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Leader (1850-1860), 9th April 1859, Edition 2 of 2, Page 4, . . ^ flitt l* ^tifl>11tnMl *r gOUU ($ IU\{\U\}\IUI. ¦ a .

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      Imperial Parliament. . Monday, April 4. ...

      IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT . . Monday , April 4 . la the House of Lqjkds there was a large attendance of peers to hear the statement of ministers . The Lord Chancellor took his seat at five o ' clock . MINISTERIAL EXPLANATIONS . The Earl of Derby recalled to the memory of their lordships that on the preceding Thursday night the House of Commons had , after a debate of seven nights , characterised by the greatest ability and courtesy on both sides , adopted the-. Resolution of Lord John Russell , and pronounced a decision adverse to the bill introduced by the- Government for amending the representation of the people . There were , in consecmence of this decision , but two alternatives left for " himself and colleagues , —either to resign office or to dissolve the present Parliament and appeal to the country . It had been suggested , both by their friends and by their enemies , that

      another course was open to the Government ,, but such a course would not have been respectful to the House of Commons , nor in unison with constitutional practice . Besides , it was impossible for her Majesty ' s- Government to conceal from themselves that the vote of the House ot Commons was equivalent to a vote of want of confidence , and he thought the Government would have laid themselves open to a charge of indifference , if they took no notice of such a decision . Before stating the ' 'course which the Government , intended to pursue , he bogged their lordships to remember'the circumstar . ' .-es under which he had accepted office , arid the difficulties with which he had had to

      contend . The present distracted state of parties in the House of Commons rendered it almost impossible to administer the affairs of the nation . He excepted , indeed , the ¦ Conservative party from this censure , whose unwavering , cordial , and generous support lie had received for so many years , and then proceeded to enumerate the various political achievements of Lord John Russell . "I desire" said Lord Derby , ' to speak of the noble lord with all that respect and esteeni which I unfeigriedly feel for his many valuable and statesmanlike qualities . I am not slow to recognise , the--advantages which lie has conferred on the country , or the service which in his time he has rendered in Parliament . To the question ' of

      parliamentary reform he has been constantly attached , but attached , I think I may say less with the affection of a parent anxious for the advantages and prosperity of his offspring , than- with the somewhatjealous and exacting affection of a lover . I have spoken of his high and distinguished qualities ; but there is in that noble lord a restless energy and an insatiable craving for being always doing something—a determination that everything shall bo done by himself , or not done at all—an indomitable perseverance in business , which can hardly find sufficient scope for its energies and activity in the discharge of official duties , but which , when put of office , renders him to such a degree restless , that ho

      camiot be for a moment satisfied -unless he is seeking to do 6 omo injury to the cause of those who are opposed to him . The noble lord has had the singular fortune—I do not know whether I may call it the good fortune—of overthrowing more successive Governments than any other man ( laughter ) , and ho has had the . still more singular fortune of once overthrowing the Government of which ho himself was a member . " ( Hear , hoar . ) The consequence of such conduct ( the Premier continued ) was , that hardly a year now passed without a Ministerial crisis , and if the system wore persevered in it would put an end to all Government , for it inflicted injury at home and damaged the influence of the

      country abroad . In accepting onlce , ho had endeavoured to carry on tho Government , not by om-Irittoring , but by conciliating all parties , until a party should be formed capable of carrying out a fixed and definite policy . One of the questions bequeathed to him by the late Government waa tho damnosa favrcditas of Parliamentary Reform . Ho had in consequence introduced a bill to meet tjUat question . Tho way that bill had been received was well known to their lordships . It had not been suffered , to bp road a second time , and to bo amended in committee , but liad been met by a Resolution , which , according to some authorities , was contrary to

      Birmingham , or the hardly less dangerous or less democratic scheme shadowed forth by the right hon . baronet the member for Carlisle , who assisted in concocting the resolution of the noble lord the member for London . { Hear . ) We appeal to them further to knoAV whetlier as lovers—as all Englishmen are lovers—of fair-play" and plain strai ghtforward conduct , they will sanction the overthrow of a ministry who were honestly and faithfully endeavouring to discharge their duty , not in pursuance of any expressed difference of opinion on the part of a majority of the House of Commons—not as the result of a fair parliamentary opposition , but in

      consequence of the success—the undeserved though possibly the anticipated success—of what I will venture to call an ingenious manoeuvre . " ( Hear . )—Earl Granville confessed that the days of party government , hi the old acceptation of the term , were passed away . He nevertheless contended that no administration could properly fulfil their duties if they did not possess a policy , and enjoy the confidence of a majority in the House of Commons . There was , he maintained , nothing in the information before the House which justified the assertion that ponce would be endangered if the present administration were

      forced to resign . Respecting the Reform Bill , lie observed that its . principles .. had been objected , to by two former colleagues of the Government , condemned by a majority of the Commons , and now , it appeared , abandoned by its own authors . The course adopted by the ministry ,-though . involving ' a serious responsibility , was , he admitted , perfectly legitimate and constitutional . He wished at the same time to know on what precise issues the appeal to the country was to be rested . — -The subject tlicu dipped . Some further business was disposed of , and their lordships adjourned . In the House of Commo ' ,, the'Speaker took the . chair at four o ' clock , ami several questions on public business were asked and replied to by ministers . THE MINISTERIAL STATEMENT . The Chancellor of the Excin : i > ui : it , moving , as a matter of form , that the House do adjourn , announced that , after the-vote of the I louse- on Thursday evening , it was not the intention of the Government to proceed with their bill to amend the representation of the people , or to propose any other measure with the same object . He protested against the doctrine that the question of parliamentary reform was the appanage of any individual , or the privilege of any particular party . It was in the power of the Government to deal with this or any other public question in the manner which they deemed most expedient for the public welfare , or most

      conducive to the public interests . The question of parliamentary reform , he observed , might be viewed in two lights—conservative and revolutionary . Those who regarded it , like the Government , in the first point of view , would wish , in nny change , to preserve the present character of the House of Commons , as representing various interests ; those who looked at it in the otheV light would attempt to change its character , and make it the representative of the voice of the numerical majority . After adverting to the motives which had on former occasions of the sort prevented them from taking any positive step , and which , lie observed , the manifest dis

      arose from three sources—first , - union among the Liberal party ; secondly , the critical state of affairs in Europe ; and , thirdly , tllo . J " ! i- fulfil their promise to introduco a Reform Bill—Mr . Disraeli remarked that the vote of Jhursday , being proposed and accepted as a vote ot censure , admitted of no compromise or delay . 1 " ) acknowledged tho forbearance which tho House , and especially the opposition , had exorcised towards tne Government , and himself personally , when attempting to conduct public affairs undor the disadvantageous circumstances of thciy position . IJeeurrmi , to tho vote , ho contended that it had boon brougUC fi-irwn . WI lw lnnrlrirs whn nrlvnntttod a contrary policy .

      and supported by a majority whoso umon < - ' ? ° from the moment that tho result was proe Jaime u . That voto was , ho believed , prejudicial to the honour of Parliament and injurious-to tho intoroutfl-ortno country . Finally , ho stated tlmt , as tho ministry did not bollevo that they had forfeited tho connclonco of tho country , they had advised her Mujosty to dissolve Purlhunont at the oarllost period w »««»> * ° time requirod for the completion of sonio in < us P ^"" sable business , such as tho passing of continuance bills and votes of monoyon account , wcniHl pormu .. . Lord Palmkrston said ho wus sure he expressed no general feolinff of tho Houso in acknowledg ing tno courtesy and fairness of tho Chancellor ot tno a **~ chequer . He did not considor tho last voto as onei 01 consuro ; ns such ho would not Imvo Bupnortoa ¦ »» it was only an qxprossion of fcho fooling ot tho lioww unnn a mnnBure . op r > arts of a mOdSliro . OOioru « .

      to destroy the bill ( said Lord Derby ) stood preeminent the noble lord , Viscount Palmerston , now , I believe by courtesy , the leader of the opposition . I must refer to that ad \ ice which the noble lord considered it consistent with his position to otter * ana consistent with our honour to listen to—namely , that we should be permitted neither to retire nor to dissolve , nor yet to withdraw the bill ; but that we should be condemned to keep our places , and to da his bidding . My lords , I believe he said , to do our bidding . I should be glad to know whose Ridding he referred to ? ( Cheers . ) Was it the bidding of the noble viscount , who preferred a 20 / . county franchise to a 1 OZ . oneand who was a very late , and not

      , an enthusiastic , convert to any reduction-below . um . in the boroughs ? Was it the bidding of the noble lord , the member for the City of London ? Was it the bidding of the right hon . baronet ( Sir J . Graham ) , who admitted that he had assisted the noble lord in the concoction of this precious amendment ? ( Laughter and cheers . ) But , my lords , whose bidding was it ? Whose slaves were we to be ? Were we to be servants Of the noble viscount , of the noble lord , ot the right hon . baronet , or of the member for : Birmingham ? ( Cheers . ) - ' Our bidding ! ' Why , it the motley and heterogeneous assembly which calls itself the opposition in the- House of Commous had been asked to tell us what they meant by " our

      bidding , " there would probably not be five and twenty members who would agree as to what injunction should be laid upon their submissive , humble slaves , her Majesty ' s Government . ( Loud cheers . ) It is hardly necessary for me to say that so long as we have the honour to serve her Majesty as the responsible and constitutional ministers of the Crown , and so Ionf * as we are honoured with her confidence , we do no one ' s bidding but the bidding of our Sovereign , the bidding of our own conscience , and of our own honour . ( -Loud cheers . ) ' You shall not retire from office ! ' Why , my lords , how does the noble viscount intend to prevent us from retiring , if we think fit ? I grant you that the noble viscount ' s words have have intended to

      perhaps anotffer meaning . He may say , " You cannot resign your office , because if 3 ou do , it is impossible to find a minister to succeed you . ' I may perhaps , therefore , have put a wrong meaning upon the noble viscount ' s words ; and , if so , I humbly apologise to him . But the noble viscount went a little further , ' and . said that Parliament would not permit us to resign , and would not allow Parliament to be dissolved . I should ' like to know where the noble viscount found that doctrine . I had always thought that it was the prerogative of the Crown to say whether and when Parliament should be dissolved . " ( Hear , hear . ) He would not disguise from the House the difficulty in which the Cabinet

      was placed by the refusal-of the second reading ot the bill . There were but two courses open to them , —the first was to dissolve Parliament , and the second to tender their resignation to her Majesty . Considering , however , the present grave condition of European affairs , and the domestic interests of the country , he had deemed it his duty to recommend to her Majesty as early a dissolution of Parliament as was consistent with the public service . Her Majesty had consented to this proposal , and he looked with confidence to the appeal about to bo made to the country . The Ministers , he considered , had redeemed their promise by the introduction of the bill , and held themselves free on that ground .

      He was no . t afraid to go to tho hustings on this question , for the measure , which had been by the decision of the other House deferred to another session , was a largo and liberal measure ; much mischief had been done by that decision , and no principle produced on which a future Reform Bill could be based . Lord Dorby concluded in these words ;— "My Lords , I say that wo do not appeal to tho country on the subject of parliamentary reform—still less upon tho question of tho particular provisions of the Government bill ; wo appeal to them on a much larger and broader basis . Wo appeal to them to know whether the present state . of tho House of Commons , split up as it , is into hundred a almost of petty parties , neither of thorn strong enough to conduct tho business of tho

      country , but each of thorn capable of obstructing that business—whether such a state of things will' continue to receive the support and countenance of tho people ? ( Cheers . ) Wo appeal to thorn as men who are conscious of having faithfully and honestly endeavoured to discharge tho important duties which have been on trusted to us by our Sovereign—wo ap » peal to thorn to know whether they will withhold that confldonco which tho Sovereign has boon pleased to renew , and whothor they will entrust tho pi'oparation of measures of parliamentary reform , if such moaquros are to bo introduced , to thoao who have approached tho subject in a calm and dollborato spirit , and in a moderate and temperate tono , or whether they will entrust tho preparation of such measures , and tho carrying , of thorn through Parliament , to men who entertain , tho wild and visionary scheme prepared by tho hon . monitor for

      His opinion was , that if tho Government *«« « " »* duty to retain their offloo , thoy should either iun « withdrawn tho bill or nltorod Ft in committee so iw to adapt it to tho opinion of the Houso , and ho w «

      parliamentary practice , and had boon swamped without discussion . Had the bill been proceeded with in committee , ho and his colleagues wore propared to vindicate its principle * , as well its tp consider proposed alterations , which , if admissible , no faliso pride would have prevented thorn from accepting . An opportunity had thus . been given to tho Houso of Commons to settle this question , but thoy ]» ad preferred tho intorosts of party to tho interests of the country . " Amongst thoso who pvofosaod that thoy had no intention

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), April 9, 1859, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_09041859/page/4/