The Lords made a fearful mess of the amendments on
Friday week. That night was devoted to the great compromise under which the Episcopalians were to retain their manses and glebes, on condition that a house and ten acres were given to every Presby- terian and Catholic clergyman. Unluckily, the compromise, in- stead of being brought forward as one improvement, was divided into two ; one, introduced by Lord Salisbury, which gave the manses and glebes without purchase to the Episcopalians ; and a second, entrusted to the Duke of Cleveland, containing the rest of the plan. The Marquis accordingly obtainei the support of all Tories, of his own party,—they want a name, and the one which most nearly describes them is Old Whigs,—and of many Liberals, and carried his amendment by 213 to 69. But when a little while after the Duke's clause came on, the Old Tories revolted, followed Lord Cairns and Lord Granville,— strangest of yokefellows !—into the lobby, and the Duke was defeated by 146 to 113. So that the total result was to destroy finally the equality which was the vital principle of the Bill, and to inform the Irish Catholics that not even to secure the objects of their own Church will the Peers consent to do justice to them.
