At the Institute of Civil Engineers this day week, there
was a slight passage of arms between the Duke of Fife, who responded to the toast of the House of Lords, and Mr. John Morley, who replied for that of the House of Commons. The Duke said that engineers, as he knew, tested our institutions by practical results, "and not by the theoretical fancies of dreamy philosophers or impetuous politicians." So tested, the House of Lords had proved as excellent a second Chamber as any other in Europe, for it knew "how to interpret and give expression to the clearly defined wishes" of the people of this Kingdom. Mr. Morley said that at such a banquet as that he was willing to forget the spirit of debate, otherwise he and the Duke of Fife might have had some argument. But he was not prepared at the present moment to lavish pure eulogy on the House of Commons. No doubt, engineers knew more exactly what they could do with their materials, wood and stone and steel, than the House of Commons knew what they could do with the passions and prejudices and interests of great bodies of men; but he did not think the engineers had handled their simpler materials with more beneficent results than those which the House of Commons had managed to elicit from their handling of materials less accurately under- stood. Still, he could not say he was absolutely satisfied with the attitude of the Commons at the present moment. He thought they exhibited a decidedly morbid curiosity about lead. pencils and minutiae of that kind. And he could not deny that the ten- dency which the House exhibited, in common with all other European Parliaments, to break up parties into smaller groups, threatened great difficulties to the statesmen of the future. At the same time, there was a very high standard of ability in the young men of both parties in the present House of Commons, and he was sure that, difficult as it would be for Governments to rest on delicate combinations of independent groups, the statesmen of the future would find a sound practical solution for that problem.
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