NEWS OF THE WEEK.
PLACID was the meeting of Parliament. Mr. Disraeli and Lord Palmerston met as softly as the mists of Ossian, and glided apart at the termination of the first day with as little collision. The muster at the meeting on Tuesday was unusually numerous, as if Members expected that something would take place. In fact, although it was generally understood that there would be no op- position upon the only question which came before the House of Commons on that day—the election of Speaker—even to the last moment the outsiders were not without an idea that the Minis- terial side would put forward a new candidate. Such was not the case. Mr. Wilson Patten, impersonating the desire of the Ministerial leaders to rise above party, proposed Mr. Evelyn Denison as Speaker. The motion was seconded by Sir Francis Baring, with a very instructive admission that in the earlier days of his Speakership, Mr. Denison had not been quite equal to Lord Eversley ; but that he had studied hard, learnt well, and had at last satisfied the most businesslike man in the House. Se the motion passed, with nothing more but words of compliment on both sides.
Next to the question of the Speakership and the taking of the oaths,—if, indeed, next to anything,—was the question whether the House would be able to attend in its place on Epsom downs on Wednesday—the Derby day. And although the leaders of the two parties could not spare a whole day in expediting the forms, the majority was set free. Perhaps few of our contempo- raries have missed the opportunity of a bland sarcasm at the fidelity of the English to their Isthmian games. But indepen- dently of the fact that no national business, however important, urgent, or even calamitous, has succeeded in taking away men from the circus, the theatre, or any other amusement, this freedom of attendance at Epsom undoubtedly signifies, at the present mo- ment, that Englishmen are thoroughly satisfied as to the regu- larity with which business is conducted by public men. The day for surprises in the absence of a majority, for crooked tricks, or any other " dodges " of that less refined order, has entirely passed away.
The political lights of the week have come principally from the provinces and they have not been uninteresting ; on the con- trary we have almost had revelations. The non-electors of Bir- mingham have been entertaining Mr. Bright in a manner which implied that he is prepared, as well as they, for vigorous and
perseVering efforts to procure the non-electoral body that suffrage to which it has proved its right during the late election by its
order and intelligence in expressing its opinions on political
subjects. While M. Kossuth has been lecturing the public and the Times on the duty of neutrality, we have a word on the Paint from a not leas important quarter. At the annual meeting of the Worcestershire Society in London City, on Saturday last, Ire John Pakington uttered the ominous sentence—" It might be,
ikad probably would be, very difficult, if the war which had un- happily broken out in Europe should belong protracted, for Eng- land to preserve her neutrality." There has been some disposi-
tion to fasten upon this avowal as indicating that Ministers mis- trust their own purpose in that behalf ; on second thoughts, how- ever, the considerate public has been disposed to think that it was only .a slip of the tongue ; and at all events to believe Sit John, when he says that Ministers really mean neutrality. At a commercial meeting among that order of directors to which he now belongs, Mr. Roebuck has been uttering his opinion on things in general, and especially upon the present position of affairs. Some time since he declared his intention of never again praising any man, and it is not perhaps to be expected that his Parliamentary influence should display itself in the way of urgently supporting any Ministry,—all men are so cor- rupt, all Ministries so erroneous, from the high critical point of view ! But Mr. Roebuck defines what is at present the duty of "the people's party" and of the legitimate opposition—it is to op- pose Lord Palmerston ! This seems to be at present Mr. Roe- buck's " mission." Feted before constituents at Leeds, Sir John Ramsden and Mr. Frank Crossley have delivered their opinion on the probabilities of the session; Mr. Crossley holding that there must be a genuine extension of the franchise ; Sir John Ramsden contradicting the rumour that he had been invited to propose an amendment on the address,—a course, indeed, which he would have opposed, since he would not displace the present Government unless prepared to replace it by a stronger.
It has been assumed from incidents like this, and from the latest statistical calculations, that the Leaders of the Opposition intend no direct attack upon the Ministerial position. Whatever may be the event, we do not think that such was the resolve a very few days back ; we fully expect to find an amendment moved on the address, and without some such proceeding in fact the House, and above all the great Liberal party of the country, will not be enabled to make a direct and legitimate reply to the appeal which Ministers made to the country.
