NEWS OF THE WEEK.
As the shooting-season approaches, debating in Parliament gives place to actual law-manufacturing ; and whereas, no long time back, one measure or even one clause would be debated for many nights successively, now many clauses and many measures are "disposed of" in one night, with very little discussion at all.
Not indeed that all honest gentlemen are content to be silenced. Mr. HUME, for example, is of opinion that secular education is im- possible in England unless it be separated from religious education. A number of persons agree with Mr. HUME ; but, unfortunately, he bath scarcely the style captivating enough to inveigle Members into a fresh education-debate on the listless eve of the shooting-season ; and some cunning person, bent on dining quietly without the ghost of a division haunting his conscience, caused the House to be counted.
In accordance with the prevailing temper, the House quite re- formed its ways about the Irish Arms Bill, and pitchforked the clauses over merrily, so that the bill was actually reported on Thursday ; and progress was made with the Irish Poor-law Amend- ment Bill on the same evening.
With a few exceptions, the remaining weeks of legislation will probably be devoted to this kind of employment. The Morning Chronicle naively remarks, that "the close of the session naturally induces a disposition to work much and say little." The meaning of which is, that as Parliament have expended nearly all the six months in talk of small practical bearing, all sorts of proceed- ings — routine business, continuance bills, short bills with no party-provoking sounds in their titles—are huddled over as fast as possible, (which is called working much,) that Members may not do penance for misapplied time by staying in town when their hearts are in the Highlands. Should any very pregnant mischief lurk among these undiscussed things, why Ministers and "the lateness of the session" are to blame. For it is a received doctrine on the Opposition side, that if that party spend tens of nights in repeating the same thing over and over again 'until newspaper re- porters know whole sets of arguments by rote, Ministers are to blame for not preventing it in some occult way ; and on the other hand, it is a doctrine with all Ministers, that whatever they pro- pose ought not to be "obstructed" by over-much deliberation. It is now the practice to devote all the earlier and larger part of the time to party contests, on motions pro forma, intended often for no direct result; and then to bring in practical measures after the talk is over, withdrawing them again because "the lateness of the ses- sion" does not allow sufficient time for considering them. Lord PoirrmAN's bill to amend the law of landlord and tenant is an in- stance. It comprised provision for securing to the tenant the value of his improvements,—a subject of great interest just now, and espedally with a reference to Ireland : it was introduced on Friday, and withdrawn on Tuesday ; because the Great Council of the Nation lacks "time" for matters of this sort.
