On this page
- Departments (2)
-
Text (10)
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
-
^^^ -===== &®rs r^ 77Hf;rt CHQ ¦ Wf > |V, -'V V ^ ^ ^¦WTtP & C A ll f* if ^ ><-> / -4^ - j^ -i-V -V- . - ' ^V -V ? O^ (°y ^ —*—— ¦
-
Untitled Article
-
" ^ • • . _^ . Bub! It gfjtirS. "¦ u A J/l
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
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.
Untitled Article
THE REFORM DEBATE . Parliament , as'its name denotes , was .. primarily invented for the purposes of conference between the ' estates of the realm on ¦ matters of common concern . When money was .-wanted ,-. an enemy near , or rogues at ho : uc were troublesome , the King was wont to call upon the great men of the country and the good men of the towns to meet him on a { riven day , that they miglit . talk over tlic matter and settle what should be done' Nobody had thcii heard of the fine phrases now in everybody ' s lip ' s , about what is called " government Ijy public opinion ; " . but , substantially , ' that was very wise old ancestors had
much the notion our m their lieadp , though it was often hard work keeping their kings and great men . up to the principle . JsTow-a-days , indeed , we fare somewhat better , and qur-hereditary rulers don ' t find it answer to neglect what is said in the conference lialU of ^ Vestminster—especially in the ungildcd one . True to its traditions , Parliament seems to think that its chief function is that of indulging in a grand national talk . There was a little appearance of indolence or indecision at the beginning of the present session ; but that is all over now , and during the last week the hundred tongues of St . Stephen ' s have been in full' swing .
We . need not repeat our opinion of the Government bill for the reform of the representation . It has been now for a month before the country , and nearly every man ' s mind is made uj ) as to its merits and defectn . In the progress of the question it is undoubtedly a great step . It scores oil' . many important items never admitted before as debits to the people , and so far it helps materially to hasten the long looked for settlement of the national account . But settlement itself it is not , and in hardly , indeed , any longer pretended to be . It wan perhaps the largest oiler which the liberal men
m the Cabinet could have got their colleagues to sanction Or their adherents to vote for ; ana if su , instead of taunting Mr . Disraeli , Lord Stanloy , uml Sir J . Pakington , with not having jumped out of the window three months ogo , wo ought to tluinlc them for having remained where they were , and thus obtained the consent of their Ministerial associates to opening the door hal ' -way . Now Hint it is " ajar , it will be the fau . lt of othovs it * it bo not thrown open wide . Wo have go (; IQl . franchise in counties and a weekly-lodger huiU'iigo in towm t > begin with in framing a better measure ; ud having bo much in hand , nothing wliort of treachery
on the part- ; of . Whig leaders can prevent our having a large and practical measure of Reform by the end of the present session . It Will never do , however , to leave the cleterininatioii of what the actual terms arc to be to a dozen fine gentlemen on either side of the House . When the" purely negative amendment of Lord John Russell is . earned ., Lord . Derby will have to tell the -Queen one of two things—either that she ou /> ht to dissolve Parliament , or that she ought to form another administration . It is Itis undoubted right , as a Constitutional Minister , to give her ]\ faiesty either counsel ; and it is e ([ ually certain !
clear , that , as a Constitutional Queen , her Majeptyhas . no riVhtto refuse either . If she had not a belief in Lord Derby ' s public and private loyalty , talent , and honour , she ought never to have confided to him the ' Treasurer ' s staff . For twelve months and more she has confided to him and his colleagues , with every appearance of unreserve , the safe keeping of the empire , and the conduct of our affairs , wiicn the draft of the proposed Reform 3 Jill was submitted to her for approval , no objection was made that it was too small ; on the contrary ,
the Court , as is well known , do not even profess to care how small the change may be ; and every Pliipps and Grey , in'whose blank ness is mirrored the looks of those that use him , reveals how great is the anxiety , and how fervent the hope , that the Reform Question may be dealt with and got rid of anyhow , without shortening the duration of I ' arJia-r liient , or the adoption of the ballot . But haying once permitted the bill to be introduced , by Ministers' who had undertaken to govern by means of a Parliament called bv their foes , as long as it might
be possible , and to whom no intimation was given , at starting , that whenever their rivals chose 1 , they might turn them out without an appeal to the countrv , the Sovereign became in honour committed * to . follow any lawful or legitimate course her present advisers -might recommend ; and though there be many in Parliament , as well as at Court , who , " it" they had their , way , would never liave Parliament dissolved at all , it were an ill'day for the power and security of con . stitutionali ^ in-in England , if the Queen should be betrayed into reftising tlic Tory cabinet what is their incontestable right .
Why Ministers should , under present circumstances , wish for a dissolution in quite another affair . Supposing their most sanguine calculations realised , they can hardly hope to . gain a . majority in a new House of Commons . So strongly , indeed , rs tlnV felt that more than one of tliein have avowed their unwillingness to having recourse to such an expedient . The names of Lord Salisbury and of General J ? eel are freely ¦ mentioned as amongst those that lean this way ; and , what is still more important , the L ' remier himself is strongly suspected of being reluctant to run the risk of a similar beating to that which he received at . tlic hustings the other handit is understood that
in 1852 . On , the old gentlemen we have named have had enough of party toil and trouble , and want , above all things , to be allowed to retire to the pastimes of which they are fond , and to the care of the large possessions of which they are proud . The amb " ition , the pluck , and the youth of the party are of a'different mind . They want an electoral fight * as all true soldiers do , in the hope of distinction , and for sake of the chance of power . They say , ami with truth , that when they enlisted under Lord Derby twelve months ago , they did so with the distinct understanding that they wore not to hold ofliee on Whig SuflbrauK'o , and that unless they broke down as an administration , their chief would keep faith with them . No wonder , then , that in his own Cabinet Lord Derby is in a
minority on that which is now tho pressing question of the day . His 'bill is as dead and done for as any still-born constitution of the Abbo Sieyes . The debate of the p ' ast week hsw not boon really maintained with any reference on either side to tho fate of tho measure , because from tho outset this has been thoroughly known . Kyery clover speech has been addressed to tho constituent body , with a view to a place in the next Parliament , and to the possession of power or influence in that assembly . Had tho Whigs boon up to tho mark of popular domnndH , Mr . HorHnmn would never have hazarded his chance of a sent in tho next Liberal cabinet , by lib brilliant nliilippic on his former colleagues , and his bitter invuetive against tho Woodsy Kliiees and Greys . And hiul Sir liulwer Lytton not made up
bis mind that the only resource lef t-to conservatism was to alarm the selfish fears of the middle classes throughout the country , 'he-would never have rung the tocsin of the " Constitution in danger , " as ho did on Tuesday night . Instead of advancing to meet popular wishes , the craf ty and ambitious oligarchs on both sides of the House have seemed only bent on strengthening their actual position , and ' consolidating their strength for defence . Lord John Russell , has missed a great ' opportunity of putting himself at the head , of the popular-party in the nation , by abstaining from saying what he would do regarding the Suffrage . This may bethe way to ofliee , but it is not the way to power .
Untitled Article
THE PROPOSED CONGRESS , At the instance of France , Russia .-ha ? proposed a Goncrress , to be held in some neutral city , on the affiiirs of Italy . Great Britain and Prussia have readily assented ; but though Lord Cowley was told at Vienna that Austria would not object , she naturally hesitates until the basis of deliberation shall have been very distinctly and definitely arranged . It is not to be expected that an old , a powerful , and a haughty empire will readily agree to submit her pretensions in the Peninsula to the jiirlnment of her assembled rivals . - - Tei-ritorial sovcixMo-nty over the Milanese and Venice will not , 1 and itis onl
of course , be so much a ? questioned- ; - y the rights claimed by her ^ under treaties , " . to ' . interlore iuthe domestic concerns of the minor Italian HhUos . that can , under any circumstances , become a subject of discussion . Count Buol affects a tone . of intense moderation , and professes to regard the care which Austria has hitherto been called on to exercise for . the domestic tranquillity of the Peninsula as a costly burden which the Apostolic Emphe-• would : gladly be relieved from . Nobody , of course , is expected to believe such professions . We know , indeed , that it is not for the honour and glory of iraolership that Austria has undertaken to play , the part of bully and ...-hangman whenever called . upon ,, and sometimes when not called upon , in tho States of Central Italy- Notoriously and avowedly it has
been because she believe : ! , and with good r-Cftson , that if free institutions were established . -on' her southern as well as upon her western , frontier ,. her retention of Lombardy would soon become impossible . "When France ' proposes , therefore , that she should bum her . separate treaties with Modena , Tuscany , Parma , Borne , and Naples , and take no thought ibr the morrow , she proposes that which , it ' conceded , might afford Louis Napoleon a . diplomatic .- , pretext for withdrawing from Piedmoutesc designs , but which , as regards the future of . It . aly , would be utterly and totally fruitless . If the separate conventions were at an end to morrow , and tliat revolutionary movements threatened' the existence of any one " of the ducal or royal despots whose safety they now formally assure , can anyone suppose , thiit the Court of A'icnmi would therefore give car to their cry f <> r military aid ?
When somebody asked the French Ambassador the other day what his master promised himself from a Congress , the outspoken victor of thft Malakhoir is said to have explained that it would enable him u to retire from his present attitude with honour . " Is he , ' then , alread y preparing to abandon the credulous ally , who but six weeks ago bartered the hand and the happiness of his inexperienced child for the military support of Franco , and who has mortgaged dec-ply the resources of his country in making preparations forward What
will Sardinia be the better for a Congress , supposing all that peace-making diplomats recommend should bo done Y How will tho condition of the Milanese bo improvedf How will th « importunities of a Buffering nation bo more easily utaidwlion , tholr tone has become that of jh ? i » iinm »! i ? >> , '" *!> w to become of all tlie men of education , of ijinnlv , and of enterprising spirit , whom the (« ov <> rmnant ; of Cavour has collected in Turin , and tod with hopes of a movement fav national dciliyeranour Ami what is to become of oonntitiitn » ntt |« m as tl » o
moderate" alternative to republican unity , aliev tho Ion" dream of a royal h'boratorship hIiuII hnvo »«> 5 e « l away f Or vliat in to become ot _ eon » muiiunulimn in Piedmon t , itnell when its hiKii priest tihiill be driven out with it and ( lirtoomlitud from tho councilH of tlio King , to mako way for some plmiHiblo reactionist like Count Hovel I * On wluifc IiuH Victor Kinmnnuel to fall back t The parn ] K'i-tivu in , imU'od , for him and his realm- a gnivo mid uloomy one .
Untitled Article
SUBSCRIPTION TO " THE 5 LEADER . ONE CHIME A PER YEAR , UNSTAMPED , PREPAID . ( Belivcred Gratis ) . ^ J : —______^__ . ' . ; ===== l
Untitled Article
XOTICKS TO t ! OKRESl OXI > EXTrf . - " SisiiifiiS ¦ SaSlfilllsss Yii-SSo -S'SSS ^^ . ^ KSSS'll ^ Se ., A H ' o , * , v "' ' c " \ n . o . ic fatiie . an . Ht ^ AKix-tVlll appear in our iK .-xt . ^^ .
Untitled Article
. ' ' OFFICE , HO . , CATHERINE-STREET , STKAND , AV . C ., The commotions premises formerly occupied by tlie IMonsixc . 1 ' lERAr . i ) .
^^^ -===== &®Rs R^ 77hf;Rt Chq ¦ Wf ≫ |V, -'V V ^ ^ ^¦Wttp & C A Ll F* If ^ ≫≪-≫ / -4^ - J^ -I-V -V- . - ' ^V -V ? O^ (°Y ^ —*—— ¦
^| R ^ c ¦ . ¦
Untitled Article
SATURDAY , MARCH 26 , 1859 .
" ^ • • . _^ . Bub! It Gfjtirs. "¦ U A J/L
fu Hii f ' Sfairs ; ¦ ¦ ¦ a
Untitled Article
There is xiotlihi " - so rovolutioiuiry , bocause there is nothing so uaniitui-al and convulsive , us ' the strain fo keep thiiig-s fixed when nil the v .-orld is by ' the ' . very lrt ' . v of its creation in eternal progress . —Dit . Ai ! XOLi > . ' ' . " ' - *~ - —
Untitled Article
' ¦* : ,, n ^^^ l 859 . l THE LEADEB . 401 "
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), March 26, 1859, page 401, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2287/page/17/
-