The Chinese labour debate in the Lords was opened on
Friday week by Lord Coleridge, who condemned the Ordinthice, and reached its most interesting stage on Monday evening. The Bishop of Hereford made a strong attack on-- Lord Milner, and brought up Lord Goschen, who 'warmly defended his former secretary, declaring that he did not know a more public-spirited and philanthropic-minded man. Lord Milner, he added, was far too strong a man to be under the thumb of a*- body. Lord Selborne spoke at length in defence of the Ordinance, but the most interesting feature of the debate was a long speech from the Archbishop of Canterbury. All his own pre- possessions were against the measure, and if he were living" in the Transvaal he would probably be in the minority opposed to it ; but he was confronted with the fact that " other men as high-minded and as public-spirited as we can be, and' who have the overwhelming advantage of detailed local knowledge, take a different view, and believe the good will preponderate over the ill." He could not find that the proposal violated any fundamental principle of right or wrong, and on that account, while he could not vote for it, fell back on the position of leaving the responsibility with those into wliOse hands the country had entrusted it. This seems to us---L-we say it with deep regret—a weaker and less decided' position than the nation has a right to expect from the Archbishop of Canterbury. By all means let every credit be given to other men's sincerity, but surely his admirable fairness and modera- tion of mind should not have prevented the Archbishop from following what is clearly his own strong instinct in the matter. Lord Lansdowne concluded the debate, eulogising the impartial and judicious tone of the Archbishop's spee4h, and the Motion was rejected on a division by 97 votes to-25:.
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