The Press. — London, England, 1858-05-08 00:00:00

THE PRESS, Mey 8, 1858. " THE INDEPENDENT LIBERALS ;" OR , THE " BETRAYED" ONES w o gs, about a week since, Mr. ROEBUCK announced, in a startling speech for the establishment of Ministerial despotism in India, that the House of Coons had ceased to look with distrust on that once formidable ol i garc hy, " the great Whig houses," we listened with no small surprise, but with utter incredulity. It seemed quite natural that the learned and w aspish Member for Sheffield should be the man to utter so cruel an im putation on the House at large, and upon his own allies, the Administra tive Reformers, especially. But even had it been credible that any party would intrust a "consent brief" in any political arrangement to so com bative a personage, the special acquiescence alleged was simply and abso impossible, even supposing the so-called " Liberal " side of the lutely House to be alone alluded to. We once knew a young poet who pardoned his too sincere friend for criticizing a pet ode ; we have heard of a young l a dy who forgave her cousin for telling her that she sang out of tune ; but such magnanimity has its limits, and the Liberals who lack the sangre cad of pure Whigdom must be more or less than men if they could forgive that systematic monopoly of power and place by a few great families—" curite," as Sir COBSEWALL LEWIS might call them—against which they have so long and so vainly protested. Mr. ROEBUCK'S intrepid misstatement was not long to want a practical refutation. " Citius, quam speraveram, deprehendit Fortuna temeri. " tatem." We have before us the report of a meeting of " independent Liberal members," to the number of 120, convoked in a Committee-room of the House, not to support or oppose any particular man or measure, but to protest against Whig oligarchy, and against " Dowb " in general, against the used-up statesmen—now undergoing deserved penance in opposition— their antecedents, and their relatives. Mr. HEADLAst, the Chairman, explained that the real object of the meeting was to express the general feeling which he believed to prevail, that of late the Liberal party had not been fairly treated—that, in fact, it had rather been betrayed. The plain truth of the statement atones for its lack of novelty : they have been un fairly treated, have been made cat's paws, in fact, to a few Whig leaders, who were just Free-traders enough to buy votes in the cheapest market, and to g ive no substantial payment to the Radical allies whom they could cajole by vague promises of unmeant Reform, or bribe by an invitation to " her Ladyship's ball." But note the pathetic climax—" had in fact rather been betrayed." What an expressive adverb ! We have seen the same word used to convey the intense self-admiration of an exquisite. Perhaps in Mr. HEADLAM'S use of the term there may lurk some shade of self-com placency—some " douce reminisance " of the blandishments of titled Premiers. "Oh, the Earl was fair to see !" Sir Andrew boasts—" I was beloved too—once !" but the independent Liberals have been betrayed, rather! any time these thirty years. They have squandered their affec tions on a series of seductive Ministers, and after each heartless desertion have found no resource but that of the fair and frail Julia, "To love "again, and be again undone." At length they threaten an action for breach of promise, and declare, in Mr. HEALLAM'S words, "that office "ought not to be in posession of a clique, or a few families, and that a " wider base for conducting the affairs of the empire is absolutely neces "sary." This is a great step, certainly, though it is hard to conceive why it has been so long deferred. But Mr. BAss went further—in fact, was very bitter indeed. He moved a resolution expressing dissatisfaction with " the Governments that have heretofore relied on the Liberal party," and implying that such Governments have been neither zealous nor sincere in promoting measures of improvement and Reform. llere, again, the in dependent Liberals seem to have been slow of conviction. But we must suppose that they have long known the fact, and have only now resolved to act on it. "Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers." Or can it be, that Whig Ministers are not the only Liberals who have made Reform a stalking-horse rather than a hobby ? But we return to our meeting. Mr. BAXTER seconded the motion, and expressed himself as a thorough going Nonconformist in regard to the Whig system of exclusive patronage. Ile recommended a little " saints rest" for Lord PALmEnivros, in the shape of exclusion from office, and would not advise any step for the overthrow of the present Government. Mr. Cul( rose next (in fact, several Members had called for him Immediately after the outpouring of Mr. BAss), and moved a resolution that any G overnment wishing to have the con fid ence o f t h e Lib era l party " .should be established on a wider basis." He remarked that the new Government was weak, but he did not see how at the present time any one Could form a stronger—an admission savouring not merely of " Liberalism," but of what is rarer and better, real liberality. In fact, the Member for Hull attested all that we have been asserting during the past month Ixcting the st a t e of parties and the feeling of the country. Mr. FORSTER (Walsall) briefly seconded the resolution, adding a little touch of irony 445 about " those who might truly call themselves the Liberal party." This resolution, like the former, was unanimously adopted. Several resolutions in favour of particular measures having been put and withdrawn, Mr. ASPINALL TURNER made a practical proposal for the appointment of " a regular Whip," with the view, we conclude, of touching up the Whig leaders. This certainly " looks like business ;" indeed, the whole proceed ings showed more of real independence than any move which we can remember on the part of the same body. Yet somehow we feel tempted to suspend, though not absolutely to refuse, our confidence. How many Radical protests have we heard equally vigorous, if not equally systematic ! How often has a factious vote of the same unstable patriots belied similar professions of independence, and handed over the country once more to the " clique " whom they had reviled and the jobs which they had denounced ! Oligarchical Whiggery has been threatened, exposed, occa sionally checked ; yet still Servitors crescit nova, nec priores ; Inipiie tectum dominte relit-1(1mila. Ssepe min ati. However, this last menace has an air of earnestness, and we will hope its suc cess may be proportioned to its sincerity. The meeting were not very defi nite in their plan of operations, but this was to be expected. The effort was made in a new form, and betrayed the awkwardness incidental to want of practice. We have heard of a German traveller who, finding himself rather a fish out of water among the more mercurial inhabitants of Paris, endeavoured to train himself by brisk exercise. The whole hotel shook with his unwieldy gambols, and when the astonished master rushed to his room to learn the cause, they found him jumping over the chairs and tables. "J'apprends d'être vii;" was his brief explanation. The "independent Liberals," no doubt, are "learning to look alive," and with a little of the whip will do very well. There is, however, one rock ahead which they should avoid. They must not, like Mr. HEADLAM, indulge in vague specula tions as to the probable speedy return of some possible Whig Ministry to place and patronage. It may be well enough for Lord PALMERSTON'S parasites, or the devoted band of Lord JOHN Russw., to comfort them selves in exclusion from office by dreams of future commissions and plunder yet to be; like that eminent Scotch martyr who is recorded by his biographer to have " solaced himself under present sufferings by the hopes "of a blessed immorality hereafter." But if the Liberal party are really to learn liberality, and Reformers to be reformed, these ends must be attained, not by stimulating cupidity, but by upholding public principle. If the basis of government is to be widened, it must be not by a mere promiscuous scramble for the loaves and fishes, but by enforcing the responsibility of those who bestow patronage, and by fairly testing and impartially criticizing the qualifications of those who receive it. Mean while, we recommend the Times to begin letting Lord PALMERSTON down gently. It would be fatal to the well-earned repute of that paper for judicious time-serving to cling to a fallen man whose chance of rising again is a minimum. PREMIERS AND "LEADERS." When L— on a sudden was lifted so high, Politicians were posed by the " how" and the " why." 'Twas strange, that such honour and profit should wait On a bungler in office, a "muff" in debate; Raised to splendour at home from Colonial eclipse, And as welcome to Pam as ungrateful to Gipps. But witlings are leaky—the fact oozes out, And Palmerston's motive emerges from doubt. L—'s metal was bad, but the Premier could tell That his paper would circulate widely and well ; So he bought him, as Warren is said to have fee'd His poet in Grub-street, to puff him at need. L—'s patron might drift on defeat or disgrace, Might endanger his credit, his party, his place, Might stumble on blunders more fatal than crimes, Yet never have cause " to complain of the Times." " TEMPORA Al UTANTUR." " Lord Palmerston and Mr. Bright rose together, and though there were loail cries for the latter, the Noble Viscount proceeded."—Parliaaiestary Report. Not a twelvemonth has past since the country was told, That Lord Pam could alone save the State, When the Cambridge-house clique cheered the Viscount so bold, And hailed him the first of the great. The error spread wide, although To expose the delusions of faction, Now we see from each side " there's a turn in the tide," And admire the force of reaction. sense tried It chanc'd t'other night, from a bench to the right, Lord Palmerston rose in debate, When together with him an antagonist grim, John Bright bared his pugilist pate ; What a strange fluctuation, since Pam our Salvation, And Bright, so " un-English" was reckoned ; Now the House with one voice, called the Quaker for choice, And Palmerston figures as second. M. P. common A