NEWS OF THE WEEK.
Mr. Osborne wanted to say something about Hungary, and
Lord Palmerston wanted to say something about his critics; so the two birds were killed with one stone by dint of a debate on Saturday, at which Mr. Osborne and Lord Palmerston met their friends. Having satisfied his great revenge by convicting Lord Brougham of ignorance or malevolence, and retorting Lord Aber- deen's reproach of anility with one of senility, Lord Palmerston repaid Mr. Osborne for the opportunity, by vouchsafing a declara- tion on the subject of Austria : he recognized the separate nation- ality of Hungary, addressed a warning reproof to Austria, but declared against all war for this country. His speech was a neatly-composed and skilfully-balanced compound of political Liberalism, Anglican "spirit," and Free-trade pacifies; and it charmed his audience.
Ireland has occupied attention on a variety of bands. Mr.
Horsman's resume of her actual condition was a useful memento of work still undone this session,—a description, unhappily, too much like what might have been said of Ireland quite at the be- ginning of the session. Mr. Shell illustrated the degree to which a patriot may be lost in the partisan, the independent Irishman in the Whig sinecure placeman : the drift of his speech was, that it is useless to try much for Ireland until Providence shall have redeemed her by a succession of good harvests. In speaking on Mr. Horsman's motion, the Hibernian Cicero had to choose between his country and his colleagues, and he chose to side with his collea. ues.
A fresh but an unsuccessful attempt has been made to obtain
from Ministers a prompt renewal of the Party Processions Act. Sir George Grey said that it would be better to do without that prohibitory act if possible, and at all events till next session ; meetings that create alarm being meanwhile open to legal pro- ceedings at common law. True, but in the actual condition and temper of the Irish people, the wholesale prohibition would have effects not attainable by common law. At common law, minacious meetings can only be dealt with separately, after they have grown formidable : under the wholesale prohibition, the peculiar kind of meeting could be stopped al, initio, and the temptation to riotous bloodshed be avoided. It is not yet too late to pass a bill to renew the Processions Act ; for it seems quite possible that both Houses would suffer it to pass in a single day, if Ministers avowed the necessity.
Mr. Hume and Mr. Henry Baillie have endeavoured to repair the fault of the Select Committee on British Guiana, and to bring forward for the decision of the House the evidence taken by the Committee but ignored in its report. It was too late in the ses- sion there was not time to make the discussion effective, nor spirit remaining in the House to care about that, or any other subject that would require attention.
Load Ashley has made a statement on Ragged Schools, and pro- posed a grant for the emigration of children instructed in such schools, in order to redeem them from an inevitable career of me.. Sir George Grey opposed the motion, because it would not be fair to grant to thieves and the like what is withheld from the uonest poor. The answer fails, because if any are interested in [LATEST EDITION.]
the redemption of the criminal classes it is the honest ; and also because Lord Ashley's young clients, born to a life of crime with- out knowing what crime is, are not responsible creatures. But the Commons were averse to being detained by new subjects ; and, in deference to the feeling of impatience, Lord Ashley withdrew his motion.
A variety of other measures have been huddled in or huddled out in the closing scramble. Mr. Spooner has carried his unwork- able bill " for the protection of women "; and bills have been ad- vanced to give supplemental powers to the Board of Health and Commissioners of Sewers.
