, Was supposed, by a speaker to be fast asleep, and in the course of his speech said, "If the noble lord at the head of the Government were in a position i to hear me," &c.; his lordship immediately took off j his hat and looked full in the member's face, who, unabashed, went on to denounce some act of indiscretion on the part of the Government. If 11 remember right, the speech resolved itself into a question as to whether her Majesty's Ministers j had sanctioned the fitting out of a man-of-war for, the Southern States. As soon as the hon. member sat down, Lord Palrnerston rose and said, I have listened to the long speech of my hon. friend, and I can simply answer him with the monosyllable No." Now this is just what Mr. Gladstone should do; he is bothered with this question and the other, the business of the House is retarded by little matters which are really of no consequence, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with a desire of doing his duty, enters minutely into the ques- tion, and makes a speech of half an hour on a matter which Lord Palmerston would have disposed j of with a monosyllable. Of course, every member of the House of Com- ..1 mons may be denominated the people's repre- sentative," but it has become the usage to apply this only to a few, and these are Mr. White and Mr. Fawcett, the members for Brighton; Mr. Hughes, M.P. for Lambeth; Mr. Stewart Mill, Westminster; Mr. Bright, Birmingham; Mr. Torrens, Finsbury; and Mr. Crawford, London. The blind member, Mr. Fawcett, is led into the house by an attendant, who cannot advance be- yond the bar, and having put the hon. member's hand on the rail of the cress benches, he retires, and Mr. Fawcett feels his way into the outside seat of the first bench below the gangway. Mr. White, a stout and noble-looking gentleman, generally manages to take the first seat on this front bench, the gangway alone separating him .r)m the Ministerial bench. Me. Bright takes Whit C 8eat on the next bench» behind Mr. behind* .,Mr- Mills has the one immediately seat on Si ,Brigh^ and Mt'- Crawford, the first benchimm bench* Mr' HuShes 8ita the positions are ^eh.ind tJ?f Ministers. These the Speaker's ey^ wf} 8*fate4 to catch members are in attend "lg ni8ht,these fully what is done, ami "Vj6' w most care- moment to rise in def £ w It people's rights and wliat the? the The rumour was general i'QO+. „ 0. „ Pee! the Mid^e given to this rumour when, o^TCsdayTvlnW the righthon. baronet was seen ia close ve?8a tion with Mr. Lowe, evidently prompting him ^in the speech made against the ™™ of Tenant Right im Mr. Chichester Fortescue, who superseded Sir Robert Peel in the office of Secretary for Ireland, had charge of the bill, and it was thought rather ungracious for tbe late secretary to oppose anything which may leSsen agrarian complaints. and make the small farmers and peasantryof the country more independent of their landlords and more satisfied with their condi- tion. So thought Mr. Mill, who, upon this occa- sion, gave one of his carefuliy prepared Parlia- mentary essays, in which he placed in oral form a certain number of pages of his political economy, and here and there he gave some touches of epigram, which were exceedingly well received. There was an amount of good, sound reasoning in this speech that one seldom hears in Parliament, and it was delivered with great self-possession and power. Mr. Mill is rapidly improving as a speaker, and his observations are listened to with great attention. It is beginning to be acknowledged by all parties that this political economist is a great acquisition to the House. After Mr. Mill had spoken, the debate languished very consider- ably. Mr. Pim, the member for Dublin, one of the Liberals who voted against the Reform Bill- who has, doubtless, the cheers yet ringing in his ears which greeted him when he announced that intention expected the indulgence of the House whilst he delivered a very incoherent speech upon agricultural matters generally, and landlords and tenants in particular. He was deaf to the cry of Divide, divide," And the ironical "hear, iaeare," and kept the House for an hour without disclosing the real purport of his speech. During the greater part of this debate the Opposition benches were quite empty, but about twelve o'clock the Tories marciied in, one after another, as if they mea.nt mischief. The Attorney-General for Ireland had made an effective speech in favour of the bill, although his strong Irish accent considerably lessens his oratorical powers. The Irish Solicitor-General was taking notes preparatory to speaking, and a number of English members as well as* Irish ones rose at every opportunity to show they were dis- posed to take part in the debate. It was now near twelve o'clock, and Mr. Gladstone rose to move the adjournment of the debate, as it was im- possible for it to terminate that evening. The Opposition raised the cry of Go on, go on," and divided the House on the motion for adjourn- ment, which the Government carried by a very narrow majority. Then Mr. Hubbard wanted to adjourn his motion on the Marine Insurance Duties, and Mr. Gladstone wished him to go on with it, as he desired to press on his Budget busi- ness, which admitted of little delay. The House now got into a sort of merry excitement, and the Tories took this opportunity of worrying the Ministerial leader, who would not give way, and another division was ta,ken, which again gave a small majority to Ministers. But it was not to end here; the adjournment of the debate having failed, the Opposition tried the adjournment of the House, when Mr. Gladstone appealed to Mr. Disraeli, as the leader of his party, to allow the motion of Mr. Hubbard to proceed for the sake of public convenience, knowing that much had to be done during the session, and this motion fixed for a future day would seriously retard Government measures. Mr. Disraeli rose, but not to support Mr. Gladstone—quite the reverse. He availed himself of the opportunity to review the recent conduct of the Government in hurrying on busi- ness in a manner which gave little opportunity for members on that side of the House to express their opinions. The Chancellor of the Exchequer had to succumb under this determined opposition, and a day was fixed for Mr. Hubbard to bring on his motion. On Friday, the last day of sitting before the Whitsuntide vacation, there was very little busi- ness done. A few members only made their ap- pearance, although the list of standing orders was very long. A number of questions having been put and answered, General Duane rose to ask ex- planations concerning various Irish records which were deposited in England. Mr. Childers replied, and during this time there were only twelve mem- bers present. Then Mr. Cochrane rose to move for a Rwyal Commission to inquire into the opera- tion of the Board of Works and the local manage- ment of the metropolis, and during his speech an hon. member quietly suggested to the Speaker that there were not forty members present, where- upon the House was counted out shortly after nine o'clock. On the paper that evening was a motion for inquiring into the Fenian movement, which was to be introduced by Mr. Whalley, his object being to show that this fanatical society was sup- ported by the Roman Catholic priesthood. The member for Peterborough was down stairs taking his dinner, and when he came up and found the House adjourned he looked perfectly horrified, and, to the amusement of those present, suggested that it was a conspiracy against him. So ended the Parliamentary labours up to Whitsuntide. Some sharp fights may be anticipated next week, and it is said that there will be an endeavour on the part of the Tories to oppose the Reform BiU in every stage, so as to postpone it, if possible, until next Session.

CHARGE AGAINST A OdTTLE PLAGUE…

THE BOMBARDMENT OF VALPARAISO.

THE LATEST FASHION.

FRANCE.

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

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