The lock-out was introduced into the House of Commons on
Thursday night by Mr. Hennessy, who ventilated an idea common among the working-men, that the masters' combination was illegal. It was, he suggested, not a combination to reduce wages, but a conspiracy to injure others. Mr. Ilennessy's law, we suspect, is not worth much, as he would have to prove an intention to injure particular persons, which is scarcely proveable, but the feature of the discussion was the attitude of Sir George Grey. The Home Secretary -was in the greatest possible fright lest anybody should say anything, remonstrated against the discussion of the subject, and ardently hoped Mr. Hennessy's very mild speech would not produce mischief. Does Sir G. Grey really hope to keep the con- - ffict between capital and labour out of Parliament-? If he does, he does not see far into the future of this country. The only -effect of all this reticence is to convince the workmen that Parlia- ment cares nothing about them. -What with silence on foreign questions, and caution on colonial questions, and hushes on ques- tions of labour, the principal duty of the House seems to be to hold its tongue with a will.
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