NEWS OF TT - TE WEEK T HE thanks of both Houses of
Parliament were voted to Sir Robert Napier and the officers and men of the Abyssinian Expedition on Thursday night. The Premier moved the vote in the Commons in a speech which would have been thought eloquent in the Court of Louis Quatorze, in which he spoke of Sir Robert Napier as having "planted the standard of St. George on the mountains of Rasselas," and "led the elephants of Asia, bearing the artillery of Europe, over African passes which might have startled the trapper and appalled the hunter of the Alps." Trappers catch beavers, and beavers live in water, and trappers are consequently not good authorities about mountains ; but never mind. Mr. Disraeli's special point was the diplomatic ability the General bad displayed in managing the native Chiefs without giving inconvenient pledges. His motion was seconded by Mr. Gladstone in a speech of rare gracefulness, in which he cordially acknowledged the merit of the Government, and specially of Sir Stafford Northcote, in the management of the Expedition. The speeches in the Lords were not so good, Lord Malmesbury, who led, being strictly official ; but the Duke of Cambridge pro- nounced a hearty eulogium on the Expedition ; Lord Ellenborough gracefully acknowledged that his anticipations of disaster had been falsified, declared that the campaign had no parallel in his- tory, and enforced as moral the conclusion that we should respect native Indian soldiers ; while the Earl of Derby, claiming much credit for Government as well as for the Army, told the best story which has yet come back from Abyssinia. A soldier had been told that he was marching upon the tableland of Abyssinia; whereupon he rejoined, "The table must have been turned upside down, and we're a marching over the legs." Of course, the votes in both Houses were unanimous, as will also, we hope, be the votes for the grant to the General and allowances to the troops.
