In spite of the short extraordinary session before Christmas and
the extraordinary lateness of Easter, the account of progress at this point has seldom been more barren. It is difficult to dis- cover what has been done. Summoned on the financial affairs and the state of Ireland, before Christmas Parliament effected little more than the passing of the new Irish District Coercion Bill. After Christmas, Ministers tried their hand at finance, and Proposed the augmented Income-tax ; but withdrew it in alarm at the burst of indignation which it provoked. The bill to au- thorize diplomatic relations between the Courts of St. James's and St. Peter's passed. Ministers also attained some success in encountering those persons of the extreme " Peace " party who would have reduced our national defences: the defences have been strengthened. Other measures hang fire : the Jewish Dis- abilities Bill, for instance, is still under consideration ; Lord Mor- Peth is still unable to push forward his Sanatory Bill ; Illy. La- bouchere has not made the promised revelat;:m touching the Navigation-laws; Sir William S".."--viile'squestionable Land- lord and Tenant Billie TCeiand has : yet to ascertain its fate; and Lord C.'s"— s unpromising substitute for the much-needed measure to facilitate the sale of encumbered estates still lags in its progress. This barrenness of results is not imputable to protracted debates which have impeded business, as in other sessions : those immense displays of oratory on set occasions have, with a few exceptions, been waived; and Members have attended more diligently to the matter in hand at any one time. The main source of delay—so far as it has been owing to Members, and not to the lathes of Minis- ters themselves—has been the endless repetitions of the identical arguments. The question of "open and advised speaking" is at hand as an instance: Mr. Hume started with a misconception; it was explained away—but to no purpose; the identical misconcep- tion was renewed times without number, and the explanation recited as often. This incapacity to conceive obvious ideas, even on reiteration—this propensity to reopen questions on the identi- cal grounds that have been settled—indicates the prevalence of a very low standard of intellectual vigour in the House.
