NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE Session is over, though we shall hardly receive the Queen's Speech delivered at the Prorogation before going to press. On Thursday evening the Lords gave in, though Lord Macnaghten's proposal to insist on striking out the Town Park Clause of the Irish Land Bill, was only defeated by 6 votes (74 to 68), and that by the help of the Opposition. When the result was known in the Commons a curious little discussion arose in which Mr. Healy and Mr. Carson heartily agreed with each other as to the legal effect of one of the amendments, which really left things just as they were (though they differed widely as to what the Bill ought to have enacted), and Mr. Balfour rallied the Irish on their love of fighting each other forthe mere love of fighting even when they had nothing to fight about.
He was glad to think," he said, "that in their last debate on this Bill, they were in perfect agreement. The House of 'Commons agreed with the House of Lords ; the gentlemen who sat on that side of the House agreed with the gentlemen who sat on this side of the House; the representatives of the tenants agreed with the representatives of the landlords, and at last a great peace descended on the land." The merit of the great peace must be credited to the Leader of the House and his brother, the very able and laborious Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant; and in spite of all the contempt that has been lavished on the one, and the pity which has been so liberally bestowed upon the other, we believe that as the Session closes the Government is left in stronger possession of the field than it was when the Session opened.
