THE WESTMINSTER REVIEW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8928, 17 December 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE WESTMINSTER REVIEW.

The November issue of the Westminster is filled with artioles of interest to anyone | desiring to keep himself abreast of the more i solid thinking of the day. The first article, on " Lord Hartington," is done with strong ' colours, and amounts to » denunciation of j that statesman. We make some quota* < tious:— . ' *' We are trying more or less to deal 1 with the Irish land question: that iB a J matter for the Irish people, and should ' be dealt with in their own Parlia- 1 ment, because our' Parliament of land- 1 lords oannot appreciate its crucial importance and legislate upon It. Lord Hartington ought to have seen, as Mr. Gladstone did, that it is a great agrarian social revolution, brought about by causes which the nation did not produce, and which, as in other countries, must be faced by the wisest men. We have had advice from thinkers like J. S. Mill, as Germany had from Stein, and the French from leaders in their great Revolution. Lord tiartington has not attempted to climb the first round of this great ladder, and, unfortunately, the education which these linen receive rarely qualifies them for the tremendous responsibilities of their future position. They are ' rocked and daudled' into legislators, not trained, and they seem to think their social rank entitles them to pre-eminence. We see the contrast in the career of John orloy as compared with the noble lord, tie is a statesman, trained, cultured; and hence, after having studied the great ques* tion, is able to say that he Btands upon a rook, whilst the ground under Lord Har» tington is slipping from his feet, and he descends into the grave of Toryism." " There is now no retreat for him except into the Tory ranks. The defection of the Whigs has been inevitable for the last fifty years, and now that the separation has come, the Radicals will hail it as strengthening the Liberal party. They will now be able to devote themselves to the promotion of measures long delayed— mostly by the obstructive action of the Whigs. Tne settlement of the Irish question will be the first plank in the Liberal platform, and wo shall be able to take up those twenty or more great sobjects of legislation, the advocates of which have been clamouring in vain tor the definite attention of Parliament. "The Liberals are not likely to follow Mr. Chamberlain or Lord tiartuigton. The first tiling to be done is to efface the ' stain of blood' from Ireland; the next, for the Liberal party to put before the country one issue, namely, conciliation and justice to Ireland. When . Lord Hartington accepts this, he may again be welcomed into our ranks, but not until then." "The Frenchwoman of the Century" is a very striking article, founded on a book by M. Uctave Uzmne. It deals with the women of France, and especially of Paris, commencing with the extraordinary exhibitions made by some of the sex in the concluding scenes of the Revolution, When the Reign of Terror came to an end, there was an outburst of frantio gaiety, and an abandonment over society that would be quite incredible if we were not compelled to believe by many witnesses. M. Uzanne says ; — "The woman of the Directory seems to have materialised her spirit: and animalised her heart; no more scented and delicate gallantries, but in every meeting direct exchanges of proposals. All the tactics of ] love consist in provoking desire and satisfying it as quickly as possible." We quote a brief passage from the article • "The beautiful Mme. Hamelin, whose acquaintance we have already made m one of tho queens of society, ranking with Mesdames de Stael, Tallien, and Bonaparte, and whom we have seen in 'good society' at the ; Hotel Loogueville, is determined not to be ! outdone ; and so, one fine afternoon, she i creates & sensation in the Champs Elyßees by defending from her carriage, clad only in a sheath of transparent gauze—nothing i elseand, with a young companion similarly ; attired, promenading unabashed amongst - the crowd of less daring fashionables. Bat I the hootings of the mob soon drove her back to her carriage again, proving that i even in Paris* under the Directory there i were limits beyond which immodesty could not go with impunity. One of the most piquant of M. Albert Lynch's little water i colours represents three roguish nymphes i taking their afternoon promenade in the i public gardens, decollette to the waist, boldly Bcorning the thin hypocrisy of tran- ; sparent gauze. But it appears they were i not encouraged by the reception they met ■ with to repeat the experiment."

An article on "The Progress of the Musses" shows how the people of England have emerged from a condition of slavery.

The writer concludes with the declaration, which in the artiole he abundantly proves, that «' the condition of the labouring classes is now immensely superior to its condition at any time for nearly three hundred years." The artiole on "The Don Giovanni Centenary" gives the history of the legend of the opera, whose centenary is now being celebrated in Germany. " Don Giovanni" is the masterpiece of Mozart, and one of the glories 'and triumphs of the art of mu«ic. The other articles are :— The Land Question in America," " Kalph Waldo Emerson," "The Poverty of India," " The Union of Ireland with Great Britain," "Contemporary Literature," and " Home AS*.is."