The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-05-21 00:00:00

NOTES 041 1116 WIRK.

Mc Narrates Reform Barl becomes stroopr as it
progresses to completion, and by this time, we fancy
some of the Cabinet must be in comeiderible Marra ,
at the democratic: tondo:aim of the Chancellor of the '
' &chequer. The greet defect of the noVerbitietit
Bill, in the eyes of the fterlittdo has been the
pa:OW *nisi= of die ecmpound householder
frees the fthleoldes bet if the proosedings in the
Houma COMMON on Friday eight mean anything,
they mese that the going oonsponed householder' ig
to be abolished. Mr. Hodekineon's stneoduteet to
sweep away oomponeding altogethea was only
withdiewn es conditioe that the Government would
introdeog a providoe for the same wpm) either in
the Reform Bill or ins imparts measure. Thus we
shall 'Wholly have household garage established,
in spite of the pruioiple of al rating—and,
indeed, enmeshing more thee d sultrage, for
the £lO lodger franchise will prodigally amount to
"residential sod registered manhood therege" in all
our large tell/011. emelt, now, the Gpgernment
Bill will ealisfy mint Mr. Bright, and We dual
expect that Mr. Disraeli'. otey (lethality wM be to
win over hie own party to this removal of one of the
obechatheybad relied upon magainst the tide of boom-
bold warm* pare and simple, for as Lord Creaborne
' *apnoea it, Mr. Diatimli has assented to "a change
of startling magnitude in the Bill, which involved
the certain admiesion, instead of a very onoUtigest
and doubtful admiminn, of soo,oao perm, to the
frasteltiaa On the policy of that change be would
serum no (Teethe ; but It amounted to an entire
aboegation of ell the principles on which the right
tast,‘elitlomalee party had ever acted." And his
ninneeded in pomading anythltg further
.07;1471me that evening. iler, of course, Mr.
Diana will may his point, for, has be told the
Rouge, abolition of eeepoending was • pert of the
"original scheme" about which we have heard so
stook What idea, in the name of weeder, did this
"original sobs,.' contain' Perhaps the ballot,
elentorel districts, annual Parliaments, payment of
members, ho. The scheme seeing indeed to have
been a regular Pandora's box of Reform prepositions,
end it is to be hoped we shall have an authenticated
copy of it preserved in the di dish Museum.
The Reform debates of the Week, which have
been so important in lively molts, have been en-
livened by more than one war of words between the
rival Leaden of the House of leonmons. The pose-
hoe Mr. Gladatoith took in regard to Bataan, by
big reply to the depatatloh of the Reform Union,
provoked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and when
introducing the ecolth Reform Bill in Parliament
be Could PM restrain his chagrin. He mid, alluding
to the theenhes mad.:—

" I deeply regret that addresses have been recently
delivered which I think do not moist the House of
Commons or the Government in their efforte to bring
these matters to • hsppy conclusion. I regret that the
old machinery of agitation haa bees rehirbished, and
that • parliamentary train loss brought to London a
body of delegates for the p OD MI
agitation most indefinite in itau=coterc--a-zZingider)—
and most incoherent, bemuse at this moment I am
totally at a loss as to whether the country is to be
agitated in favour of Manhood Sudertge or • 15 rating
franchise—(laughtier). It P hot satisfactory to think
this very peat uspeelfinsat is in the way to introducing
this BoMeh BEI to the calm comideration of the Home
this evening. I should have been very glad if after the
vote of the House on Thursday night I might have
considered that there was no difference whase'ter, but
that a definite opinion had beer strived at on the
iubject of the borough fnumbir. I should have been
very glad if these speeders of sick sedition had re
mused quiet -- ,latighter). I regret that olasoiere
incendiaries UT that character should have come forwerd
at this time. They pay their homage to one who,
wherever he may sit, must always be the pride and
ornament of this House."
Mr. Gladstone made the folloiriag forcible reply :
" The right hon, gentleman, in alluding 4 the &ff.
culties he meets in prosecuting hia measure of Ref mm,
made an allusion to speeches lately delivered out of
this House, and spoke of • regiment of spoutere of
stale sedition as haring appeard in London. I question
altogether the prudence of denunciations of this vague
and general kind by advisers of the Crown—by leaders
of the House of Commons—(cheers)—couched in terms
which it is easy to anybody to use against
the most temperate expression of the most
reasonable advocate—which cannot be brought to any
distinct test --which does not attempt to inform the
House what are the atetemezits and who are the lemons
that are intended to be held up to reprobation. Recent
coincenceshai• shown us that when authority come
out into the field for the purpose of forbidding or
denouncing, and does net carry its denunciation to
some positive issue, the result is, that authority itself
loses credit and power in thin Houee—(cheers). If
advocates of sedition in London or elsewhere have
received the countenance of members of this House, it
i in highly to be desired that the bon. gentleman shall
call these persons to account before the proper
tribunals, in order tine if they are guilty they may be
visited with the punishment they deserve."
This was h smart sally, and did not leave the Chan.
sailor of the Exchequer an unscathed victor. Ent
the play was resumed on Friday evening. In speak •
ing on Mr. Hodgkinion'e amendment for the repeal
of the Compounding and Small Tenements Acts, /dr.
Gladatooe said

" With the view I take of the opinioa of the country
with respect to this Bill I cannot contemplate without
the greatest pain the probable recommenoement and
continuanoe of • most resolute opposition out of ,loon
of a character which I cannot, for one, pronouns* to be
illegitimate—(hear, hear). But it Is a paramount
duty of the members of this Honda, to be ever ready in
every juncture sad crisis to make the best of the
. . . . .

cionim;taneee in Which they stead, and, if possible, to
&Mire at sea LB accommodation of great questions as
may, if not avoid minor and secondary evils, lead to
some settlement of the subject in discussion. Desirous,
if possible, of peace, I have endeavoured to look at my
hon. friend's proposal with that object. lam very
*wry that, in deference it wkat seems to me to be an
unwise principle, it Is found necessary to interfere
with • system *bleb exists throughout the country.
But, if these considerations a e to prevail, then my
duty la plainly to choose the lesser of two evils, and I
think that the abolition of composition, combined as it
will be with • removal of the necessity for • baneful
political strife throughout the country, with the great
boon of an immediate, real, and literal enfranchise-
ment, is an advantage such as entirely eclipses and
throws into the shade the mischiei which we may regard
as the price at which we are to purchase this boon.—
(hear, hear). For myself, lam reedy to accept the
proposition of my hon. friend. In so doing Ido not
accept it in preference to the basis on which we desired
to act I accept it simply aa the best proposition of
which the circumstonoes will admit, and because I
think that, all things considered, it is • plan worthy
of acceptance by the Committee, the Government, and
the country."

The Chews/Mr of the Exchequer ID bbs mine of •
artful examination of ths questioe, made • bard
hit at Mr. Gladstone for his remarks shoot public
opinion, saying :

"We have had dark allusions to the very agitated
and dangerous Me* of the oousi (a laugh) in reference
to the position of the Reform Bill and the treatment of
this question by the House of Commons. Now I don't
believe anything of the kind—(great eheering). Ido
believe that more monstrous exaUemtion never was
indulged in—(renewed cheers). I have no doubt there
Sr. individuals who, having long tried with what I call
Wissidertno heads to settle this question, may be
exceedingly annoyed that those who have been their
rivals in the enterprise have been more successful;
but that the great body of the nation is now brooding
in sullen and dangerous discontent over the labours of
the Rouse of Commons, who, every candid and
rational mind must feel, are doing all in their power
to bring thie question to the solution ox long desired
--that is • statement which cannot be established—
(cheers). Whatever may be the influences that
regulate the conduct of others, I can assure the
House that her Majesty's Government, in the course
they are taking, are not influenced by the terrors
which hare been depicted, and the sgitation with
Which we have been —(lood and protracted
cheering, much of which came from the Opposition
benches)."
This was a bold and withal not • oixtrieoas retort.
While Mr. Dier•eli nod his party may fairly
take credit for bringing the question of Reform to
a settlement likely to be immosment, we must DO
overlook the facilitated by Lord Cranborne, that his
last reversion to the " original echswellis "an entire
abosgation of all the principles an which the Con.
sof.y.tive party has ever Said." trbile if the various
changes all tending to make the Bill wore democratic
have not been brought about by out-of-door prewar',
they have been effected by the Ministry terortz
each se of the point thaw upon which they
the opinion of the N owe, and, that being u•squi.
vocally impressed, deferred to it. Well, if as.
distinction pleases Mr. Disraeli and flatters his piny,
the 'doomed Reformers are not likely to grudge
them mob an lament gratification.

Tb• Malt Tax, by consent of the Home of
Comatose and with the approval ol the Government,
is to be the sabjea of inquiry by a saga committee.
The demand for the abolition of the malt-tax is
ressomais, and a Isgialative hot which would effect
it would be politic, sang that it is a tremendous
Ma spas an said* of general consumption, the raw
malarial.( which is • home product. The tax has
lasted tuna longer than it ought; but it ha been
solely hawse Government cannot see how its yield
In the revenue could be made up; and therefore
its abolitia it is felt, would be a long
step tla direction of a system of Jima
eizaWee. The malt-tax prodooes something like
wren millions a year, or more than a twiali pert of
tat esti» reasse, and its onlistration is therefore
Mealy imposible without a encoscianeeni that shall
produce in equal arm or sonteshin .c c., it as to
justify the esprowitios that the wbae-
ever it may be, shell be compessaed W the natural
iaoreeee of °arrest avow of mime. At leeel
eweb we thiak 1. ilhe peerel b.llai kinds ea our
moose lighte. and if the anaatileee cwe tee& we