• Notwithstanding its release from the splendid incubus of the
Imperial presence, Parliament has this week rendered its proceed- ings inferior in interest to other matters ; the debates of the Com- mons in particuhr being marked by inattention almost to listless- ness. The Budget is left to Members who take an interest in such subjects. Mr. Goulburn has had his say upon the absurdity of pledging future Parliaments to redeem 1,000,000/. per annum out of the new debt. For he remembered how Parliament had once pledged itself to a 5,000,000/. redemption ; how it reduced that amount in three years to 3,000,6001., and then to nothing. Ter- minable annuities and open loans have also been discussed, with more of presumptive argument, however, than substantial fact ; and the Budget appears. at present to be passing its regular stages with the usual knocks against the banks of the Parlia- mentary strait, but without encountering any real interruption to stop it or alter it.
The Newspaper-Stamp Bill is also in the condition of " reporting progress." Members have had opportunities of ventilating stand- ing questions, such as Mr. Heywood's pair of motions on Religions Tests and the Marriage Law ; the first negatived, the second post- poned. Even Sir Richard Bethell's bill for establishing a new and efficient Testamentary Jurisdiction Court under the Court of Chancery has been adjourned for a fortnight; the lawyers of the Commons open-mouthed against it To set aside and to postpone, indeed, appear to have been the principal business of "the People's House" daring the week. On Tuesday there was a count-out,—a convenient way of prevent- ing Captain &obeli from moving for a Select Committee into the government of the Navy, with its promotion, patronage, and ne- cessities of reform ; and Sir Erskine Perry from moving for a Select Committee to inquire into improvements that might render the Indian Army more useful for assisting us in our European war. These are great and immediate subjects ; but Government would rather be left to manage its own Navy ; and the present House of Commons, destitute of public spirit, will laugh, ad- journ, count out, or do anything rather than grapple with the grave business of the day.
'Questions have been raised upon the actual state of things in Vienna, ;ilia Ministers in both Houses have replied with consider- able frankness; but events move so rapidly at present, that the MillittPlial explanations are always at least a day behind ths tale-
graph. It is not, perhaps, so serious an inconvenience, since the House of Commons is daily proving itself to be at least a geneita- tion behind the public.
