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Leader (1850-1860), 21st March 1857, Edition 2 of 2, Page 14

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      Political Aspirants. A Genetial Election...

      Coopeb continues a successful canvass ; at ; Chippenham , Mr . Lysxey has won over a large number of those who formerly recorded isheir suffrages against him ; we are sorry to find that Mr . Jlkbotd has felt it necessary to sacrifice his chance at Huddersfield- ^ Northampton has declared Unequivocally in favour of Mr . Charles G-ikpik . At Oxford Mr . JSTeate makes way , on the strength of his truly refreshing audacity . Salisbury appears disposed to adopt Mr . Xa . Mes Campbell . To the Sandwich electors

      tie Liberal party could not offer a better representative than Mi ' . Johst Lastg , whose principles are altogether those of a sound , hearty , and courageous reformer . "We may point also to Mr . Wjx : liaii Hackblock , who claims the suffrages of Ueigate , and whose address , singularly wise and generous , lias an accent of sympathy and sincerity seldom heard in Parliament .

      These are some of the names now presented to the consideration of the Liberal electors . Others remain to be discussed ; but , as the day of the great constitution trial is fixed , the-Reform party cannot be too active , or too early in the field , with closed and united ranks .

      P Continues Successful And Such Ihrew Th...

      P the 2 fe TUB LEADEE , ^ o . ajBS ^ j ^ TOgp ^ r ,

      Great Britain At The Hustings. "Bttoks H...

      GREAT BRITAIN AT THE HUSTINGS . "Bttoks has spoken . Benjamin Diskaeii announces that a dissolution will take place in order that a year may be wasted for the benefit of Lord Pausiubstoh . He , of all men , has the least right to talk in that manner . lie tauntingly told the Premier , at the close of the Chinese debate , not to complain to the country but to appeal to it ;

      he next commended the policy of dissolution . ; but he cannot make his way even through an electioneering address , -without one or more positive misrepresentations . He says that Lord Paimeeston has promised to supersede his agents in China . That is not the fact . Lord Elgin- goes out to negotiate with the Chinese Emperor upon matters raised by accident between him and the British

      authorities . Then Mr . Disraeli describes Lord Palmebston as the Tory chief of a Uadieal Cabinet . That again is untrue . Lord PaIiMebstoh has again , and again assented to measures in which no Tory would ever acquiesce , and hia colleagues in the Cabinet , so far from being Uadicals , are "Whigs of a pale complexion . But we knew what to expect from Mr . Disbaeli . He is exaggerated , vague , and theatrical , and enunciates not one distinct maxim of public policy . JSTothing could be more marked than the contrast

      between Ins statement and that of Mr . Cobben at Manchester . Mr . Codden ' s was , in every sentence , frank , clear , and powerful , the model of a popular oration . "We cannot accept it altogether as representative of our opinions , but we con praise it without reservo ; it went to the marrow of the main question now before the electors ; it asked them to vote upon no special issue , but to secure a Liberal majority in Parliament . Sir James Graham : was less happy at Carlisle , though he , too , was energetic and courageous , and cordial in his utterances of attachment to theold Liberal

      mottoes , "Retrenchment , Peace ; Reform . " The Liberal party , as he said , may have to retire and re-form behind the hill . At all events , it would bo a gross abandonment of principle to elect a l ) and of lukewarm Liberals forgive sole purpose either of expelling Lord Palmers-eon from office or keeping him m . If there bo a policy connected with Liberal opinions , let that bo followed without reierenco to changes of ministry . Let it be disentangled , moreover , from the miserable maxima of bigotry such as would send Mr "Webtebton into Parliament to represent the candle-snuffing interest of St . Barnabas and

      St . Paul ' s , and such as ihrew a maw-worm interrogation in the face of the Liberal candidate at Brighton . A gentleman , named YiBGfo—we quote the Brighton Ghiar & imimoved no doubt by a conscientious impulse , desired to be satisfied as to Mr . CoiNiNGh ham ' s religious convictions . Mr . Moses Rxcaj & do , the Chairman , very properly declined to countenance the putting of such a , question , aad M . T . Contngham gave for

      answer , that for his religious opinions He was nofc responsible to Mr . Viego , to the Protestant Defence Association , or to any mortal being whatever . A few replies of this kind should be given from the hustings in front of which do congregate the disciples of Niewdegate and Seookeb ; they would be less enthusiastically received by the House of Peers , perhaps ,-than ¦ by the very intelligent constituency of . Brighton .

      The influential Scotsmcm details the course of the Scottish election agitation up to the present moment . Edinburgh is talking of lord John Eusseix , as a substitute for Mr . Cavan ; Mr . Ada . m Bla-CK being sure of his return . Perthshire is restless under its family influences , and hopes to expunge Mr . STr & xisra , of Keiiy and xeplace him by Lord James Mitrkay , brother of the eccentric Duke of Atholl . Mr . Meebt

      proposes to release the Falkirk burghs from the absolute rule of Baxrd , Brothers , who seem to Toe magnates in those parts . Mr . Efast ot Mr . Olipjulnt , of course , go in for Dumfries ;—but we cannot analyze the entire list . . The general tendency , so far as we can . trace its action , is , to increase the strength of the Liberal body in Parliament , and it will be observed that for the first ; time since the passing of the ^ Reform Bill , the question of the franchise has assumed an

      extraordinary prominence in nearly all the Liberal addresses . It may suit Mr . KoberxLove , indeed , to disparage " mere electioneering cries , such as the Suffrage and the Ballot , " and to recommend direct reforms ; but this sort of positivism is plagiarised from Tory manuals ; every one , Tory or Liberal , professes himself favourable to progress ; but the Liberals affirm , that social progress is mosb certainly obtained by means of political

      reform ; while the Tories say that no political reform is necessary as a prelude to Tequisite social ameliorations ; and here is Mr . Lowe saying the same thing . Mr . Lowe , who returned from the colonies to work his way in public life at home as a Reformer , who went into Parliament upon tho cries at which he now casts ridicule , who was a stout advocate of franchise extension in 1853 , and who in 1857 steals Tory trash , and announces it as the common sense of "Whiggery !

      Mr . Cobden told Manchester that a certain kind of " factious opposition" very much wanted in Parliament . We think tliab a certain sort of " electioneering cries" are very much wanted at the hustings . Twenty years ago , a Liberal member of tho House of Commons was charged with having embarrassed the G-ovcrnment . " I mean to embarrass it , " he Replied . " I nover knew a

      G-overnment do any good until it had been embarrassed . " Nor have wo ever known the constituent body send up to Westminster a worthy Parliament unless under tho stimulus of a general rallying cry . Wo shall have cries , at all events ; and if they aro not " the Suffrage" and " tho Ballot , '' they will be " Palmujrston , " or " Wo PAtwcEitSTON 1 " for there is a chance of one as ot * tho other .

      Vye feel more than over assured that the Tories will loso considerably during tho approacluug elections . Tho battle of tho Constitution , fought in tlio itepfiBtration Courts , according to tho advice of tin * IIojiisiit Pjcisl , haa not conferred , much now power of late to

      ¦ political section of wMch he was then a member . Discouragement and despondence indeed , have crept into the language of 3 W journalism , and the one hope of that faction seems to be—disunion among the Liberals necessitating a message from the Qtteeit faj Lord Derby . ¦ ¦

      Lord John' .In. The City. Loed John- Ktt...

      LORD JOHN ' . IN . THE CITY . Loed John- Kttssekl is not to be put down If he had made difficulties for himself Go ' vernment had made facilities for him by Lord PAiiMEUSTOif ' s wanton declaration against Beform . We see Lord GteAxvnxE ' s repudiation of an anti-reforming position for Ministers , and we have no doubt that his representation is correct . But the avowal has unfortunately called attention to the fact , that Lord Paemeusspon himself has never been a Reformer ; that ke'has

      counteracted Lord Johh "RusseiiX , ; ' that he has sided with those colleagues in any Cabinet who have been against further progress ; and that he is—so far as domestic polities are concerned—what Mr . Disbaem calls him , a Tory Minister at the head of a Badical Cabinet . So far as Lord Palmerston ' s individual influence ) goes , we are not to have Keform , and with that knowledge Lord John ' s position is decidedly improved . He did not weaken it by his address to his supporters on Thursday . His complaint is that he was being dismissed without a

      hearing . Even a private gentleman or a merchant desiring to part with an old servant , would give some warning ; would say , " John , I think your faculties axe somewhat decayed . Xou are growing old . You have made several mistakes lately . Do you know I think of , putting a young man whom I have sent forfrom . Northampton in your place . " And then John would have " an opportunity of answering and saying why he thought his faculties were not yet so very muck impaired as to render him unable to go on with his service for some-five . or six years longer . "

      Nothing can be better than this ; it is plain sense , —it is ~ Englh \\ feeling ; and Election matters are not governed only by x * eas on or calculation . G-o d forbid ! Eeeling enters into them , and if Lord John had made ten times the mistakes he has , we cannot , we will not , forget what he has done . When it was the practice for all Lords to support Tory views , Lord John stood up for the rights of those who had not the suffrage ; for honest representation instead of corrupt boroughs ; for the rights of Dissentei-s and the removal of their odious tests and disabilities ; as , to tins

      day , he is standing up for the rights of the Jews . It would have been wretched policy in the City if they had elected Baron . Liokel i > b Bothsoiiixd solely to assert tho right of every Englishman , of whatever origin , to equality before the law , and had cashiered the very man who had been , sustaining that right in the days when others did not take it up , —in the days when Lord Paljscehston was a Tory .

      To show the comparative value to the country , at this moment , of the two statesmen , we had a test lately . Mr . Locke King proposed a very moderate instalment of Biiurago extension . Lord John voted for it , Lord l * Aiimkeston voted against it . Most of Lord Palmkiiston ' s colleagues would have voted for it if ho had let thorn . If ho had , it would have been carried by a considerable majority , and the bill most likely would have passeda suffrage extension helping us to other suffrage extensions .

      There was ono point which Lord Joiin did not explain , although ho was called upon . Somebody cried out , " What about Vienna ?" Sir Jamks CIua . ii am did a public scrvico lately , though he did not servo hia own reputo , by

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), March 21, 1857, page 14, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_21031857/page/14/