AGGRESSIVE SIR S. NORTHCOTE.

   The increasingly aggressive action of Sir S.  NORTHCOTE in the BRADLAUGH
matter, and the support which, by a narrow majority,  the house of Commons has
been so ill advised as to accord to him, have inspired  Lord REDESDALE with
the desire for adventure. The result is that he has actually  brought in a bill
to the Upper House, the object of which is to render  it  incumbent upon
every member of either House of Parliament before taking the oath  of allegiance
to make a solemn declaration of belief in the Deity.

   We may fairly doubt whether, even after the  exhibitions of their temper
lately afforded by Lord SALISBURY and Lord CAIRNS,  those peers will be
willing to back up the noble Chairman of Committees in  establishing the inquisition
which he has had the hardihood to propose. Even  they cannot forget entirely
that we are living in the nineteenth century, and  yet Lord REDESDALE's bill
is, after all, nothing but the perfectly logical  outcome of the proceedings of
the majority of the House of Commons.

   Lord REDESDALE merely proposes to embody in a  general statute the
principle on which they have illegally acted in a particular  case. His proposal,
although so hopless that its introduction is almost an act  of profanity, throws
a not very encouraging light on the prospects of an  Affirmation Bill in the
House of Lords.