NEWS OF THE WEEK.
ONCE more—but, alas not yet for the last time—have the sick- ening "Irish questions" been the chief subjects of discussion in the Legislature. Lord MELHojnuss has announced his intention to propose some amendments (for rejection) in the House of Lords on the Limn- Hum Corporation Bill, before that measure is sent down to the Commons. Although strongly disapproving of the bill, and be- lieving that it will prove unsatisfactory in Ireland, magnanimous MELBOURNE declares that he will not abandon it. He will be foster-father to the Tory production, and cherish it to maturity with the warmth of Ministerial patronage. The deduction of "landlord's repairs and insurance" will not materially reduce the ten-pound franchise: a few shillings per annum will cover both items, and the qualification will at the lowest probably be 91. 10s. Ministers might as well have come into that arrangement in the Commons; but the Lower House is now so well accustomed to be trampled upon by the Lords their masters, that the additional hu- miliation of exehaneing the five-pound for the ten-pound
qnalifi- cation will scarcely oe felt.
There is an end to all disguise and "humbug" on the Irish Church topic, even in the House of Commons. On Thursday, the question being the " appropriation " of the Million Loan to the payment of tithe arrears, Ministers and Members spoke out. Lord JOHN RUSSELL declared that he would not maintain an un- equal contest with the Peers any longer : as he could not obtain what he considered the House of Lords ought to grant, be would take whatever they might deign to concede. He knew that the attempt to "settle" the Tithe question would be unsuccessful, and did not pretend that the Irish Catholics ought to be satisfied with the offer now made to them ; but he still thought if his duty to persevere in the abortive experiment. Lord HOWICK, IBM plainly still, avowed his conviction that the Ministerial Tithe Bill, with the million grant, would merely put off the evil day, when the grand question of " Church " or "No Church" in Ire- land must be debated seriously in Parliament. For the ad- journment of this issue, Lord Howicit thought the people of Eng- land and Scotland ought to pay a million sterling; though any single advantage they can derive from the payment Lord Howie K could not point out. He professed to hope that both parties would become more calm and reasonable on the subject; although, with brilliant consistency, he took it for granted that the pressure for the settlement of the Church question would go on increasing, till, in a few years, it became irresistible ; and lie said that there were " causes existent in human nature" which must bring on the " float settlement"—meaning thereby the overthrow of the Establishment. What is to be gained by the 46 adjournment," then? where is the pretence, on even the Minis- terial showing, for giving up the million? Mr. OCoNNELL was taunted by Mr. llamas, Mr. VILLIERS, and h!r.HAatrav,with taking the English money while persevering m agitation to abolish tithes. He was told that such " morality " was indefensible. But Mr. O'CONNELL defended it, on grounds which, doubtless, will be considered sufficient in Ireland. " The Chureli is your Church," he said : " if you will have it, you must pay for it -fae will not." He charged the English nation with the desire of maintaining what Mr. Hawas forcibly described as the" Church of Bayonets,"—though we presume Mr. O'Cors NEL L knows that the people of England are not fairly represented by the two aristocratic factions who make up the majority in the House of Commons. He availed himself of the majority, so composed, to transfer a million into the Irish coffers; and then said, that the loss efts a just punishment for the sin of electing a Tory majo- rity. He did not pretend to act in the capacity of a member of the Imperial Varliament, bound to protect the rights of all classes in the empire; but as an Irishman, justified in grasping all he could seize for his own countrymen. In return, he promises a continu- ance of agitation. There may be a lull, he says, and no more : the injustice will remain, and will produce the same fruits of dis- cord that have been gathered in Ireland for so many years. To do Mr. O'CoNNELL justice, he has at length put aside all mysti- fication and delusion on this subject. His principle of action is avowed— "the good old rule Sufficeth him ; the simple plan,
That they should dutch who have the power"—
Mr. HUME, Mr. WARD, Mr. HARYKY, Mr. GROTE, Mr. WAR- BURTON, Mr. HAWES, and Mr. VILLIERS, stronely protested against the conduct of the Government ; stigmatizing it as dis- creditable, and, in reference to the object professedls aimed at— the pacification of Ireland—even absurd. Mr. Hsavinee speech is said to have been one of his most successful efforts : he rose at the unpropitious hour which Members devote to dinner and noise "at the bar :" but he nevertheless arrested a numerous and most attentive audience.
The only Tofy of any mark who spoke on the subject was Sir ROBERT PEEL. He dwelt on the superiority of his own plan of ap- plying the money over that which Lord JOHN RUSSELL proposed. The difference is, that while Lord JOHN would compel the tithe.. owner to abandon his arrears for a certain proportion of the amount, to be paid by the Government, Sir Roamer would make it op- tional with him to take or reject the sum offered. Lord JOHN'S plan will, in some few instances perhaps, produce hardship; but it has the merit of closing the arrear-account up to a certain period; while Sir ROBERT'S would leave it open. As, however, it is cer- tain that a fresh arrear will accrue almost itnmediately, it matters little which of the plans is finally adopted. Lord JOHN Rua- sata.'s was carried by a vote of 170 to 61; more than half the majority being Tories. The unavowed reason for the eagerness of Ministers to get rid of the Church question on any terms. is to be found in the fact, that5 by their mismanagement of that question, the majority, even in the Commons, was in a fair way to become a minority. The question no longer answers its purpose. As long as they were sure of a respectable majority, the Whigs would doubtless have kept up the Irish Church as the barrier between the Tories and office ; but when it became probable that the Appropriation principle might serve the Tories, as it had served themselves, for a stepping-stone to the Treasury, then they resolved to abatidon it. Something, however, must be done to soothe the Irish Janissaries; so the million ittlirown in. When the Tithe Bill has been passed, the datigerous and diffi- cult question of the Irish Church may, as Lord Howicx says, be adjourned for a time. For this advantage, equivalent to a renewal, as they hope, of their lease of place, the Whigs are ready to sacri- fice every thing that makes the character of public men respect- able. There is not a single pretence put forth for the abandonment of the Appropriation principle now, which would not have been equally or more valid in 1835. There was the same reason then as now for preserving the tithes for future appropriation. They are certainly in no greater danger of being swallowed up by the lawl- lords now than then. On the contrary, Lord STANLEY'S bill has defined their amount in many hundred instances, and fixed the onus of payment on the landlords. Tithes are collected from the tenantry with not greater difficulty in 1838 than in 1835. But in 1835 and 1836. Ministers would not hear of a tithe-bill without "the Appropriation." Why? Because then office was to be bid for against the Tories; and there was no War of their majority falling away. For the rest of the Parliamentary proceedings we refer to subsequent pages. It will be seen that both Houses are getting through the remaining business of the session with the hurry usual in July. One good deed the Commons have perferin Al: the Bishop of London's 66 Vestries in Churches" Bill has been thrown out, by a vote of 78 t 76,—a narrow division, which gave Dr. NicHoLL hopes of carrying the ineaNure next sisetioti bat, now that public attention has been directed to the bill, which it was intended to smuggle through Parliament, there is less chance perhaps of its success.
