| Show DULL OF parliament yet one of the most productive of legislative results irish local government bill was the great feature and its passage without acrimonious debate shows the marked change in sentiment in both england and ireland kew york aug 6 the london correspondent 0 the tribune writing under late ol 01 july says the dullest essaion of parliament which england has known for a generation is drawing to a cloae with the irish local government Rovern ment advanced in the lords to the committee stage and with the beneficed benefi cee criminal case evidences and other measures as practical dative industry stagnant politics ha not impeded idleness on the part ot the law makers more useful work has been dene during this than in any single year of conservative government during the queena meigu the arieh local government bill is a large progressive gres sive measure following the main lines of similar legislation for england and scotland with modifications required for reconciling the land owners to tenant rule the passage ot so complex a echeme for the transfer of local administration in ireland from abo old time governing class to the masses is a remarkable achievement tor the unionist ministry and the remainder of abe legislation of the session is of unusual variety and importance it ha been a busy and fruitful session but it has been in the language ot the smoking room ot the commons deadly dull politics the Bt anomaly has been abe facility with which an irish bill r great importance has been enacted without a struggle and hardly a single angry or debate in after the storm and stress of agitation obstruction and passion over irish legislation tor a generation there baa been a great calm when violent have become listless and amicable and nobody bae deemed to mind what was going on there has been no systematic opposition to the measure in either house the liberals have been listless spec the nationalist groups have shown good temper and refrained from their usual harr aasine and abe unionists have voted with languid in diBe rence and cynical amusement in the lords there is a disposition to be respecting minor details and londonderry abe duke of aber corn and lord morris have bad recourse to gloomy respect ine impending car and misgovernment but the measure will be accepted with possibly one or two trivial amendments it is the arst which baa been passed in 30 years without in either house or contentious debate of any seriousness parties factions and classes to have ex perien ced a benignant change of heart on irish questions the marcelous mar relous ebil tine of temper in the 0 ireland and england is to be attributed mainly to the touch which mr gladstone supplied by the closing labors of his life by his chivalrous championship of irish ideas he created an atmosphere for the redress of grievances erie vances and white he tailed to carry home rule he forced bis opponents to bring in a large measure 0 local based on democratic principles he softened the asperities asperi ties of irish judgment respecting england and prompted a growth of good feeling feel between hostile races disastrous bis home role policy proved for the liberal party it was triumphant as a practical expedient for effecting a reconciliation between ireland and england lawlessness outrage and political crime have in the island obstruction is no longer the nationalist weapon at westminster and there is a free field for broad and progressive measures durine so dull a politic reputations havo remained unchanged mr gerald balfour baa shown a capacity for intelligently the details of a complex measure and is perhaps held in higher estimation than was at the opening of the year mr arthur balfour has had little need to exert himself in leading the bouso mr chamberlain has been a silent figure i during the session and has been less constant in his attendance than be usually is no new men have come lr ward on the goven nent bide the security of a ministry which Is supported by a majority of in a full aliouse has tended to paralyze debate has been a lack of hurnon and of lively by play in the proceedings everybody in the commons has teemed to be hopelessly borei and certainly there has been a marked decline in public interest in debates even reports of debate illustrated with cartoons have failed to interest the public on the liberal bide there have been no signs of either leadership or enthusiasm sir william has no opportunity for bis successful campaign against the education bill of two years aeo lie cassed temporary tempo iary excitement by plunging into no popery crusade over tho bill but ho was compelled to draw out immediately in deference to the warnings received from timorous bembera of bis party lie bas led bis side with attly dignity and has ando no mistakes but there has not been any for the display ot hie tactful power or loader chip he been censured tor inefficient finally forced from motives of belf respect to withdraw from public life i the sir amm inte iW te only leader of the opposition in eight and while bis bitterest enemies cannot justly condemn him for any error of judgment hie warmest admirers cannot claim for him any high degree of sue cees in harmonizing harmo the conflict from the sentiments of his party while the liberals have been increasing their poll in bye elections the fane 1 eions of the opposition of a well organized and carefully disciplined body have well nigh ceased neither lord Kose bory nor sir william harcourt could form in an emergency a government which would command liberal support it ar executive power radicals would be certain to blacklist lord rosebery Bo sebery as a whig and a peer who could not be depended on to interest himself in democratic mea eurea aike parliaments the abolition of hereditary legislators a ea laried commons old ace pensions state purchase of railways and other large measures of state socialism sir william harcourt on the other hand would find few of his former cabinet associates eacer to join a ministry mini atry headed by himself mr john morley would be loyal to him but nearly all the other members of the front opposition branches would prefer lord Koe ebery there are so many signs ol 01 dissatisfaction and demoralization on the liberal aide that it ia not possible po seible that any leader can unite the party there are conferences at the reform club with which the restoration of lord rosebery to the leadership is vaguely proposed and there are alluring solicitation from the national liberal club smoking rooms to sir william harcourt to proclaim himself a radical and lead a genuine democratic but until the two rivals who are not supposed to be on terms can be together and introduced reintroduced re party diplomacy will be a tinkling cymbal until there is a leader armed with fall authority for directing all political of the opposition the principal occupations of the liberals will be ng in groups and hard swearing at one another |
