NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE first debate of the reassembled Parliament was on Mr. Disraeli's proposed Bill for exposing and punishing corrupt practices. The Bill, which passed through a select committee last session, proposed to refer all bribery petitions to the Queen's Bench, which, after taking the recoguisances, was to send down one of the Assize Judges to hold an inquiry (without a jury) on the spot. Since the autumn session in November the Ministry had, however, consulted the Judges, and those eminent persons appear to have broken out into open revolt against the proposal. Mr. Disraeli described his mortification, and reported the objec- tions of the Judges in a way which was elaborately deferential to them, but by no means calculated to impress the House with his own respect for their objections. Even Lord Cranborne pleaded their case very feebly. He said that, as all judges have in their turn been eminent politicians, they would hardly trust their own fair- ness, and would certainly be open to all sorts of savage assaults from outside ; and that some of the mud cast at them would stick, and impair their judicial repute in other eases. But Mr. Glad- stone's reply that even the present election committees, though constituted of active politicians without any judicial prestige, are seldom or never attacked for partiality, was perfect. The leaders on both sides seem determined that if the House gives up its privi- lege it shall only be to the highest tribunals, and we hope they will take measures to overcome the sudden attack of modesty which afflicts the Bench.
