The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1861-01-05 00:00:00

iVHAT''g IN A IAMt?

PoixricAL honesty is at a discoUrifiespecialry
with pseiido-Libetal constitnencie-S. This psuinful
truth Must hate become vitidly perceptible to
all who hate read impartially the reception
recently given to Mr. A.isAt Ntrq at
Edinburgh, and that still more recently awarded
to Mr. HORSMAN, M.P., at Stroud. Mr. BLACK
and Mr,l.lorts*AN are both men of mark and expe-
rience both were eleeted by the votes of so-called
Ifiberals and yet both gentlemen proved trouble-
some opportaltq to, Lord PILMERSTON. Each of
those members has addrodl his constituents in
justification of his votes in Parliament, and each
hat! Keen met with the most disgracefully
uproarious, at,d egttrtilously personal, abuse.
The plainest arguments w vie 2,,,L
noises, and the most candid and satisfying
explanations were received with thoughtless
jeering and idle laughter. Truly the unintelli-
gent arid unmannerly conduct of those electors
who thus rofessed to show that they were
offended at their representatives for hating
declined to support the late paltry Reform
Bill, affords a significant comment upon the
clamour of such people for au extension of the
franchise. They delight to declaim against the
political dishonesty of the present system of
electing the people's representatives; and yet
they invariably visit the most markedly honest
members of the House with condign displeasure,
if perchance they have not always blindly followed
the narrowest party tactics. The only man for
the people would seem to be the man most highly
gifted with the power of persuading the masses
that they, as a class,—they, and they only,—are
the repositories of far-sighted wisdom and prac-
tical sagacity, and that all public men who do
not bow the knee to the democractic BA_ L are
worthy only of being ostracised as traitors to the
Commonwealth. It is clear that the probable
effects of such popular demonstrations of undis-
criminating party zeal as have recently been wit-
nessed at Edinburgh and Stroud must be to
strengthen the doubts of all thinking and intelli-
gent people as to the propriety or safety of
lowering the franchise, which already reaches
and embraces a vast multitude of ignorant and
unreasoning people. Ought we not rather to
seek to elevate the' people, so that they may
enjoy, and, enjoying., Appreciate and exercise
judiciously, the franchise upon its existing terms.
Until then, political disho,nestYy, it would seem,
must be at a premium.

If Mr. HORSM itled to a candidAN was not en:.
and patient hearing, who shah' dare to be
straightforward and honest ?
The hon. mem-
ber for Stroud knows the heads of 1, is party
as thoroughly as any man—having I,'imself
been in the Cabinet and having wrought in
harness with the present Prime Minister. IC
has shown himself conversant with every impor-
tant legislative topic; and is admittedly a man
of great ability and decision of character. It is
not denied that he has unceasingly attended to
the local interests of Stroud. Why, then, should
he not have been listened to when he came
amongst his people to tell them how he had
differed from them on certain points, and to
assign his reasons for so doing. Did he not
state a well-known and indisputable, however
unpalatable, truth, when ho asserted that the

present Ministry was formed and came into office
solely on the understanding that they were to
frame a measure of reform which would meet
the fancied wishes of the people ? Was
his word not entitled to perfect credence when he
informed the electors of Stroud that the members
of the Coalition Cabinet were, from first to last,
so much at variance with each other—first, as to
the necessity of any reform at all, and second, as to
the nature of what reforms ought to be attempted
—that, in the end, a bill was got up and intro-
duced, which was really never intended to
become law ? The shocking character of such
a truth ought not to prevent its being made
known: If • the people who are chiefly affected
by such Miserable Whig treacheries cannot
appreciate the disinterestedness of the Matt Who
has courage to proclaim them to the world, there
is an end to all hope of reasonable progress in
honest legislation. Must it not be whispered in
the ears of " liberal " electors that the French
commercial treaty, be it good, bad, or indifferent,
was a W 01; .71,Tererogation, and one which in
fienouneed
principle had frequently
by the heads of all parties. It is lamentably
discouraging to, those who labour for the
best interests of the people to observe the striking
inconsistency of those benighted partisans among
the people, who doggedly, and despite every de-
monstrable fact, seek to vindicate the propriety of
that uncalled for and disastrous measure. Such
partisans; When fairly- fixed into a corner, and
unable to deny that the Treaty has been one-
'sided, annoying, injurious, and humiliating, turn
round as a last resource, and argue that, notwith-
standing all that; it Was Or duty to open our
trade to PrariCe; fig td ail the Atorld; whether We
met with a corresponding retiprobitY iidt; and
whatever might be the immediate inconvenience
to our traders and manufacturing population. If
so, then, why the Treaty ? Why did we not
simply carry out these fiscal reforms, and leave
France to please herself? In truth, it was hoped
to secure a positive measure of reciprocity, with-
olit the,. prospect of Which, such a sweeping
alteration, and sacrifice of resources, would
never have been thought of or attempted.
Now that the measure has proved a failure, it is
all very well to turn round and say that in mak-
ing these concessions, of which France knows
how to avail herself) We only did our duty, and
tarried out the principle of free trade l but it
to iiir~es Very little Utittnen to discover that the
plea is an after-thought etYitiet'
hollow sham—a mockery. a delusion, and a snare,
In any of the other points of Mr. HORSMAN'S
speech, did he commit any graver fault than to
remind his hearers of similarly undeniable but
equally painful troths

The mime of "Liheiml" is; tlierefdre; not to hot
assumed by any candidate who, like Mr. HORS-
MAN, is prepared to think and act independently.
The reality of so-called " Liberaliste is the des-
potism of the mob. A thoroughly Liberal mem-
ber of Parliament must be no patriot, he must
not act independently, or sit below the gangway,
Apurti party or official connection he must
liaVe rio riotioda Of high polidy or unrelaxing
of a Measure must
tie as iidthiNg hect itt hied competition With
the caprices of his constituents. ti is a Break
aggravation to his independence if he is a man of
tried integrity and rarely excelled eloquence. It is
as nothing to be able to vindicate a principle of
action; if Priietieally that Sheitla itifiolVe d
ence of opinion With the illitstriods eleetors o
some obscure borough. A shreWd
like that of Stroud is not easily to be cheated aid
of a pledge given, merely for the sake of a princi-
ple that ought never to be violated. Clap-trap
told art easy tonscience are the 01117 essential
iiiialiiicatiofis to the great and Uninterrupted posz
session of a seat in Parliament for d
Liberal Borough. Let Mr. HORSMAN renmitiet)
his name, and be no longer "Liberal." His
honesty, consistency, straightforwardness, and
patriotism at once pronounce him a thoroughly
Liberal Conservative. The .change .were 'July in
'lame; and; as SIIAKSEE:ARk says, "By any other
name the rose would smell as sweet"