The Press. — London, England, 1858-06-05 00:00:00

• I bE 9 e ir ce • + ' LONDON, SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1858. No. 266.—V0L. VI. STAMPED ....SIXPFNCE. UNSTAMPED-FIVEPENCE. "THE GREAT LIBERAL PARTY." WE ought, we suppose, to believe in the ex istence, and in the power, of " the great Liberal party." It is a thing often put forward in certain journals, as not only existing, but, practi cally, ruling and governing. Yet surely the phrase "a party" implies, of necessity, certain things. A fortuitous concourse of atoms could not be a castle or a cathedral ; nor could 500 Members of Parliament, going to Sheerness in a steamboat for a naval review, properly be called "a political party." Two things seem necessary to constitute "a party " two at least; we will not say that others might not he named. These two are,—a cause, or a set of principles or objects, for which a body of men agree to contend ; and a leader or leaders, under whom they consent to act. Our "great Liberal party," then, may fairly be asked, first, to tell us what are their aims and objects ; and, secondly, who is their leader Now, in asking for the objects or principles of " the great Liberal party," we must not be put off by vagua generalities, or unmeaning *res. We must gis to the • proceedings of• ParliamAtt. itself; and learn from those records what are the practical proposals mooted in that assembly by those who are regarded, and who describe themselves, as Liberals and Reformers. Two or three days since, one of the most pro minent of the Liberal journals thus indicated some of these propogals :- "PARLIAMENTARY REFORNk—Three motions on this subject are on the eve of coming under discussion in the House of Commons. The bill for the abolition of the property qualification will go i n t o comm i ttee on W e d nes d ay, t h e 2n d !mt. ; Mr. BERKELEY'S ballot motion stands for Tuesday, the Bth ; and the CrtAxcvaxoß of the EXCHEQUER has granted Thursday, the 10th, to Mr. LOCKE KING, for his bill for the extension of the county franchise. The conduct of professing Liberals will be narrowly watched by the Party of Progress on all three of these occasions. The three votes will be a trial of the union among Reformers and of their numerical strength in the Rouse of Commons. Absence from the divisions, except under unavoidable necessity, will be held to be as serious an offence as awrong vote." Here, then, we have gained some light. Three proposals are actually before Parliament, upon Which it is expected that all Liberals will unite. This, ho wever , is but one phase of Liberalism. Another very prominent object with all who so call themselves, is—the abolition of Church-rates. On this question, the whole fraternity of Liberals art required to appear and vote, on Tuesday next. A fifth point was started in the House of Commons on last Tuesday evening. Up to this tune, for centuries past, the sole control over the army has been left with the Crown. But now it is LATEST EDITION. gravely and seriously proposed, that the House of Commons, having reduced almost every other department of the Government under its control, shall take the army, also, out of the hands of the Crown, and place it in the hands of some one accountable to Parliament. By the narrow majority of two votes, it was affirmed by the House of Commons, " that it is desirable that "the administration of military affairs by a "great officer responsible to the Crown alone, "and not immediately amenable to Parliament, "shall cease." This is assuredly an important change, and this must now be set down as one of the main objects of Liberalism. Here, then, we have five distinct proposals, and we do not at present see any more ; though, doubtless, others will arise as these are conceded or disappear. Questions concerning the details of the India Bill, or Bankruptcy or Law Reform, cannot become party-questions in the ordinary sense of the term. The present programme, at lemit, of the Liberal managers, seems to offer leadeis of the party. Without organisation, without a captain, it is idle to talk of a party at all. Three or four hundred men, who were sup posed to hold what are called " Libenll views," . . . but who had no plan of operations, and DOI known, accredited head, could never with any truth or propriety be called " a party." Has, then, what is now termed " the great Liberal party," that organization, that submission to an acknow ledged leader, which is so plain an essential to its practical existence for any useful purpose ? We all know that about three weeks since, somebody invited the " Liberal Members of Par liament " to hold a meeting in " Committee-room, No. 11." Such a meeting was held, and about 120 attended. But when a declaration of prin ciples was suggested as an expedient thing, the bulk of those present shrank back from the pro posal ; thinking it undesirable. A plainer con fession could hardly ha\ e been made, that even these 120 were not agreed among themselves as to the objects which they regarded as worthy of pursuit. And, practically, when an important question came betbre Parliament a fortnight after, half of the 120 went one way, and the other half the opposite. There was no organi zation, no leader or guide, here. The "advanced Liberals," then, or " the independent Liberals," whichever they choose to be called, are hardly to be considered as " embodied." Can Lord JOIIN RUSSELL, so long Prime Minister, and leader of the House of commons —can he be put forward as the present leader of the " Liberal party" ? Unquestionably not. Once, in the present session, he ventured to assume some such place. He spoke vehemently, and divided the House, against Lord PALMERS- ToN's Conspiracy Bill, in February last. Ile had but 99 followers. Clearly, therefore, he ig no leader of the Liberal party. If, then, that party is to be assumed to have any leader at all, it must be Lord PALMERSTON; for when he summoned, recently, a meeting at Cambridge-house, to consider of a plan for ejecting the present Ministry, there was an at tendance, in answer to his call, of more than 200 members. This, certainly, has more the appearance of party organization than is per ceptible elsewhere. If there be any leader of the " great Liberal party," it must be Lord PALMERSTON. But when we take this view, immediately we are met by a strange and most untoward fact. "The great Liberal party," as far as we can dis cover, has at this moment five practical propo sals before Parliament 1. The abolition of Church-rates. 2. The Ballot. 3. The 4. -- Now, strange to say, our Liberal leader, Lord PALMERSTON, judging from his past votes and ex pressions, has a decided repugnance to nearly every :One..of thesoiprePopls. SP Shit ? While thg.NT,‘• means fighting, he means surrendering--whili they desire to march against the enemy, he is in correspondence with that enemy. We speak of Lord PALMERSTON as we have seen and found him. We know not how high he may now be prepared to " bid for place." We are told that, when the Liberals last met at ,411 f Cambridge-house, a sturdy Radical said plainly •to the would-be leader, " You must turn over a new leaf, my lord !" and was answered by a.kind promise that a new leaf should - be luring 'Over ! Lord PALMERSTON may, therefore, seriously mean to concede all that the ultra -Liberals demand. Ifso, his conscience must be very -fiexible, and his desire for place . very strongoOttr remark goes merely to this—that, so tic. 'as are can judge from his past deeds and words, 4e objects desired by the Liberals are not desired by him; and his own views and predilections would rather induce him to oppose every ono of these plans, than to help forward the , least scintilla of, any of them. First, of Chi last, we believe, on Lord PALmEi their motion for Their reception The newspapers 1 " The deputation was subsequent' Tavern, St. Ji steps should be . of the deOutation. " Sir W. CLAY L'd lurch-rates. It was in January that a large deputation waited ERSTON, to ask him to support Or the abolition of ChurchLrates. al was net all eneo b iir4.- s of that date tell • Won then retir• . itly held at the 11 „ 7 - fames's-street, to e: ' taken to give eff % . ; z :1! , ;• t 11, Y having been • •Al V .3- •`"•. .• t ' •