ONLY THE DUKE OF OMNIUM.
The night of the debate arrived, but before the debate was commenced, Sir Timothy Beeswax got up to make a personal explanation.He thought it right to state to the House how it came to pass that he found himself bound to leave the Ministry at so important a crisis in its existence.Then an observation was made by an honourable member of the Government,--presumably in a whisper, but still loud enough to catch the sharp ears of Sir Timothy, who now sat just below the gangway.It was said afterwards that the gentleman who made the observation,--an Irish gentleman named Fitzgibbon, conspicuous rather for his loyalty to his party than his steadiness,--had purposely taken the place in which he then sat, that Sir Timothy might hear his whisper.The whisper suggested that falling houses were often left by certain animals.It was certainly a very loud whisper,--but, if gentlemen are to be allowed to whisper at all, it is almost impossible to restrain the volume of the voice.To restrain Mr Fitzgibbon had always been found difficult.Sir Timothy, who did not lack pluck, turned at once upon his assailant, and declared that words had been used with reference to himself which the honourable member did not dare to get upon his legs and repeat.Larry Fitzgibbon, as the gentleman was called, looked him full in the face, but did not move his hat from his head or stir a limb.It was a pleasant little episode in the evening's work, and afforded satisfaction to the House generally.The details of the measure, as soon as they were made known to him, appeared to him, he said, to be fraught with the gravest and most pernicious consequences.He was sure that members of her Majesty's Government, who were hurrying on this measure with what he thought was an indecent haste,--ministers are always either indecent in haste or treacherous in their delay,--had not considered what they were doing, or, if they had considered, were blind as to the results.He then attempted to discuss the details of the measure, but was called to order.Apersonal explanation could not be allowed to give an opportunity of anticipating the debate.He contrived, however, before he sat down, to say some very heavy things against his late chief, and especially to congratulate the Duke on the services of the honourable gentleman, the member for Mayo,--meaning thereby Mr Laurence Fitzgibbon.
It would have perhaps been well for everybody if the measure could have been withdrawn and the Ministry could have resigned without the debate,--as everybody was convinced what would be the end of it.Let the second reading go as it might, the bill could not be carried.There are measures which require the hopeful heartiness of a new Ministry, and the thoroughgoing energy of a young Parliament,--and this was one of them.The House was as fully agreed that this change was necessary, as it ever agreed on any subject,--but still the thing could not be done.Even Mr Monk, who was the most earnest of men, felt the general slackness of all around him.The commotion and excitement which would be caused by a change of Ministry might restore its proper tone to the House, but at its present condition it was unfit for its work.Nevertheless Mr Monk made his speech, and put all his arguments into lucid order.He knew it was for nothing, but nevertheless it must be done.For hour after hour he went on,--for it was necessary to give every detail of his contemplated proposition.He went through it as sedulously as though he had expected to succeed, and sat down about nine o'clock in the evening.Then Sir Orlando moved the adjournment of the House till the morrow, giving as his reason for doing so, the expedience of considering the details he had heard.To this no opposition was made, and the House was adjourned.
On the following day the clubs were all alive with rumours as to the coming debate.It was known that a strong party had been formed under the auspices of Sir Orlando, and that with him Sir Timothy and other politicians were in close council.It was of course necessary that they should impart to many the secrets of their conclave, so that it was known early in the afternoon that it was the intention of the Opposition not to discuss the bill, but to move that it be read again that day six months.The Ministry had hardly expected this, as the bill was undoubtedly popular both in the House and the country; and if the Opposition should be beaten in such a course, that defeat would tend greatly to strengthen the hands of the Government.But if the foe should succeed in carrying a positive veto on the second reading, it would under all the circumstances be tantamount to a want of confidence.'I'm afraid they know almost more than we do as to the feeling of members,' said Mr Roby to Mr Rattler.
'There isn't a man in the House whose feeling in the matter Idon't know,' said Rattler, 'but I'm not quite so sure of their principles.On our own side, in our old party, there are a score of men who detest the Duke, though they would fain be true to the Government.They have voted with him through thick and thin, and he has not spoken a word to them since he became Prime Minister.What are you to do with such a man? How are you to act with him?'
'Lupton wrote to him the other day about something,' answered the other, 'I forget what, and he got a note back from Warburton as cold as ice,--an absolute slap in the face.Fancy treating a man like Lupton in that way,--one of the most popular men in the House, related to half the peerage, and a man who thinks so much of himself! I shouldn't wonder if he were to vote against us;--I shouldn't indeed.'
'It has all been the old Duke's doing,' said Rattler, 'and no doubt it was intended for the best; but the thing has been a failure from the beginning to the end.I knew it would be so.Idon't think there has been a single man who has understood what a Ministerial Coalition really means except you and I.From the very beginning all your men were averse to it in spirit.'