The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-03-22 00:00:00

EARL GREY ON THE GOVERNMIINT
REFORM BILL

Earl Grey has addressed a letter to Lord Elcho
upon the Reform Bill now before the House of
Commons. Apropos of the part Lord John
Russell proposes to play, the Fart says
"If the settlement of the question is the object they
have in view, I cannot understand how the party op-
josed to the Government can doubt that they ought to
agree to the second reading of the Bill that has been in-
troduced. It is true the Bill is • bad one, and I eel,
teinly
but it is!
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return members to Parliament. and fur enfranchising
others. These principles applied more or less exteri,
sleety, are those on which any possible Befonn Bill
imist be tomtits!, so that amendments which the coo,.
mittre would have full power to introduce into the Bid,
so coming within its original principle, might bring it
into any shape that might ne thought right even into
that ree ~,,, mended by Mr. Bright, if his views should
unfortunately gain acceptance. . . . .
" But instead of allowing the Rill to be considered in
detail, Lord John will invite the House of eon,
mons to get rid of it by a resolution condemning it
account of defects, which, granting them to be sogreatas
they are alleged to be, might still be removed in the com-
mittee. The resolution is to declare the opinion of the
House, 'That it Is neither just nor politic to interfere is
the manner proposed in this Bill with the freehold
franchise as hitherto exercised in the counties in England
and Wales ; and that no re.ailjustinent of the franchise
will satisfy this !louse or the country which does not
provide for a greater extension of the suffrage in cities
and boroughs than is contemplated in the present
measure.' The importance of the first part of this
resolution is taken away by the announcement that the
the Goveniment intends to modify the part of the lull
to which it relates. The second is more material. He
effect would be to pledge the House to some anknown
extention of the suffrage in towns, r that it may he
supported by persons holding every variety of option ae
to what the borough franchise ought to be, from those
who think that it should be very siightly alterc4, to,
those \OW go to the full extent of advocating universal
suffrage, with Mr. Ernest Jones.
" A majority in favour of • resolution of this kind
might succeed in overthrowing the existing Adimuistra•
thin, or in compelling it to dissolve Parliainent (the last,
in my opinion, would be a great misfortune at Illmt
',resent moment) ; but I am totally at • loss to see hew
it would conduce to the safe settlement of the difficult
question of reform. ..... .
"I must add, that stopping the progress of a Bill by
voting a resolution in favour of some abatract princirde
which might be embodied in clauses and moved in com-
mittee, is a course which has nut very often been per.
cued by the House of Commons, and never, I believe,
with advantage. . . . I hope, therefore, that the
resolution which is to be moved will be resisted by
yourself and ethers who prefer the interests of the
country to those of • party. In your place I should
certainly vote against it. even though I concurred is the
principles set forth in the resolution, and were prepared
to suprort them if brought forward in the proper form
of amendments in the committee on the Bill."
The Srot.mvs of Thursday last has a very able
and argumentative article on this letter of Lori
Grey's; it sets out with the following propositions,
and proceeds to prove the truth of them in a manner
as admirable as it is convincing:
"The present Earl Grey is a man not only of great
ability, but of the moat thorough and scrupulous.
honesty—yet lie is, on the whole, somewhat worse than
! useless as a public man. Along with Ids great general
capacity, he possesses in an almost supernatural degree
one peculiar incapacity—the incapacity of agreeing as
to action and means with those with whom he agrees in
opinion and end. His opinions are, according to our
way of thinking, almost always sound, as well u
enforced with great command of facts and reasoning,
! but somehow or other lie never can agree with anybody
I else as to the time and form in which those opinions
j should be given effect to. The fact of all his cabinet
; colleagues or all his political party being at any time
I agreed as to the propriety or necessity of any course of
action is ninch less than nothing to him—the fact that
I all the world is against him only confirms him in his
I opinion that he cannot be wrong, and stimulates him to.
make his singularity as effective as possible."
THE GoVERNMENE Reromii BILL.—The following is
the text of the new clause to be moved by the Chancellor
of the Exchtsjuer in committee on the Representation of
the People Bill :—" (Reserving option to present owners
in boroughs to vote for the county if they prefer to do
so.) Provided always, that any person who at the
passing of this Act shaU be entitled to be registered as •
voter for any county in respect of his ownership of any
freehold, oopyhold, or leasehold interest in property
situate within the limits of any borough, shall, in C 1,4
lie tibial think proper to claim the same, according to the
provisions hereinafter contained, have the option to be
registered in respect of such property for the county
within which such borough is situate; but, in order to
be so registered, such claim must be sent in to the over-
seers of the parish in which such property shall be situate
not later than the 24th day of July in the year next but
one following the passing of this act ; and after such
claim shall have Iwo' once made and admitted for such
county, the claimant shall be incapacitated from ever
claiming to vote for such lorougla in respect of the same,
or in respect of his ownership of any other freehold,
copybold, or leasehold property in such borough, oolong
ss lie shall continue to hold the qualification in respect
of which he shall have so claimed to vote for the county
as foresaid.”