THE NEW PARLIAMENT.

Press, Volume XIV, Issue 1881, 26 April 1869, Page 3

THE NEW PARLIAMENT.

[From the "Spectator."]

The first Householder Parliament wae opened on Tuesday, the 16fch February, in a speech read by the Lord Chancellor, which is analysed in another column, and of which we need only say, in printer's parlance, that a very good advertisement is very badly " displayed." The Queen was unable to attend in person, and consequently Parliament is going to attend on . the Queen, presenting the Address in person, an unusual though not absolutely unprecedented proceeding when the Speech has not also been personally delivered. There was quite a little debate on Thursday about this ceremonial, and Mr Disraeli seemed half inclined to oppose, but finally supported, " because it is so important and so desirable that some personal relations should be established between Her Majesty and the new Parliament that has been elected." What a genius that man has for the high comedy of life ! . The debate was not lively in either House, but the. speeches'of the mover and seoonder had more of form and weight in them than is usual with those very difficult and colorless performances. Lord Carysfort got a godd deal of respect for his ehort speech by confessing that for ten years he had been silent in the House of Commons (as Lord Proby), so he spoke like a man who had been ten years silent, and did not lightly utter vain words. Lord Monck, as ex-Governor-GTeneral of Canada, had a special experience of disestablishment to relate, and a epecial conviction to announce, —that he agrees with Mr Miall as to the deadly shade of. "State patronage and control." Lord Cairns bad either not much to say, or did not wish just yet to say it. He ventured to hope (or fear?) that the Government did not go bo far as .the mover and seconder in their views on the Irieh Church. He quizzed the English of the penultimate sentence of the gracious speech. He would have liked a measure on primary education. He rejoiced to have that very old friend, the Bankruptcy Bill, back again. He did not see what good the Conference had done. And he offered Lord Granville a " frank and willing co-operation in promoting and expediting the public business." Lord Granville had still less to say. He appealed to his friends for their support in resuming the post of leader of the House. He politely attributed such qualities to his leading foe, that it would be at any time possible for that foe almost to annihilate himself (Lord Granville), if he pleased, and he deprecated the unsparing use of such qualities. That was polite, but Lord Granville ia not really afraid.

In the Lower House, young Mr Cowper —evidently very young—epoke with a certain patrician ease and mastery of manner that the House of Commons evidently liked. Mr Mundella, who has four times his political knowledge and experience, had much less selfconfidence, and kept his first promise to the House, not to waste its time unnecessarily, very strictly. Mr Disraeli was quite lamb-like. Except he thought that a Queen's speech should promise a Soyal Commission, if it promieed inquiry at all, and that he did not

wish to inquire as to the best mom? of protecting electors from violence and undue influence, till the working of the new Act had been tried at another election, he had ecarcelj anj thing to say. He complacently referred to the " in. teresting detail " —the list of unseated and not unseated members, —which they had just lifj-.-d, buf he did not use a single phrase that caught the ear, and in manner he was tame. Mr Gladstone was, as usual, ener* getio in manner ; but as he had only to answer criticism, and criticism there had scarcely been any, hie energy had the effect of abstract energy,—emphasis on words you could not remember.

The programme of Government work is sufficiently large. Mr Gladstone gave notice that on Monday, the let of March, he would move that the House go into committee on the Acts relating to the Irish Church, Maynootb, and on the first Eesolution of last session. Mr W. E. Forster gave notice of the Bill for better regulating endowed schools, which he introduced on Thursday. The Attorney-Gene-ral gave notice of a measure for amending the Law of Bankruptcy, and that he would call the attention of the House to the shorthand-writer's notes on the election cases of Norwich and Bewdley—with reference, we suppose, to a Commission of Inquiry. Mr Ayrton gave notice that next Monday the Prime Minister would propose an alteration in the law affecting official pensions. On Thursday Mr Goschen gave notice that on the 25th inst. (Thursday next) he would move for leave to bring m a Bill amending the law respecting the rates assessed on occupiers holding for short terms. On "Wednesday he gave notice of a Bill equalising the assessment of metropolitan property. And on Wednesday Mr Bruce (the Home Secretary) gave notice that next Monday he would move for leave to bring in a Bill "for the more effectual prevention of crime." That is a pretty stiff programme. The privato members are not slow to add their quota to the work of legislation. Besides notices of motion for inquiry, the SolicitorGeneral asks leave on the 23rd instant to reintroduce his Bill abolishing University Lista, —which will be a quasi-Government Bill,— Lord R. Montagu promises a cattle-plague Bill, Mr P. A. Taylor a Bill for paying members, Mr Carnegie a Bill to abolish the Scotch right of hypothec, i.e., the right of the landlord to be paid rent in full before any other creditor gete anything, Sir W. Laweon the Permissive Bill, Mr McEvoy a Bill to Abolish the Ecclesiastical Titles' Act, Mr Locke King a Bill to assimilate Realty with Personalty. The most important of them all is Sir J. D. Coleridge's and Mr Locke King's, on both of which there will probably be sharp debates, as there will also be on Mr McCullagh Torrens' motion (March. 10), to suspend the operation of the Act for building asjlums for the sick poor, poor, until inquiry can be made into the ability of the ratepayers to bear such burdens.