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    iTflflitronal police doses onr Bhops , so , "vben busisteoB flags , * giie znenvbeitt , of irrepressible energies , ^ tafce to senaonisintg other menflsera on the inejroediency of being damned . Xast night -and Monday night were secured tyr the watchfid Cbabceftor of Hhe JExcteqaer for the purpose of turnii ^ g ottr xepre--fienitative institutions to account in taxing a people who don't know -what the moneyHU wanted for . But Tuesday , Wednesday , and Thur » day were tnonopoiiaed by gentlemen intent upon the demoAstration that the -Almighty cannot take « are « f Hamself : — fee subjects — religions instruction in Vagrant schools , —the repair xit timrch steeples and parish clerks' small clothes , —the teaching of worlcBy arithmetic to Clustered anns , —« nd the impropriety of

    lettang Jews into the House of Commons to yote against Mr . Disraeli—which Jews , being decent democrats , generally would . And , perhaps , on the whole , though it is to be regretted that the House of Commons &ould he a . synod , the public , perfectly indifferent to everything in this world , except objectless slaughter at the seat of war , has taken more kindly to this species of dehate than , to the aTerage discussions of Xory squires , Whig doctrinaires , and Radical savants . At least when a man is told , as Lancelot told Mr . Ufcsraefi ' s ancestress in Venice— ** Be of good cheer , fiar truiy I think then art dstraned "—he ^ gets excited , and * -as delates get ho * , the individual interest arises to fascinate and fix Attention .

    Who cared , on ^ Thursday , what became of the Oaths Bill ? A strictly Jew BiR would have excited n > attentieB , — -it is ootly ma profound peace timethat « Lionel BothschUd case turns up . And as the Oaths Bin was mis managed into something more—into a ^ relief "bill to the consciences of OathoTic -members << caa we not fancy Hayter , after an Interview with his Irish friends Cully or Hawl , . assisting in drawing up that clause?)—it "became a measure vrhich , giving the fanatics of one side an ^ opportunity- of plausible opposition , ' afOuaed 30 ^ souBter-farmticism iau its : < defeane . These was a full House ( atiirst , and ihen towaxds ^ the . last ) because

    on both sides , there was an ardent whip . But both : ^ Ides -were indifferent as to wliat tnigni'ljfetheTate " <* fltoe division ; for both sides knew the Mil was a mere advertisement of Coalition liberality , and was never intended , certainly never expected , to pass . Yet there was greajfc interest as to individual action . Mr . Disraeli w « s 1 fee hero of { lie night . S-ow would Jte mat wm the question *> f tbe ^ momerit . J 6 tar the last ibur or five years , as the Jew Bill came round , his position as Tory leader appeared to become more and mere untenable ; and the climax tjff his perplexities appeared to have been attained on Thursday , when , the measure being eiflargeel into this .

    Oaths Bill , his difficulty was that he would either have to sink his fealty -to -bis race , or give a comprehensive vote in favour of a bill embodying a . policy positively antagonistic to the Protestant principles of the party who trust him ( and , perhaps , with more affectionate admiration than outsiders ¦ mho are worldly vrould suppose ) as . guide , philosopher , and friend . His predicament , palpable in the very sullenness of his attitude , and the isolation of his seat , on * ThuTsday , —and his very appearance astonished half the members , who thought he would shirk the whole quandary , —excited no doubt , a good deal of quiet laughter , but , on the whol « probably ,

    elicited much generous sympathy ; for the intellectual ( perhaps too * e 3 rclusively intellectunul ) ambition and laborious courage of this wonderful man have made friends for hi in wherever bold spirits are struggling—tliat is through all brare and busy England That evening in the ' "¦ club" departments of th-e House Mr . Disraeli ' s vote was as eagerly-canvassed as " . Dervish * s" condition—members of his own party " being as little in th& secret resolves of their leader as the Government themselves . Sir Frederick Thesiger how is it that a not passionately scrupulous Nisi Prius lawyer , with a strong Hebrew cast of countenance , is so ferocious a Christian . ? ) talked his technical

    trivialities with the tautological intensity of a well-conducted ibrensic fanaticism amid an inattentive Tmzz of conversation ; and when , hours later , the ILouse had refilled , and Lard John was delivering a speech against oaths , « o dull that it might have provoked J £ r . Gladstone to swear , there was the hum of a . thoroughlydisrespectful audience . All eyes were on the collapsed and brooding figure of the weird looking personage who sat as frontispiece to the benches of tlie Anglo-Saxon gentlemen representing tlio compact Conser-vatism of the realised capital of our civilisation : —all tongues were incessantly in the controversy—what on « arth could Mr . Disraeli

    dop HLs rising to speak , aa Lord John , nettled at his own failure , siU down , wits a sensation . There was th « j bustling , resettling into seats , the rush frurn tho outur lobbies , then tho hesitating burst of cheering from tho expectant part }' , and then the profound anil anxious pause , —all of which in the House of Commons indicate the excitement of a crisis of debate . Mr . Disrsieli , sensitive to everything , aware of the interest , cognisant of the vast d-ifflculties of his position , and of the enormous effort he had to make—perfectly aJive to the fact that , in his case , there -was now but a hair ' s breadth , —tiio turn otf a . phrase , the inflection of a sentence , —between the

    sublime tend the ridicttlous—was nervous—tool ; for the sublime audacity of a career every inch of which is calculated , I would say hysterical . Well , that fceing his position , you may judge of his speech by its results : and if It 'be , as seems probable , that he has converted a confusion into a . triumph , abmust be admitted that no language can describe the genius of the man capable of such dexterity . He contrived to do three things : to convince the Tories sfchat he was a . Christian , to persuade the Jews that he was a Jw , and—to throw oat Hie bill ! fiat it

    was difficult work ; repeatedly ibe was toppling £ rom the sublime into the ridiculous—ten times one exclaimed "he * s lost . " One watched his speech wifli some such anxiety as that aroused inthe mind ofthfe spectators -crho watch the sleeping Amms erasing the bridge—or as that felt by the frdends ettk cbwnofehunter when he is dashing by precipices and careermg trver abysses . It was a tight-rape dancing speech . But the performer got through It * and fell into his last pose amid the mad plaudits of the relieved gazers . Xet was it only act- ^ ing ? Perhaps not altogether . The logic of his exposition of Lord John ' s blunder in hampering

    the cause of the Jews with needlessly obnoxious conditions'for Christian acceptance , 4 nd of hi » fussy i feeblenessinfvovofcing ^ ectarianclianour by raddling with oaths which nobody cared about , was perfect , — was fetal to the bill , as encoin *^ ng Liberal-Conservative iraverers , like Mx . Gouttrarn aad Mr ; Muntz . It vntn impoeJuhle to h ^ ar this portion » f Mr . BitraeWs addnta ^ without Admiring the mas - terly grasp of -his jnind , . anil witbont admitting 'Ms great capacity as a mere taeticUiB in pelitiesi . -Bat flow reconcile theTcpeatedd « daJ » tiom of hia belief in T&kB BivhieTp » tectiwn which Messes theJcw # , attd ; curses those rwno « ur 8 e them , —^ declarations offered

    witha solenattity never eeparatedfiram con vidion , with such a solemnity that one-foair ^ taHeun checked with n ^ TC-werenifial : " hush " the chuckling ikughter which the vther half could not resist , —witiijkis protestation that , " as a Christian , ' lie could n « t withhold . the parliamentary fnsBbtiise from "Efeferew citizens . Hls-party , evidently , at first puzzled , and then shocked , were gradually worn over to him as -he went on , and . the * oariag , reverbeJatory cheeis which hallooed him on in Jus contrast feetween the permanent policy of the Papacy and tha wandering whims of an EngI 38 h Ministry , were the cheers of partisans perfectly confiding in iheir leader . Yet those who

    were not his partisans thought that he revealed himself even In that very contrast— - ^ for whst did'he mean but profound contempt tax the petty epic of > a passings history like * bat of the England In Vhich he would be a etatesman ? He tout tmaffectei in his sympathetic worship of the " intellectual indention ** which he described the J ? apaqy to bej and could there be aaiy mistaking the covert sneer 1 hat the Jews the Parliament of England was half disposed to tolerate , would otatlive even .. the memory of our " constitu . tion" — aa they had outlived Assyrian kings , Egyptian yPharoahs , the Oaesars , - « na "the Caliphs ? Again , what was it bot a Mephiertbpfhelian 8 neer , his definition of the difference between Lord John's point bTview and his ovn , Lord John being in favour © f <{ religious liberty , " and Mr . Disraeli out

    adopting that " respectable principle ? " -As 1 listened , amazed but fascinated , I could admire tie party tactician unreservedly ; but it was also apparent to me that I was listening to a in&a of . genius , somewhat max ! on one point , —the question of race , —who was magnificently conscious of being an ] iistorical personage , a Joseph in a new Egypt , with just as much « ympaiihy with English Tories as Mokannah may have had with his devotees in a pleasanter province of the sun . However , the dulL dogs who are tho English governing classes were not humiliated ;* and when the numbers "were Announced whicti left for another year or two a stigma of stupidity om English laws , they "bellowed their bratnl delight 'With a fierce fury which might have roused the dead in the -contiguous tombs of the jfcbbey . Y « ar 1854 in the most enUghtened sextate in the world 1

    The Government did not look proud of their defeat . Hot that they care about what is called the principle of tB * e Oaths' or of any other bill . Mi . Disraeli , thanking them for their earnestness , had saflBctently hinted tluit the Jews oould atifiml to wait a century or so—but that they disliked to be so completely conquered , on this , their last show-mcojure , by a gentleman who had just been Insinuating a . homeless and passionless philosopher ' s scorn for nil the cants of their creed and then * constitution , —who , with the lofty air of a superhuman sage , had talked of their Christia-n-ity as the fashion of a day , and of their

    three estates as the paltry foibLes of a small people . Lord Jotan was vexed ; Lord John , though -with all tho " enlightenment" of a constitutional Whig , he felt his genius abashed by a contrast with th « cosmopolitan k&n on which his opponent ventured—felt , in short , bewildered , thus check-mated l > 5 an eccentric who -vould tulk like neither PUt nor Fox— 'whojn , in the heat and hurry of the moment , bo anight liavo taken for a Clmldee . Then Lord John was disgusted with th © House : ho didn't rnirul tluur dividing against him , —he is used to that ; bat they wouldn ' t hear him . This , indeed , was not tlie first humiliating

    contrastTor Xorei ^ ohn in Che week . OnTues&Ly . on chuich-rates . he talked imbecilities , in a maundering ^ atgfle , no ob © ^ attending to him , his own Bide contemptuous , the Tories he was leading present only to the nmnber of a dozen , and half of Ms col-^ goea * bomt to suggest Jhair notion of Ma&totm tor lead toy phH ^ ung < dead against bun . The contra « t was with Lord Stanley , who , vigorous and candid , is fachuj « U sorts of difficmllie * ia a man % manner , und-with , a statesman ' s loAc : and Vho on . Ta ^ day ( rammed up the controversy on drarchrates in * few forcible * entencet « a 4 wot 4 ow

    amid the applause extended . frankly $ 0 wezvman who goes into politics with wnaflecteii tob ^ grily —that is , -who -doea not "flBe ^ Be and fcmble , wrt& the f irigguh « ndprj ^? inataoal ? ii ]^^> vedttitttu tioital Whig , baaanoing with ac « Uo «« s . sad re 4 sdn « with , wisdom , and , in the en < I , Mb ianghed At ^ n a mournful minority lobby . OT coarse the division fora ^ uw ^ rat « rerjeafbai , Uket ! iedivteionKgaiirtt the < Jb * & . ) ^ Hlt ao « an ^ aJtatt « r ? , » d th » JOnl 7 ^ ble importance of the ^ araggi ^ g d « bAte i » ooiuaectBd witu . the . adyancad posmoata ^ en > % ^ 8 oprosp ^ pjverful & peT 8 ormgeaalK 3 rd Stanley , to whim ' Ms father * * firieods « bowetl « n « t r « sp « c ««» TaeidA 7- ; % « ta ^ ing * w * y int large uwabers . ^ oc ( they oo « M >» # t

    vote with him , and-didn't Uke to vote ^ asrauuls lui ¥ 0 —thu 3 » also , spieng the' Grovejaimettt / w too large aTnnjcnity on flnsn (» th ^ p «^> l ouH ereorog . Lord John dad not Jnwr Xjevd Stanley . -j £ iim& Join had beea . Mding ^ w » y to v Um : ^^ 1 ^ probably anUcipatingiva Qodntroil ^ . * m < k -. UZn fine constitutional machinery to aid tiiii niiiiniTnili ma&mt ; *? oons * ittttion » l WHg . fimt SDoWl-Jote * k > 4 oxU > t heard of vthe « be « r « , ; a * l re * d his jwmr frieiid >^ piritedLapeech , toad , Aoticiiur « lap hi % weuiK frig ' s exp ^ BloT ^ coaMence ( to tb ? Knawied Tax-Society ) ia « h «^ mocra « y I * ord » ex * r ^ a «

    teorad * r > «* stem , " matt owl ; Xord John beilMSUMing to -suspect Ahat . & we * . aqho ^ i M ^ tatemtnm ^ iiptiB coming in ? Sot that th « Eadicale andXiberalaare themselves talking m » w ^ to iarthnate any ^ pttcation « i « t yttung Tcriw wo « M *• better leaiefs fox them than old Whigs . The debwt » -OB the cfaMfchxates business was pitiably nni ^| eUecti ^ « n ^ the part of the Dissenters , Wioae cattae become ^ a vulgHrity when representea by « ieh iwlBtCTwia bArhariana as Mr . Biggs or Mr . Crwrtey ^ -rtHeiattiar suggesting , on Tuesday , that « Hlie ^ tte 3 l ; Hipn as ever lived" Xm $ &ai ! n& Christ ) was " a *

    Biasenter , " — a doctrine which made Mr . Newdegeto <« httdder . dMr- -Miall ; certain ^ , xua-Th-iiwday , d ^ vered an . admhrableasdphiloaophlcat argument Respectfully listened to , and appwciatinglj- con * pli mented-, but his tbotflk ^^^ oa ^^ ty ^ t ^^^^ oatViS tlie chapel ' s * nd intathe : Hou 4 e ^ 4 om , iiidic ^ t 9 S luft iDdisposition to ^ dm ^ ai xe ^ al ^ parliiupentary jiqtiBi ^ onUthe only sort of positioih which at all juatifleffa journalist wast «* g Ms time ^ ut-Of Ms <« pter * , ^ i * d among the meoi of vulgar action «* &ed ^ «» enaber 4 . " Mr . Miall , however , may not choose to try : and his failure irnot sc > 3 iscreditsb )« JMtbj ^ vof : 4 iMn who do

    try and don't succeed . Hr . M ^ tdude ^ ilbr matanee ,. is bent upon House of Ocmnnbi ^^ iaitieiK ^; i « nd % & roared and gesticulate ^ ; on Thttrtflaj ; , ^ watti the laborious earnestness of . " a bij ^ t ' to "fuflHTiy ' Taltec ^ a hypothetical Pope , and h « was ;( 0 ^ e 3 » ly and . detlsir ^ y laughed down . The twang of ttne meefing 4 houBe offends , but the rampaat vulgarity of . Bxeter Hall disgusts the House of Cootonons . " Mr . Thomae ^ Baving obtained a g * e 4 t pKrlianaentaxy success on Monday . The House here and there is possessed « f men of first-rate intellect , which is never publicly exhibited but when they « re ^ druwn outof their privacy by the promfnenoe of tlieirown

    special subjects : and onMondasy' ^ people were warprised and delighted to £ nd a quiet man ^ * who haa kept to back benches—who , too buiy in his own Bphere to ^ iv ^ himeelf tip to Parliament ^ has never swked Patliaokent to give itself nip to him—presenting ( himself as a party leader on finance , and developing « uch pre-eminent powers of mrgunaent and oratory as to tnark hink out as a . City candidate for the Finanoe Ministry ia the next Tory Government ,. —Whenever that may be . The Houae likes incidents » uch as that : the general fame of the House ) benefitsby these revelations of the latent power in its body among men who are ^ ordinarily content to cheer Gladstone and Disraeli irad Euawetl—the eheerers regarding those persona as entitled to ancrli cheers because , when they are talking , they are performing

    what is the studied business of their lives : and Mr . Baring ant dawn , after -each of his vigorous , vehement onslaughts , amid a , tempest of appTauea directed at him from both sides . Granted that Mr . Gladstone ,. a master of-debate , destroyed Mr . Baring : —he did not diminish Mr . Baring's success . Mr . Gladstone destroyed Sir Frederick Thesiger , on Thursday , on Sir Frederick ' s own gironnd , —a supple and subtle lawyer ' s ground , —supeiradding a , display of eloquent and statesmanlike argument for religious toleration and against a- sy nodical House of Commons , which will tell on the country : " . but , nevertheless , Mr . Disraeli did not fail on Thursday . * £ ot who but Mr . Gladstone could make two : gre * b speeches-, on two essentially opposite themes , in one weekl £ a turday Morn ing . '' A Sxb auc bb . *'

    Untitled Article

    May 27 , 1354 . ] IBE lEADER , 4 g 5

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), May 27, 1854, page 495, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2040/page/15/