The incidents of the week in Parliament show an encroaching
control exercised by both Houses over the Administration, and a progressive increase of weakness in the Ministry. It has sus- tained two defeats, added to a list of reverses now becoming some- what extended ; and it has been so although the week has been curtailed by two days' holiday on account of the review.
The Lord Chancellor moved the second reading of his Church Discipline Bill on Monday. The object of the bill is to improve the tribunals before which clergymen are arraigned on charges connected with doctrine, ritual, or conduct ; but the Lord Chan- cellor explained that he had been compelled to introduce the measure as the needful preliminary to two other bills which he had previously introduced, and which he had been compelled to defer. They are the bills on Testamentary Jurisdiction and on Matrimony and Divorce ; one of which he has this session in- troduced into his own House, and the other, the Wills Bill, has been introduced in the House of Commons as it contains compen- sation-clauses. The Lord Chancellor explained the measure in a tone which did not imply any very strong earnestness or con- fidence. It was understood to be not exactly a Ministe- rial bill, but a bill introduced with the sanction of Ministers. The Archbishop of Canterbury led the opposition to it, as being entirely repugnant to the views and feelings of the clergy. He distinctly assigned its authorship to Mr. Archi- bald John Stephens ; upon whom a direct personal attack was made in a subsequent speech. It is evident from the tone of the debate that the speakers of the several sides had made up their minds to the vote without reference to the discussion ; and it was equally clear that they had not completely mastered the subject, but were dealing with suggestive measures under a vague ne- cessity that " something must be done," without having arrived at any distinct conception of what would be at once serviceable and practicable. The second reading was negatived, by 41 to 33 ; really adding to the number of Ministerial defeats, and to the striking proportion of failures which must be set down to the credit of Lord Chancellor Cranworth in particular, for no public man of his standing has ever been less happy in his legislation.
On the evening when Parliament reassembled, Lord Goderich moved a resolution approving of the conduct of the Civil Service Commissioners in correcting abuses, and recommending as a fur- ther extension of improvement " a trial of the method of open competition as a principle of entrance." The purport of Lord Goderich's speech explained the resolutions to mean, that success in the competition before the official examiners should constitute the warrant for admission to the public service, and that nomi- nation by Ministers should be discontinued. He recommended the plan as inducing well-educated youths to enter the lower grades of the service, and as removing the corrupt influence of patronage from our representative system. Sir George Lewis objected, that open competition is impracticable, in many appoint- ments,—as, for instance, in the appointment of the County Ma- gistracy or of the Judges ; and that it would abolish the respon- sibility in the heads of departments for selecting proper candi- dates. Mr. Gladstone insisted upon making the experiment, with a telling attack upon the delusion that there is at present any responsibility, excepting to Members of Parliament whose votes Ministers are anxious to purchase. Mr. Labouchere showed, that in selecting candidates qualities have to be ascertained which the educational examination does not completely test. The mo- tion, however, was carried, by 108 to 87.
Sir Francis Baring followed with an attack on the system of receipt, issue, and audit of public moneys ; moving for a Select Committee, with an application that in thn:construction of the War department accounts have been improperly withdrawn from the Audit Board. Government let the "motion go by consent ; accepting a suggestion by Mr. Gladstone, that' :a small Commis- sion should be substituted for a Committee: There appears to be no ieason to give anything but credit to the Executive for im- provement in the audits, which have been much simplified, and
expedited beyond all precedent ; but reforms have taken the mis- trust/n[nm which is common, in times of declining Ministerial strength.
Mr. Menekton Milnes made an assault- upon the British Mu- seum, its recent appointment of. Librarian, and general manage- ment, with a vast store of books, and no concentrated cata- logue ready to get at the books. The Speaker, one of the Trustees of the Museum, pleaded good intentions, difficulties, and general success : but the whole discussion reestablished a long- formed conclusion, that these dilettante trusteeships are a very indifferent form of government. The British Museum, like the National Gallery and other public interests, ought to be under the control of the Minister of the Interior. Perhaps we should say, the best plan would be to divide the duties of the Home Se- cretary, giving to one Minister the political and judicial busi- ness, and concentrating in the other the functions divided between the present Minister of Public Works, the Health Office, and the many off-lying departments,—giving us, in fact, a Minis- ter of Public Works of the first and not of secondary or third. rank.
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