Current:

Leader (1850-1860), 6th May 1854, Edition 1 of 1, Page 410, Untitled Article

Page 410
Page 2
2 of 24

On this page

  • Text (3)

      Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

    • Untitled Article

      Untitled Article

    • Untitled Article

      Untitled Article

    • Untitled Article

      Untitled Article

  • Transcript

    • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      Untitled Article

      PARLIAMENT OF THE WEEK . The ? week opened with two heavy debates—one in each house 5 that in the Lords , ostensibly on the Income Tax BfltV was retrospective , and tended to no practical purpxwe ; tbat in tlhe Commons carried the Oxford trniwftrsity Befpjcm Bill onward a short stage , and landfefl it in confusion , Government sustaining a defeateiJ | JK > the way . ' ^ BttSngfost the (* sfia # rBUl as havj ^^ m « R vital iafeetest wfcjiave to r ^ Qprd its progress fc& coMvittea W ^ Morsmm bega . n Ute fray . The first i&mme

      appm $ 3 as / jfgmmissioiji » to tarry out the AH , the Bjj ^ B ^ JJ"P ° » th *;^ arl . of Ellesmere ,,.. - ®^ Joho Auchy ^ BBr . Tn if ir iHgpifr rt ^| gij and the ftaivrend Mr . Johnson , Dean of Wells . Mr . Horsman moved that the nomination of these gentlemen be postponed , partly on the ground that the cc ^ niJussiQa should be . appoiated after the powers to be intrusted to it have been defined ; andyartiy because all the commissioners were not in a conditionone a judge , another a bishop—to fulfil the duties imposed ; and also "because Sir John Audryis opposed to appropriating college revjenueefgr professional endow * meats * .

      To tbi ^ was re plied by Ix > rd John Rossbix and Mr * € rjuAa > STONB that the bill conferred extensive powers ; and it mould not be wise to grant the powers until yoqjsnow who is to wield them ? that the : gentlemen selected are in every way qualified and . ready to undertake the duties ; and that Sir John Audrji for instance , is not opposed to the provisions of the bill , as hiated by Mr . HEorsman . The opposition -was , however , supported by Sir John" Pakingtoit , Mr . Biac&ett , Mr . Vehston Smh ^> and Mr . I ^ sbaelt . But on a division Mr . HorsraarPs amendment was rejected by 169 to 141—.... The next poiut inxojlving . a conflict was singularly debated j Mr , Disraeli , who disapproves of the bill altogether , being the tactician . to

      © m clause 4 , enpowerin ^ : the commi 38 iox ) er 9 require the prpductapn by any officer jof the JJaivBrsity of any documents ox accounts relating ip such , university , and ^ ny information relating to the revenues , statutes , usages , or prae « icea thereof " respectively ; andptoviding 4 bafc ho oath whichmight be ^ aKen-by any such officer should , be Readable in . bar oftany authorities of the said commissioners , Sir W . E [ jbathcote proposed to strike out all the words after the word ? " respectively and to substitute the follow ing :-- ¦ ' < , A « d it shall be the daty of such officer or

      meinj ^ er to . pr ^ quce . and furnish , the . same , . any . prohibition ox impediment now existing or arising in or l by reason of any of the statutes thereof reirpefetively notwithstanding ; " . Mt . iRopKDEiji * Pai-mbk declared that these oaths had no force where they came in contact with the law of the land . Mr . Henxbt was extremely indignant at what he called the dishonesty of Sir William Heathcote in calling an oath an " impediment . " Government said jt . hat a man having taken an oath must break it ; that is intelligible . If Sir William meant that men were to break their oaths let him

      gay « o . In this view Mr . Gladstone agreed ; and insisted that the . power to abtaia the required informati on must be had , and that Parliament jias aright to get it . Qaths taken by oflScers are essentially limited by the chief power of the state . Here Mr . DimARti stepped in , innocently suggesting that the difficulty would be avoided by letting the clause terminate at the word respectively . Mr . RouKDBtL Palmer fell into the trap and assentftd ; as did subsequently Sir W . Heatncote ; ., but it did not , of qaurse , escape the sharp eyes of the Solicitor-General that the amendment would frustrate the object of the bill , by taking away the power of compelling the production of what is required . So the committee thought , also , for they negatived Mr . Disraeli ' s amendment by 118 to 69 .

      But a far more serious contest now began . Clause 6 , providing for the composition of the Hebdomadal Council , runs thus : — u The hebdomadal council shall consist of the Vice-Chancellor , the proctore , six beads of colleges or halls , elected , by the congregation hereinafter mentioned of the said university , and one other lio « d appointed by the Chancellor of the university ; six professors of the university , elected by the congregation hereinafter described , and oae other each professor appointed by the Chancellor , nnd one other each professor separately elected by the congregation , who bIirU be always chosen from among the professors or theology ; together with six members of convocation , of not less than five years ' standing , elected by the congregation . "

      Mr . Walpole proposed an amendment , the effect of which was that seven lieads should bo elected from among themselves ; intending to follow it up by applying the principle cf what is called " sectional election" to the whole council . Mr . Glads ^ onjs earnestly opposed the change . Ho said that if the council was elected by three cliques , the members would look after the interests of their clique instead of those of the University . Government dosired , for instance , to give the professors a suhstantial Position ia the University ; but if professors

      Untitled Article

      elected professors , they would only attend to the interests of professors . Oxford was decidedly opposed to the sectional plan . Sir John Pakingtok believed the contrary . He was for sectional election . Mm . Hbssman took the same side , though not for the , aarne Tixmom&Me opposes the tutorial element . But it ira » JfifelfeiiriffiY who put the matter in the most l *( aE 9 trfig ;|| £ l | t ~ He distinctly declared that under the preswaS cflause the tutors , who form the clerical elernj « iti . W ( PO « Sbiiave the command of the elections

      to the © BpncaVatid it is not for the benefit of the Univtriitar to place its government in the hands of <{ pMt «> fUK * f | itble to be swayed by any religious tenet wtucft % * jjttens at the moment to be in favour . I fim , . . flfjflwd , ' * - " ncr ^ ontinued , "that unless you t 0 l ! &ag 0 fa 4 ha . t clejical element , you will never Ipcure | br % e Vnivers ^ f that independent governing bofy which jpou desire ^ and which would be free from tba& ^ TCAVt of charity rW-others which , in its extra , zeal , the clerical body always shows towards all who do not , raw ia the same boat with

      themselves . " Mr > ItoBKRT ; £ _ owje and StrWuJt ^ AM Hbuthcote argued strongly in favour of the Government proposition , but on a division . Ministers were defeated by 162 to 149 ! Of course after this the words empowering the-Chancellor to nominate a member to the council were struck out ; and it was also agreed to insert words that six professors should lift elected among the professors . This landed them in . another difficulty . The bill aaid that one of tbe pr . bf € S 8 orsi a seventh , should be a professor of theology . To make the clause read it was proposed to leave out the words " of theology ; " Mr . Disraeli supported their retention ; but they were ordered to be struck out by 148 to 135 .

      The chairman reported , progress , leaving the clause unintelligible for the present . The House in committee resumed the cooHctera tion of clause 6 on Thursday . Sir Johk Pakingtqn moved that tthc ward " convocation " -be substituted for * Hsorigt « gation , "—thus constituting the former the electing body of " six members of convocation . * ' This , he contended , was quite in unison with the previauB decision * of : the committee in favour of sectional election .

      Xiord John Russell opposed tbe amendment as-£ azardous . The power ought to lie fiaced in the iianda of those who feel their w » poo * ibility , and w *» o . ee daily the result of their sfAbea . . Mr , -JBLE ^ iKY thought the extension of the ele&oiraFbnd £ , . ^ as , to comprise men of worldly * experience , must be better than to entrust the . choice to i * aarrow ^ okigflrchy of residents . After a somewhat biwrted dissuasion , i » the course of which Mr , Gladstone administered reproof to Mr . Henley for asserting that the residents were always in one ^ xtrenae or ^ mother ; - aMia repj ^ r ¦ to which Mr Henley gave Mr . Ctladjatone perMsAUHi to *' misrepreaeut . him , ass much , w lie ^ Ifijasjed , " the division was taken , and tbe amendment was rejected "by 192 to 176 . The clauses up to 10 wer « agreed -to , and the chairman riposted progress

      The Income Tax Bill has nasse 4 through the-< Lords , being read a third time on Tuesday . -On thepreceding evening- the opponents of Govexnm « nt took the opportunity of the { notion for going injocommittee npt to oppose the bill ,, but to lecture Mr . Gladstone on his financial policy . In making the motion Earl € } ranvo . ub scarcely touehed on tfeequestion of the tax , b 3 it briefly refuted some observations made by Lord Derby , some time since , and now forgotten . everywhere but in the House of liords .

      In answer to this Lord Malmesbury made a , counter attack ; sneering at Mr . Gladstone's simple propw »" tions , and remarking bow easy it is to be sixnpte when yoa have only to double aa Income-tax . The simplicity of that tax is one of our greatest misfortunes . Had not Government known , when they threw away the soap duties , settled the Income * tax ,-lower « d the interest in Exchequer Bills ,, and proposed thegrjftt abortive conversion scheme , that war was impending , interest rising , and trade decaying ? They had attacked the financial schemes of his eminent and

      eloquent friend Mr . JWsraeli , they bad thrown out the late Government , "but surely if it was foi the advantage of the country that somebody should be substituted for Mr . Disraeli , that substitute was not Mr . Gladstone . Had he not , with the " secret correspond dence" ia his pocket , propounded the greatest delu * aion ever practised on the country—namely , that the Income-tax should cease in seven years ? Had not Mr . Gladstone recently laid down the maxim th * t the presant generation ahould bear the burden of the war ; and does he not now come down with a aewlyinvented kind of loan . Did ho not pay off" one kind of stock at three per cent , and take up another at three and a half per cent . ; pay off'at par one montn > and borrow at fifteen discount another ?

      Lord MoNTEA . tii . K followed in the same course , but making out more solidly his case against the Government . Conceding to Mr . Gladstone great ability , and entertaining for him great respect , ho yet thought it needful to place the plain English common sense view of the matter before the House . . Lord Monteagle'a position was that Mr . Gladstone

      Untitled Article

      410 THE LEADER . . [ Saturday , — ~ " —— ¦

      Untitled Article

      re understand from Mr . Cardwell ' s explanation ; tut we shall have an opportunity of surveying he measure hereafter . It appears that Ministers ind Parliament , are not strong enough to protect he property of shareholders , and the pockets of . raveUers , or the life and limb of the public , igainst the " right" which the railway companies ilaim to dispose of those . v&luabies at pleasure . The Oxford Univ ^ RS ^^ ' ftas be ^ pido&lly making way in committee ! ^ Several details have been discussed—whether oc-. Hot the constituency should consist of the whole-. i |«> nvocation , Qj £ , * Bjul y

      resident membenwod olfitfiBE ? whethertfiggrepresentative members of the council should be elected by the constituency or by sections of the constituents , — the heads electing the representative heads , the professors the representative professors , and so on . On the last point Mr . Walpole defeated the Go-vernment , carrying the sectional form , by a narrow majority . It would be a great stretch of charity to suosose that these amendstre ] tch of charity to suppose that these

      amendmeo ^ s were , ad ? an . Qedientird ] y as impro vernenta on the measure . Evidently t ^ e great object is to arrest iflrcMbiti ; aii ^ sbnie vrtro are quite sincere in Tiesjring if possi }> ie to , obtain a , larger measure of reform , do not see how they ; are risking the entire bpl hy- thus feUihg in . with the plans of those " ^^ e ;^ e ^ '& ^ tb ^ e ^(; '' jSie reforIn and to injure the'Ministry . It is sai 3 , as a reproach to some of the OpiMJSitions- thaii their measure has introduced c 6 i # isu > n into the clause and its context ; but

      $ jjgjft ; . jjg ! & ' -10 jgE % ^^ 3 gBt { yetTg- mu « h , yeated at l ^^ ^ d ^ a | , dthiy | pp ^ . jg ^ p ^ . ^ ck / ibQ . the 3 ^| j ^* ei ^»«^ m ^ iKQiild fbe . j ^^^ dis ^ i gfe ; ' . ; ; . . . . ' . * ., ¦ ^^ Pt ^ sjar ^ , ^^ -to an abru . pt tCCTBinajtioja . ; At thfr publia xoeetmg , > on Suada ^ U ^ sdfottnd ^ itat the receipts , Instead of ranging aboiit 3000 Z . v ieli short of 400 L The delegates iN ^ ^ r ^ yata meeting , 4 ind subsequently issued % nfi 4 oe ^ anriou ^ ftmg ^ to , theij : constitaents that it

      lt * s oecefisary to close the contest . We do oiot , 4 ejinrfle , entirely . ~ % gseev with the dfilegajje * i » |^| i ^ , ^ i % ; fWq ^ ibr this roBtiH ; but this subject we defer fora saparate cpasider ^ tioQ . ¦ In the mean while , let u ^ observe that , by preventing an amicable close , by filling t ]^ . tai ^ w ^ h \ workme ^^ adistaace , th * xnastorg ha , ve at once created a great mags of misery amongat . those who areaow l « ft destitute , have thrown upon the . conununity a , burden , of wbieh the ratepayers insist take their share , and

      have lodged the seedoC a bad feeJmg which will deservedly \ isat them wdtb . odium hereafter . We say- that the masters are responsible for this , since . the atriJke would apt have takan place if their order had habitually been frank with the in&a ; it ' might have been brought to a close if t ^ ey ^ had heeu willing to arrange the dispute ; and even at the eleventh hour it would have been § till amicably settled by disinterested parties , if J ; h $ masters had not desired that it should leave b&hiud upon the men the bitterness of defeat .

      Thje supplemental eatimates , which came before tfie House of Commons last night , have been treated by public writers as a bugbear , calculated to frighten the public . It 13 not the amount that will do so ; that would he taken rather as an earnest that Government was proceeding heartily in the work . The total amount is just short of S ^ QOOfiOQl . j but as it includes pay for 5000 additional seamen , and an increase of 14 , 800 men to the army , it would not be grudged , if the

      public would be quite sure that the eura of 3 , 000 , 000 / . for the transport of men and horses were not in excess . We do not think it is ; hut it is the payments to the dealer and contractor class that will be viewed with most jealousy , and ought to be most closely watched . Unfortunately all contract interests are strong in Parliament ; aad it soems likely to continue strong ho long as the nation uIIowb its politioal action to remain in abeyance-. <

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), May 6, 1854, page 410, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2037/page/2/