NEWS OF THE WEEK
THE Parliamentary sky grows clearer. Last week, many Tories and some Liberals believed that the Government would be wrecked on the Closure, and the Times declared on Saturday that it would offer to the measure an "uncompromis- ing opposition." This week, however, it has become known that the vote would be regarded by the Cabinet as one of confidence, the constituencies have awoke to the situation, and weak-kneed Members have been drowned in letters, reso- lutions, and remonstrances from their constituents. It is believed, therefore, that the defections will be very few, or perhaps confined to Mr. Cowen, who would vote against a proposition in Euclid, if he knew that Mr. Gladstone accepted it; and the Parnellites, who fear that under the New Rule their single source of Parliamentary strength would dis- appear. Without Obstruction, they are only bores. The Government reckon, therefore, on a majority ; and the Con- servatives and their Parnellite allies are so dejected, that com- promises. are talked of, the favourite one being a stipulation that when the rule is put in force, there must be 200 Members in the House. The difficulty of that would be that all Conserva- tives and Parnellites might at once walk out, leaving some Mr. Biggar or Lord R. Churchill to talk against time. It is pos- sible that the Cabinet, which has thoroughly studied the Rules, will refuse any compromise whatever.
