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1222 THE LEADER. [Saturday, — . - h ' ¦ ...
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THE PARLIAMENT OF THE WEEK. MINISTERIAL ...
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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.
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Exit Derby, And Enter Aberdeen. Lord Der...
yet received . The Fishery question , we learn , is still open , with a prospect of friendly settlement . The Cuban- question is still open , with a positive refusal from Mr . Fillmore to cloSB it % joining France and England in disclaiming ftiture annefc * - ation . The Lobos question is clbsfed , with a handsome acknowledgment of " , wrdil £ " done to Peru _ an acknowledgment which titlbly proves the greatness of the Republic . America is strengthening her naval defences , and is enjoying an extraordinary degree of commercial prosperity ; by favour of which her public debt is melting away . Our own colonies of Australia continue their
wonderful reports . This time the news is darkened with a considerable revival of crime ; but the gold gilds all . The excitement in the City is immense : the shares of one company have mounted more than a hundred per cent . ; and emigration receives a new impulse—and meets with new difficulties . Two ships have returned not sea-worthy : one is the Adelaide , which was to have redeemed the character of its owners ;
the other is the W . S . Lindsay . Are our naval architects losing their art , or are ships built and fitted in too great a hurry ?
1222 The Leader. [Saturday, — . - H ' ¦ ...
1222 THE LEADER . [ Saturday , — . - h ' ¦ »* UTTTT ^ nBh .
The Parliament Of The Week. Ministerial ...
THE PARLIAMENT OF THE WEEK . MINISTERIAL RESIGNATIONS . Both Houfces met on Monday to learn officially the intentions of the late Ministers , whose resignation had been known from the public prints . There was a marked difference in the matter and tone of the speeches addressed to either House by the Prime Minister and his abler lieutenant . While Mr . Disraeli expressed , in his mellowest and most musical tones , regret for any personality which escaped him in the heat of Thursday ' s debate , and his generous apology was most generoHsly received , Lord Derby was petulant , impudent , and incorrect . One was brief and pointed ; the other , long , rambling , and unsatisfactory . First let us recount the proceedings in THE HOUSE OF COMMONS . The Clerk read the order of tbe day for going into Committee of Ways and Means . Mr . Disraeli , whose face wore an expression of pathetic resignation , and whose coat was adorned with a red rose , got upon his legs and Bpoke as follows : — " Mr . Speaker , after the vote at which , tho House arrived on Thursday ni g ht , tho Earl of Derby and his colleagues thought it their duty to tender the resignation of their offices to her Majesty , and her Majesty has been most graciously pleasoa to accept the Game . It has reached me that Itora Aberdeen lias undertaken the offico of forming a new Administration , and therefore it only remains for mo to say that we hold our present offices only until our successors are appointed . I hope the House will not think it presumptuous on my part if , under these circumstances ,
I venture to offer them my grateful thanks for the indulgent , and I may even say the generous , manner in which on both sides i have been supported in attempting to conduct the business of this . ' House . ( Hear , hear , from both sides of the House . ) 31 " , sir , in maintaining a too unequal struggle , any word ban escaped my lips ( which 1 hope has never beeh tho case except in the way of retort ) which has hurt the feelings of any gentleman in this House , I deeply regret it . ( Hear , hear , hear . ) And I . hope that tho impression on their part will be att transient as the sense of provocation was on my own . ( Hear , hear , hear . ) Tho kind opinion of the . Members of this House , whatever may be their political opinions , arid wherever 1 may sif , will always be to me a most precious possession , one ¦ which I shall most covet and most appreciate . I beg , sir , to ruovo that this House on its rising do adjourn to Thursday miirt . "
He was successively followed by " Lord . John Russell , Bir Jumna Graham , and Sir Charles Wood . Lord John Kvhhrm ,: I ri . se , air , for tho purpose , in the first place , of saying J entirely concur in the motion of tho right honourable gentleman , and in the ne-xt place to say that t feel quite certain Milit if , in tho courso of our debates , flying words should at any titiio have curried a barb "with them , it is to bo attributed entirely to the circumtjfances in which tho House is placed ( hear , hear ); and for my part 1 can only admire the ability and gallantry witlj which tho right honourable goullcniaii Iimh
cond u cted himaulf , on Mm part of the Oovcrninon . t , and in behalf of the eatiwo which bo has undnrtalcon , in the uirugglo in which he hua been for some time engaged . ( LIear , hear . ) It in impossible to hope thai those halcyon duys will ever arrive in which , in the course of debate , unpremeditated speeches shall not give rise to some unpleasant feeling ; but . if ever it should occur , feelings of that kind must bo done away , if the person in the situation of tho right lion , gentleman imitates bin example unddiMclainiM tho intention with the name franknoHs which ho lias displayed on tho present occasion . ( Hoar , bear . )
. Sir , ! amhh ( Juaiiam : With resjxiel , to the future I am altogether Uninformed , hut . with respect to tho past , after what has fallen from the right honourable gentleman , 1 cannot roiruin from ulijiug one word . It would bo
inipou-There is no member of this House so deeply attached to freedom of debate as I am . ( Hear , hear . ) In the course of debates here , I have certainly , myself , used , unguarded expressions to others , and should be the last person to feel resentment after receiving an explanation . At the same time I cordially join in what has fallen from my itoble friend the member for the city of London . I haVe never failed to admire the talents of the right hon . gentleman , and I also must say , under great difficulties he has conducted the cause of the Government in the hist ten months in this House with signal ability . ( Hear , hear . ) I shall not for one moment recollect the expression to which I have thought it my jJuty to refer , and I hope my conduct in this House will at ^ all times insure some portion of its
Bible for mo not to . fcfrbw I was somewhat pained by an expression which fell from the tight honourable gentleman on Thursday night * If I had thought that the right honourable gentlfeinan , by premeditation , intended to wound me ; myJeenngs would be far different , and it wottld be iny duty td Express them in » different manner * _ J »*« I itm not conscious that I have evfefriri the course of the debate said anything with the intentional pjurpose to wound the feelings of the righi hon . gentleman , and I could ndt bteUevethatj without provocation , lie gave expression to ^ bi-ds intended to wbuM me , I tffes confident , therefore , that the expression that had paSiied trie" was without premeditation , and what the right hon . gentleman has just said to-night has confirmed that impression . ( Hear , hear . )
respect . ( Hear , hear . ) Sir Chaexes Wood : I think I should be wanting in that proper feeling which has marked the conduct of the right honourable gentleman , if I did not say a word on this occasion . I can only say , if I had been conscious of having used an expression beyond the fair liberty of debate , I should not have been wanting in inclination to retract or apologise for that expression ; but being unconscious of having done so , I referred to a right honourable gentleman who sits near me , and he did not think I had used any expression to justify the attack of the right hon . gentleman . I think it fair to say this only in my own defence ; but feeling strongly as I did on the question under discussion , I may , in the heat of debate , have beintention
trayed a warmth of expression far beyond any on my part . ( Hear , hear . ) I thought it fair to myself to say thus much , and I may add , I accept the expression of the right honourable gentleman ' s regret as frankly as he has proffered it . ( Hear , hear . ) I am sure that he must feel that , with the friendly and reciprocal terms on which we have heretofore communicated , I could not have intended to say anything personal . And I will say further , with regard to any expressions which gave him pain , there are no expressions of courtesy which I am not willing to make . ( Hear , hear . ) I am most anxious our debates in this House should be conducted with courtesy , and I am very sorry indeed that anything like personal observation should have arisen to interrupt it . ( Hear , hear . )
Mr . Hume intimated that care inust be taken , to form the new Government upon principles of wise and progressive reform , especially in the representation . Mr . Cayley offered his " feeble tribute" of admiration to Mr . Disraeli ; and then the House agreed to adjourn until Thursday . Now let us turn to THE ITOUSE OP LOEDS . Tho House of Lords was very full of strangers and members from the Commons ; but there were few peers . Lord Derby , consistently with tho usual practice ,
announced the dissolution of the Ministry—Tho responsibility of lightly abandoning office is not less than that of lightly accepting it ; and it is right that each llouso of Parliament and . tho country ohoulu be satisfied that those who were charged with the important duties of official responsibility should not throw up the discharge of those duties on light and trivial grounds , and least of all , on grounds that partake of piquo or personal feeling . The causes which led to the dissolution of tho " present" Government are patent to all mankind . And he proceeded to state those causes .
"A carolul examination of fhe returns mado by the different constituencies , and of tho , policy professed by tho candidates at their several elections , rendered the position of tho Government und of tho other parties in tho State a matter , of no uncertainty j and of ea « y calculation ; It was clear that there were of the supporters of the Government , on questions not , involving Iiroe-trado or Protection , but of parties who were generally disposed to support her Majesty ' s Ministers , ' 310 gentlemen . There wore three ' other parties- \ i \ indeed , there woro not many Inore- ^ tho first including in it all Iho various gradations ! of opinion , from the high aristocratic and exclusive Whjy down to tho wildest theorist and the extremest of tho Jiadiculnarty , jn all their ramificatiioijH , comprising 52 ( 50 ineinbertt . The third parly consisted of gentlemen from tlio sister'kingdom , principally representing the lrinh 'Kofriaii-cat . holic clergy - moii , and holding the extreme doctrinist ) of tho
Ultramontane school — all of them pledgod by the declarations which they have put forward to use tlunr utmost endeavours for tho overthrow of the present , or any other , Government which is not prepared to act tipon their extreme opinions . . Further , there was a party , numerically Hiuull , comprehending from thirty to thirty-five inomborH , gontlomen of great personal worth , of great eminence and respect ability , possessing considerable o / licial ability and a large amount of tahint— -gentlemen who oneo professed , and 1 believe do still profess , Conservative opinions . Thoso gentlemen possess talont ,. s which would reflect , credit on any Administration , but tlniii- numbers , as I stated , are comparatively small . In t . hiH state of thingH it was obviourt to her Majesty's present Government , that though they had by far tho lui'gortl , party , and were nearly a inojoty of the whole llouso of Commons , yet they did not possess the support of an absolute majority in that . House , and that , consequently , if it uhould bo tho will of all tho tkroo other parties
to whom I have * 8 fef $ e < i to combine in carryiae- n « f movement ft * thfe ttrerthrbw of the Government th a three parM & S so combining--whatever power thev ' ir ^ possess for thettfrinfttidn of another Gt > veniment--hadlii power to deBttrfcr & id ttvtflrthrow the Government wW then existed . WB weW noi long to be left in doubt as in whether the will © listed dn the part of those to whom T have alluded , to Overthrow the Government . Before we had an opportunity of bringing forward any specific mea sures , notice was jgiven tf & motion by a gentleman hold ing ex * r , em & bpithana—4 gentleman of whom I desire to speak wj ^ th all respect because he has throughout con sistently maintained and steadily supported the same oni "
mons wnen tney were unpopular which he did when sub sequently ratified by public opinion , so that he at all events has a perfect right to plume himself on the consistenc v of his : opinions , and to the hands of no man could a declara tion . of Free-trade policy be more fitly consigned . But the hon . . gentleman holds extreme opinions ; and in order that the Government might be placed in a minority on that question , before we had i any opportunity of bring ing for ward our measures , it : was necessary that a concert should take place among all the parties to whom I have referred because , without such concert , the Government would still be in a majority . My lords , we are speaking here of no doubtful question . We have had some curious revelations
made to us by a right hon . baronet , a member of the other House / who has lifted the curtain , admitted us behind the scenes , shown us the actors preparing for their parts , and discussing the most convenient phrases to be adopted in order to obtain that universal concurrence which was nepessary to accomplish their object , and place the Government in a minority . The incidents ,. my lords , possess almost a dramatic character- for when these concerted measures appeared ready for execution , an amendment was moved in another and unexpected quarter , which placed the matter on a different footing , and prevented that union of Whigs , Conservatives , and Radicals which was necessary for the Government to be placed in a
minority . My lords , the Government escaped defeat on this occasion by the falling asunder of the different materials of which that combination was composed . "We proceeded then to bring forward and to submit to ^ Parliament the financial policy which we were to propose , and after a lengthened debate in the House of Commons , by the union of all the three parties , $ he Government were defeated ia a House almost unpfecedentedl y full—a House , I believe , in which there were not more than six-and-twenty members in the whole , House who , in one way or the other , did not record their opinions . In that Blouse , so constituted , the Government were subjected , to a defeat by a majority of nineteen . "
Had he been defeated on a minor point , greatly as lie would have felt that the position of the Government was weakened , he would not have resigned . " But this defeat was on no minor question—it was on the basis of our whole financial policy—let me rather say it was ostensibly on the basis of the financial policy which was to be established in the country , and in reality and in truth it was , and it was known to be—it -was avowed to be—a vote that was to determine the confidence or the want of confidence the House of Commons reposed in us . ( Hear , hear . ) I need not stop to prove that such was the issue really intended by the vote of the other House of Parliament—such was the issue laid before the country ; and on such an
issue her Majesty ' s Government sustained ah unequivocal defeat . I felt , and my colleagues felt with me , that no option remained but to tender to her Majesty the resignation of those offices with which she had entrusted us , but which we were no longor able to perform with satisfaction to ourselves or with the ability to carry out our own views and objects . On the morning after we had sustained that defeat—my lords , I speak only of the facts of the case , I am not about to argue upon them ; something I perhaps might have said with regard to tho character of the combination and the animus displayed in this settled purposo to overthrow the Government , but 1 wish to abstain from all expressions tho use of which can by possibility g ive nso to controversy or contradiction—having had a distinct deiiouse oi
claration of want of confidence oh the part 61 tho Commons , and having ascertained that my colleagues unanimously concurred with mo " ' to the only course wo ought to pursue , I proceeded to wait vpon ' Majestv > and to tender to her , m my own jiariie and th » t of m y / j ' leagiiep , the humble resignation of our offices . Her Majesty was pleased to accept our resignation , and S 1 S 1 'J ^ her pleasure , which was Acted upon in the course ol tno same day , to send and take tlio advice of noblemen , members of your lordships' hbupe—both of them of great exporionco and considerable ability—of long practico in public lit theml without tno wjgu ^ " " ¦
---e , ana ono or —speak - spect of the other—peculiarly distinguished , not only dv long experience , but by his woll-known moderation ana temper , by the spirit of mingled firmness and courtesy with which ho has on rill occasions discharged hifl : duties hcrft , and which is admirably calculated ' to conciliate tncnciB and to disarm opposition . ' The noble marquis to whom alhulo was prevented by illriess from attending tho summoiis of her Majesty , and on tho following day , m " Tl _ to a further summons from her Majesty , the liarl ol An - docm-tbo other nobleman to whom 1 rofrrrwl—waneti upon her Majesty , and received her Majesty ' s commands which ho signified his readinoss to obey— -to undertake lu ° formation of a new Administration "
. What its principles would be ho knew not ; but nr . rumoinhorcd hearing Lord . Aberdeen Bay that , ox cop Kroo-trade , ho knew of little or no difference between Himself and her Majesty ' s present Government : and ho k > h as there is no difference , Lord Derby will beliovo that ui « now Ministry will be conservative in spirit and prinoip Yd , Lord A bonbon must roly on having more ^ 1 )
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 25, 1852, page 2, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_25121852/page/2/
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