On this page
-
Text (1)
-
„ 1132 .___„ __!_ ' • __ TH L^ _ _^
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.
-
-
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.
Me. Coningham And His Constituents. {Abr...
freely your franchise , but only return such men to Parliament as are possessed of 10 , 000 ? . in the Three per Cents , or 300 ? . a year in some other kind of substantial property . I confess i t rather ruffled me at the threshold that my private affairs should be so investigated , that your verdict -was not sufficient , that my : right to sit in that House as your representative was to be called in question because I might be in possession only of a professional income . 1 say , sir , that one of the first things we lave to do is to abolish this property qualification . ( Cheers . ) Being duly armed with a document testifying to the fact , for -which my signature was required , I enter the House of Commons , and there I find anotlier obstruction : I see three mysterious-looking gentlemeu with
wigs and gowns sitting at a table with a number of paper tallies about a yard long , with certain strange hieroglyphics pasted on them . These I found to be a long series of oaths , which have been characterized , by the Prime Minister of this country as almost blasphemous , and which are universally acknowledged to be exceedingly ridiculous . ( Hear , hear . ) A number of members were there to be sworn in ; and the rapidity with which these oaths are read over is absurd . I could scarcely edge in a word , and I found myself landed ' on the true faith of a Christian' before I knew what I was . saying . { Laughter . ) Now , gentlemen , I appeal to you , is this a rational mode of proceeding , —that theonly men whoare deemed fit to govern you , the only men who are
qualified to be Governors-General in India , should compel us to ^ subscribe to a number of ridiculous oaths directed against the Pretender and the Pope ? "We were compelled to take these long oaths without sense or meaning , by the noble lords who call themselves the leaders of the country , and this in the teeth of overwhelming majorities in the House of Commons . - "Why , those are not leaders . ( Hear hear . ) You , the people , are the leaders , if you would take the lead into your own hands . { Cheers . ) You must tell those gentlemen that they have too long ruled the country , that they have too long monopolized power , and place , and patronage . { Cheers . ) The only privileges which have been allowed you . are those of work and overwhelming taxation .
{ Hear , hear . ) Gentlemen , it is high time to put an end to such a system as that . ( Hear . ) It is the people that do the work ; it is the people who ought to have the power . ( Cheers . ') The people who do the woxk are interested in retrenchment , —not those noble lords who profess to lead you . { Hear , hear . ) . If you but express your wish in a peaceful hut resolute manner , I tell you your thraldom ¦ will be at an end . It requires but a word from the great municipal constituencies of the country , and your bonds w ill fall from your hands and you-will be what you never have been since the Norman Conquest , —you will be a freely governed people , a people governed by themselves . ( Cheers . ) Well , gentlemen , I swallowed the oaths—{ laughter )) and I confess after
having gone' through the ceremony I felt that I had been humiliated . Perhaps that is one of the objects of enforcing oaths of this description . One of our first duties was to elect a Speaker . A highly accomplished gentleman was selected to fill that office ; and for my own part I can testify to the very able , efficient , and impartial—for Speakers are not always impartial—manner in which he filled that office . We were then a duly elected House of Commons . We had selected a Speaker , and it then became our duty to go and hear the Queen ' s speech . So our Spoaker leads the way , and we follow in a somewhat noisy manner to the bar of the Hoiise of Lords , where we , who hold the purse-strings of the country were treated as if we had
been coming to receive sentence . ( Laughter . ) There we saw a noble lord dressed in the most astonishing paraphernalia — { laughter ) — presenting an appearance something between a beadle in full-bottomed wig and a Queen ' s coachman — ( laughter )—with a three-cornered hat fiercely cocked over his right eye . He held a document in his hand which ho proceeded to mumble , not one word of which , I confess , did I hear . On the scarlet woolsack on ¦ which his ample sides reposed were also seated four other gentlemen , clad in scarlet and ermine , and looking , with theiT cloaks wrapped round them , cold and melancholy beyond description . I do confess that tho whole affair put me strongly in mind of Dickey Doyle ' s ' Manners and Customs of vo English' in Punch .
( Laughter . ) This , gentlemen , is what is deemed necessary to impose on the people and their representatives , but for myself , and I trust also for yo » u , I declare it is utterly contemptible . ( Hear , hear . ) I declare that woolsacks and horsehair do not impose on ua at all . This , gentlemen , is what they give us instead of law reform and reform of all kindsnoble- lords seated on woolsacks , crowned with horsehair , and topped with cocked hats . ( Laughter . ) Gentlemen , I tell tho aristocracy of this country who call thorn solves tho loaders of tho pooplo that tho time for
these absurdities js gone by—( hear , hear )—that wo are aick of all such nonsense—that wo want to got rid of shams and come to atom realities and common sense . { Cheers . ) I will now refer , gentlemen , to a few of tho most important queationa on which we divided . Tho first on my list in tlio Ballot . ( Hear , hear . ) "Well , gentlemen , we divided on the Ballot , and wo divided in f \ very handsome minority . But I must tell you that unless tho constituencies will support their representatives by public meetings and by pressing tho question on the attention of the Logialature , it is impossible for tho Liberal
minority—and I am sorry to see that it is no larger than it is—it is impossible for the thorough-going Liberal minority in the House of Commons to carry that important question . Upon the Ballot , as also upon the Oaths Bill , the country gave no sign , and we were invariably met with the taunt , l The country does not care about it . ' The ballot , after all , is a mere mode of taking votes , whether secretly or publicly . It does not involve a great principle as docs the Oaths Bill . Now , gentlemen , I say again , it is for the constituencies to be up and doing . You must empower your members to tell this House of Lords on your behalf that they are really behind the times , that they are of a bygone age . { Cheers . ) It was all very well in the days of the Normans ; but society is too far ahead now . " ( Hear , hear . ) It is the aristocracy of brains that ought to govern the country—{ hear , hear )—and the brains will have their
way ; yea , in spite of ten thovisand Houses of Lords , that great principle of civil and religious liberty which was proclaimed at the time of the Information will be carried out— - { hear , hear )—and whether it be Baron Rothschild or not , I tell those noble lords that the Jews shall sit in the House of Commons — ( cheers)—but it is the people who must place them there . { Hear , hear . ) Don't you send xis , a miserable minority , into the House of Commons to right your battles , and then shrink out of the way as if it were no concern of yours . It is like a forlorn hope sent to storm a breach . I am not afraid of forlorn hopes , but you ought to back me up . ( Hear . ) Then , gentlemen , we had another division . It was not Church-rates—{ lauyhter)—we had no time for
Churchrates last session ; so they told Sir John Trelawney . " We did the next best thing , however—we abolished Ministers' money . ( Hear , hear . ) I was quite willing to take that as an instalment ; but , gentlemen , I hope that you are of my opinion—that we . shall not be satisfied with that instalment . - ( Cheers . ) I trust , therefore , that the Church-rate abolition will soon be carried . ( Hear , hear . ) . But I may here say that 1 do not blame Lord Pahnerston for not having carried it . 1 think Lord Palmerston last session disappointed the expectations of a large number of people , who really thought that ! Mr ; Disraeli was a true prophet . when he said we had been sent in merely to waste the year ; They were quite surprised to find that we had done more than had
been done in almost any year before . We had carried important measures of reform . I say a harder-working House of Commons had scarcely ever been returned . There might not be amongst them great orators , Burkes , and Grattans , and Foxes , and it was rather the tone of the public , press to abuse us as a worthless good-for-nothing set of fellows ; but I can assure you we were very bard-working fellows , and also that they were very honest fellows . ( Hear , Jiear . ) The divisions that took place were not mere party divisions . For my own part , I always endeavoured to vote upon the merits . " Mr . Coningham proceeded to discuss the Divorce Bill , the administration of the National Gallerv , and the
Indian mutiny . " " Why , gentlemen , in old constitutional countries like this , where any respectable blockhead does for a monarch , and any respectable blockhead is qualified to sit in-the House of Lords , that kind of thing may be of little importance ; but when you invest , a man with supreme power over 200 millions of men and place in his hands 200 , 000 soldiers , I say very different qualifications are required . { Hear , hear . ) I say it is not an aristocratic qualification that is necessary , but an aristocracy of talent , of brain , as I said before . { Cheers . ) Have you , the people of England , not witnessed with wrath and indignation the manner in which you drifted into a Russian war from the incapacity of your rulers ? On a second
occasion you see yourselves drifting into an Indian mutiny , your brothers and female relatives massacred , slaughtered , violated , and abused by a set of savages . ( Hear , hear . ) It is for you not to allow , by a mere change of system , a throwing from one hand into another , a juggle , those who are responsible to cscapo from a searching investigation . It is for you to find out what is the cause of those disasters . " After some remarks on the history of tho English in India , Mr . Coninghamwent on to say : — - "I saj r one of the most effectual remedies for crime is to diminish taxation . ( Hear , hear . ) But we cannot get it diminished unless you back us up . I divided the House on the Princess ' s Dowry , with a fearful majority staring mo in tho face ; tut 1 was determined to interpose , and , if possible , put a stop to tho Government putting its hands into tho people ' s pockets . ( Hear , hear . ) The public were asked to vote 40 , 000 / . down in hard cash , and 8000 ? . a year aa
long as' tho daughtor of tho Queen lived . ( Hisses and applause . ) I took upon myself to divide tho House when tho report was brought up—( hear , hear ) - ~ i \ tid when , I assure you , I did not know that I should have more than my seconder to divide with mo . I did it aa a protest . I took my stand on a great principle . 1 say if tho Queen has a largo family sho cannot expect to have them so well provided for aa if aho had a small one . Sho is not exempt from , the laws of nature . ' Tho nioro tho merrier , tho fewer the bettor cheor , ' applies an well to a queen as to a peasant . ( Great applause . ) What id tho uso of preaching political economy in the workhouse if the palnco is to ignore its principles V (/ fair , hear . ) I had intended to divide when tho bill was llrst brought bofore us , and I Imcl actually risen « t tho » mnu time aa Mr . Roebuck . Some of the membcra of tho Rudicul party who sat behind mo snid , * Mr . Roebuck
has got an amendment in his hand ; better let him pro pose it . ' I gave way to Mr . Roebuck . I intended to reject the 8000 £ a year proposed and to have given the Princess 100 , 000 ? . down . ( Hear , hear . ) Mr . Roebuck got up and moved his resolution and made a speech . I rose and stated that I would support him . There was a good deal of conversation at the time , and I did not hear what was going on ; and to my great astonishment the first intimation I had that the amendment was withdrawn was seeing all the members rushing out of the house . I can only say that it was a very indiscreet
step for Mr . Roebuck to take . There was a strong feeling on tlie subject on the independent benches where I sat , and I must say that I think it was an error of judg - ment on Mr . Roebuck ' s part ; for I am convinced thaHLf ¦ we had divided then , we should have divided in a large minority , perhaps a majority . I was determined at all hazards to divide the House . I should not have alluded to the matter at such length but that I have been violently assailed for what I did on that occasion ; but it will be for you to decide whether I did right or wrong . ( Cheers . ) You can have no conception when these estimates are laid before us how bewildering is the chaos of items that
are presented to us , and the immense difficulty we have in finding out what ought to be reduced and what is a , fair demand on the public purse . I say that when you . look at the enormous revenue of the Crown , something like 400 , 000 / . a year , Buckingham Palace , a palace at Windsor , yachts , another country palace in the Isle of Wight , with purchases of laud going on every day , a palace down in Scotlandj 20 , OOOZ . a year from the Duchy of Lancaster , upon which the Chancellor of the Exchequer was dead silent , but of which I took care to remind him— ( hear ., hear- )—and we are told that the
Duchy of Cornwall has accumulated l , O 00 , 0 O 0 £ for the Prince of Wales—with these enormous revenues at their disposal , I for one protest against the Crown coming down and demanding the hard earnings of the people . " ( Cheers . ) Recurring to India , and adverting to commercial topics , Mr . Coningham entered upon the question of Eoform . " There is one final question to which I wish to allude before 1 sit down , arid that is the question of Reform . ( Hear , hear . ) Gentlemen , there seems a disposition in some quarters to burke the Reform Bill which we were promised . I do not remember the exact words made use of bv Lord
Palmerston ; but certainly there was a general impression throughout the country that he pledged himself last session to bring forward a Reform Bill . [ Hear , hear . ) We are now told that having the Indian . Mutiny and Charter to discuss , and this banking question to deal with , it is quite impossible that the Reform Bill can be taken into consideration . With regard to this Indian question , I should have ' . very much more confidence in the result if 1 foresaw that the whole question of the administration ' -of India was to be discussed in a . reformed House of Commons . ( Hear , hear . ) 1 am not a Doctrinaire Reformer , gentlemen . I do not fancy that tliere
is any extraordinary mystery in-the question of reform ; but one thing I sec eluarly—that you , the electors and non-electors of this country , are governed by a House of Commons in which neither the population nor even the wealth of the country is fairly represented . ( Hear , hear . ) Two or three facts which I shnllquote will satisfy you on that point . On turning over my papers the other day , I found some data which will conclusively show that neither the population nor the property — I am not sure that I might not say also thu intelligence—of the country are fairly represented at present . At the time these statistics were taken it was
estimated that the population of boroughs amounted to 0 , 800 , 000 , returning 323 members ; 16 of those boroughs with an aggregate population of 2 , 1 ) 17 , 000 returned 33 members , and the other half of the population , that is , about 2 , 1 ) 00 , 000 , returned 209 members ; 22 boroughs with a population of 200 , 000 , returned 42 members , and 22 other boroughs with a population of 3 , 780 , 000 also / returned 42 . members . Tlieu , with regard to property , Sussex , rated atl , lGl ) , 000 / . returned 18 members ; and Middlesex rated at 7 , 293 , 00 OJ ., returned only 11 members to Parliament . Liverpool , rated at 845 , 415 / ., returned 2 members , « nd Honiton , rated at 9830 ? ., also returned 2 members . Is there any sense in such a system of representation us that ? ( Hear . ) I say that without
the Ballot , —leaving everything us it is and simply by a change in the rejweaentatioii based on jwpulation , —1 fc < - 'l convinced that you , tho people , tho liberal , intelligent people of this country , the possessors of the bruins A 11 " of the hands that produce the wealth , would be represented in Parliament in a manner highly satisfactory to yon . I declare for my part I should be quite satisfied with such « change , trusting to the futuro to introduce any other alterations that might be necessary . But , gentlemen , I must again remind you that unless you exert that mental and physical energy you possess , and to
winch you have exerted in taking the necessary rttq >* reconquer tho Indian Empire , you will obtain no Reform Bill ; and if yon do not wish to sec a repetition of such disasters , you will tnkc the Government , the monopoly of Government , out of tho hands of the aristocracy , and you will declare yourselves a frco people , grown to years o £ discrution and capable of governing yourselves . ( Aj ) plame . ) You nro tho best judges of -what is for your own interests , and I call on you , gentlemen , to cxpross your opinions on this question of Reform , to ti'H Lord Palmor » tou and hia government whether or
„ 1132 .___„ __!_ ' • __ Th L^ _ _^
„ 1132 . ___„ __!_ ' __ TH L ^ _ _^
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 28, 1857, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_28111857/page/4/
-