The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-12-05 00:00:00

Ef2.c c:tourryikge Ofperint.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5,186 S.

THE NEW EfOlftiE OF COMMONS.

The great electoral battle is now over, and
gteenlatiene es to tile resnit as affecting the two
political parties in the State are resolved into
eGtainties. There may be differences of opinion
as to the political faith of a few of those gentle.
nen who have been rote rned, but we may fairly !
set down the liberal majority at about 113. The
elections, taken as a whole, have perhaps excital
more public interest than any general election
since that which immediately followed the Re-
form Act of 1832. We have frequently been told
of late yeers that the boundaries of poliro d '
pertisansh ip h sve become indistinct ; th t Tories
and Tory ism had become as extinct as the dodo; j
,ind that the battle of Reform having been won,
Radicalism would become milder and less dem-
onstrative. Bid the general election has falsified
all these statements. Political feeling of all
kinds has run very high, and the battle through.
out the country has hen fought with an energy
and an earnestness of purpose which shows that
the people are as political as ever, if not mere
so. But the result upon the House of Com-
mons is by no means remarkable—unless, in.
deed, it lw remarkable that the new House of
Commons will, to a very great extent, he just
what its predecessor was. "Governments," said
the lots Sir Robert Peel, "In one respect illus-
trate the truth of the Indian creed; they inherit
the qualities of the men they kill." And the
same may be said of successive Houses of Cum.
mons. They are very much alike. It was
thought by many persons, no doubt, that the
effect of the Reform Act of last year would be
to send to Parliament a number 01.1 what may be
Jailed more popular men than had previously
sit on the Commons benches, and it was gond.
dently expected that several genuine working
men would be returned. But the new House of
Commons is, as we have said, very much like
the old one; and as to workingmlen candidates,
not a single one has been returned. Only in
one important respect does the new House differ
from its predecessor; it is more Liberal. the
Liberal party having the advantage of SOIRC 113
majority over their political opponents.
Mr. Disraeli has adopted, in view of the
opinion whielt the country ho; expre-esed in the
' elections on the guustion of tile Irish Church,
the course of immediately resigoieg office. If
the course taken by Mr. Disraeli is convenient
for all sides, it is no less die:railed as regards
, the attqulti it takes for his OWII party. He has
: been a. cesed by many el' an undue desire to re-
tai,, office, but from his preseat conduct, he cer.
thinly has not shown such a desire, for he
might have retained ollice for some time yet had
he felt desirens hf doilw eo. Bat we cannot help
lett Caul, he hits taken the ri:fitt course. The
vice of the peep,: Isis chosen Mr. Gladstone,
anil her Maje.4y lets scut for hint to attend her
at Windeer Castle. No doubt the reins of Go-
vermnent will he placed in his bands, and the
country will anxiously look for those great re-
forms promised, and a reduction of taxation.
With reference to the formation of a new
Ministry, the star, of yesterday, says
nothing N deflnitiey settled as to justify any
positive statement. It is asserted in another
quarter that Mr. Gladstone has telegraphed to
Mr. Bright to come to London.

RESIGNATION OF THE MINISTRY.