The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-04-12 00:00:00

Entprrial parliamint.

HOUSE OF LORDB.—MONDAY.
Lord DEBBY, in order to make a statement on the
present state of affairs, moved the adjournment of the
House. It must be fresh, he said, in the memory of
their Lordships that on Thursday night last the Howie
of COllllllOllll had, after a debate of seven nights,
racteriaed by the greatest ability and courtesy on both
sides, adopted the Resolution of Lord John Russell, and
pronounced a decision adverse to the Bill introduced by
the Government for amending the representation of the
people. There were, ill 0131111ti1lICI101: of this decision,
Ira two alternatives left for Wined( and colleagues, -
either to resign office, or to dissolve the present Parlia-
ment and appeal to the country. It had been auggested,
both by their friends and their enemies, that another
course was open to the Goveniment, but such a course
would not have been respectful to the House of Cl/111.
uiiomms, nor in unison with constitutional practice. Be-
sides, it was imposaible for Her Majesty's Government
to conceal from thennwlves that the vote of the House
of Cumulous was equivalent to a vote of want of confi-
dence, and lie thought the I:ovenlinent would have laid
themselves open to a charge of indifference if they took
no notice of such • decision. Before stating the course
which the Government intended to ',UMW, he begged
their lAirdships to remember the circumatances under
which lie had had accepted office, and the difficulties with
which lie had to contend. The present distracted state
of parties in the House of
Impossible to administer the affairs of the nation. Ile
excepted, indeed, the Conservative party from this cen-
sure, whose unwavering, cordial, and generous support
lie had received for an many years, and then proceeded
to enumerate the various political achievements of Lord
John Russell, whose ability and energy as an advocate
of Reform every one would acknowledge, but whose
attentions resembled niore the seal of a lover than the
judicious superintendence of a parent. It had been the
peculiar fortune of Lord John Russell, (rein the rest-
less energy of his disposition, to overthrow many Govein-
ments, not only of his opponents, but also of Ins friends.
The consequence of such conduct was that hardly a year
now passed without a Ministerial crisis, and if the
system were persevered in it would put an end to all
government, for it inflicted injury at home and damaged
the influence of the country abroad. In accepting office,
he had endeavoured to carry on the Government not by
embittering, but by cmiciliating all parties. until a party
should be formed capable of carrying out a fixed and
definite policy. One of the questions bequeathed to him
by the late Government was the 'la ut mow h,rredslas of
Parliamentary Reform. He had in consequence intro-
duced a Bill to meet that question. The way that Bill
had been received was well known to their Lordships.
It had not been auffered to be read a seciond time, amid
to be amended in committee, but had been met by •
Resolution, which, according to some authorities, was
contrary to Parliamentary practice, and hail been
swamped without disciassion. Hail the Bill been pro-
ceeded with in committee, lie and his colleagues were
prepared to vindicate its principles as well as to consider
projosed alterations, which, if admiuible, no false pride
would have prevented them from accepting. An oppor-
tunity had thus been given to the House of Common,' to
settle this question, but they had preferred the interests
of party to the interests of the country. In his speech
in the House of Conin 1111 l lord Palinendon had said
that the Government should be condemned to keei, their
places and do " oar" bidding ; but lie begged to tell
Lord Palmerston they would do no one's bidding but
that of the queen as long as they retained her confi-
dence. But whose bidding were they to do ? Was it
that of the Liberal party, who were of such motley and
heterogeneous; materials that it did not know what its
bidding was? He would nut disguise from the hlriirse
the difficulty in which the Cabinet was placed by the
refusal of the second reading of the Bill. There were
but two course" open to them,—the first was to dissolve
Parliament ; and the second to tender their resignation
to Her Majesty. Considering, however, the present
grave condition of European affairs, and the domestic
interests of the country, lie had deemed it his duty to
recommend to Her Majesty as early a diasolution of Par-
liainent as was consistent with the public service. Her
Majesty had consented to this proposal, and he looked
with confidence to the appeal about to be made to the
country. The Ministers, he considered, had redeem,'
their promise by the introduction of the Bill, and held
themselves free on that ground. Ile was not afraid to
go to the bwitings on this lineation, for the
which had been by the decision of the other House
deferred to another session, was a large and liberal mea-
sure ; much mischief had been done by that deci. • ,
and no principle produced on a Inch • future Reform Bill
could be based. It was not, however, On the Reform
question only lie appealed to the country, but lie appealed
to them as EfIgliA11111:11 and lovers of fair play, whether
they would sanction the overthrow of a (loverinent
which had been defeated not by fair Parliamentary oppo-
sition, but by what, not to use an offensive term, he
would call an ingenious maincuvre.
Lord agreed with Lord Derby in his
opinion about parties, but still thought that thiveniment
should have a sufficient majority in the House of Com-
MODS to carry out • policy of their own. the vindicated
laird John Russell from time fierce and inaccurate state-
uient of Lord Derby. He could not admit that the pre-
sent Government hail a monoioly of maintaining peace
in Europe, and thought there were statesmen in both
Houses of Parliament as capable to do so as the present
Ministry. In respect to the Reform Bill, there was not
• single peraon, except those in the Government, who
did not object to the Bill, and now lie was glad to see
that Lord Derby himself was prepared to abandon it.
Ile was not afraid of an appeal to the country, but the
adoption of such a course threw a grave respoieibility
on those who advised it. What was the Cabinet going
1,, the country for To confirm their policy? The pre-
, sent Cabinet had no policy, but wanted the country to
make one for it. In lire opinion, it would have better
become a great statesman boldly to announce to the
nation what policy he intended to adopt.
The motion was then withdrawn.
After the orders of the day had been disposed of the
House adjourned at 25 minutes past 7 o'clock.