The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-07-17 00:00:00

THE VOICE OF PUBLIC OPINION.

IT was predicted, at the time of the discussions on
he Reform Bill, that the first attempts to alter it
would come from those who were most forward in
asserting its completeness ; that, indeed, the principle
of reform once admitted, it would know no end, but
become an interminable succession of changes in our
representative system. Nearly a quarter of a century
has elapsed, and though little change has really been
made in it, the immutability has not been from want
of attempts on the part of the author of the measure.
To such tampering with the principles of the Consti-
tution, every Conservative—by which we may include
clery true lover of his country---is sincerely opposed.
If, however, eirrumcfnnopc rimhl afrord a jugilfiontion,
and furnish a legitimate argument for another reform,
by showing the manifold imperfections of the existing
system, the present session of Parliament has been
most successful in pronouncing its own condemnation.
So far from the House of Commons being, as it is
professed to be, and ought to be, an expression of the
public intelligence---an echo of the aggregate of the
public mind---the voice, indeed, of its numerous con-
stituents, we might almost imagine that the majority
of its members acted upon the rule of contrary, like
froward children. If a proposal be made to bring forward
any measure, to the details of which there may be
fifty sound objections, but a few plausible reasons in
its favour, the mover obtains a large majority for the
first step, with, perhaps, as large a majority against
any further progress, as though the real object were
simply to discuss the schemes of ambitious legislators
without bringing them to any result. The consequence
of this love of discussion, irrespective of any fruits to
arise from it, has been, and will continue to be, so long
as such a course is persisted in, that the public interest
is not served ; that the time intended for important
concerns is positively wasted; that economy in the
public expenditure, which ought to receive consider-
able attention, is passed over, because the voting of
the estimates is delayed until there is no time nor
opportunity to discuss them ; and a session of Parlia-
ment is brought to a close without anything to show
as the fruits of its labours.
This condition of affairs, however, bad as it may
seem, is not the worst of the present House of Com-
mons. Not only has it failed to perform the duties
expected, but it has proved positively obstructive ; it
has not only disappointed hopes, but excited contrary
feelings. There can be no doubt that, from the
commencement of the present war, the public
feeling has largely predominated in favour of its
being carried on with the utmost vigour, in order
to ensure success ; that very great dissatisfaction
has prevailed as to the mode in which affairs
have been managed ; that Ministerial incapacity
has been daily growing more evident; and that public
indignation at the betrayal of its interests and disap-
pointment of its hopes required some legitimate safety-
valve through which it might receive expression.
Under such circumstances, the meeting of Parliament
was looked forward to with some anxiety, as being the
constitutional channel through which opinions so
widely entertained might be embodied in a declaration
of the national will ; but the disappointment of this ex-
pectation has been as signal as the desire was strong
for its gratification. When the demand was made for
an inquiry into the causes which had led to such
frightful havoc in the Army engaged in the siege
of Sebastopol, it was responded to by more than two-
thirds of the House of Commons. There could be no
mistake as to the necessity of such an inquiry, and the
readiness with which it was granted not only satisfied
the public for a time, but produced its immediate frui
. _

in the breaking-up of the Coalition Cabinet, the defeat
of its Peelite elements, which were supposed to con-
stitute its worst features, and its re-construction on a
Whig basis. So great an effort on the part of the
House of Commons appears to have weakened, if not

exhausted, its vitality for the rest of the session. In
vain is it shown, by indisputable testimony, that much

of the mismanagement forwhich the Peelites were over-
thrown, continues to prevail ; that no adequate provi-
sion is made for contingencies that are almost certain

to arise ; that personal interest, instead of merit, forms
the ground of promotion to offices of trust and respon-
sibility; and that, with more professions, the present
Government have shown themselves very little if any
better than their immediate predecessors. As any
vote of disapprobation might be supposed productive
of active results, the members have shrunk from the

exertion, and any discussion of the question, about
which the public at large take so deep an interest, is
is ended with no oller result than the moral effect