The Press.
London, England, 1857-05-23 00:00:00

Lion of individuals is to be allowed to prevail against
the maintenance of a national institution, I am at a
loss to understand bow any national institution of
this country is to be upheld. It has so happened
that by negligence in the public mind, and its failing
to see what important questions were involved in that
of church rates, the subject has assumed an impor-
tance which cannot be exaggerated, and it is one
that must be brought to a public and parliamentary
solution. It is not possible that, during the present
Parliament, the opinion of the house and of the
Government should not be taken on that subject,
and therefore it becomes you upon this question, no
less than upon that of Parliamentary Reform, to
make up your minds as to what you will change and
what you will maintain. You cannot allow this
matter to go on any longer as it is. If you wish to
uphold the institutions of your country you must
take your side upon this subject, for, although he
was attacked for it by his supporters, Lord John
Russell never spoke more soundly than when he
said that all our institutions were at stake in the
settlement of this question. (Hear, hear.)
One word upon the institutions of our country. I
am in favour of progress,—in favour of the political,
social, and intellectual progress of this country. I
think that any man who is the Minister of England
ought to pursue the policy which, in his opinion, will
make the people of England the freest, happiest, and
most enlightened people in the world ; but I am also,
and have always been, of opinion that this result can
only be obtained by maintaining and deferring to our
ancient institutions. There are many well-meaning
men who are enamoured of the American institutions
and of those of our great colonies. They say that
results of great value ara obtained without the
influence of the institutions of this country of which
we are so proud, and to which I hope we may still
remain devoted. There is, however, this difference
between our country and those to which I have
referred. In the old countries of Europe, and
especially in what we are proud to call " Old England,"
you cannot make any great change without destroying,
whereas in Australia or America nothing is destroyed,
but everything is created. What would be the con-
sequence of destroying our ancient institutions ?
There have been old countries of Europe which have
tried that experiment, and what is the result of their
experience ? Destroy a monarchy, and you will have
a Royalist party in the country. Change a dynasty,
and yon will have a Legitimist party. Subvert a
church, and you will have an ecclesiastical party.
Put an end to an hereditary nobility, and you will
have a large body of proprietors discontented with
the state of affairs. (Cheers.) What are the con-
sequences of this? Civil war and constant revolu.
tions. England cannot afford to have a civil war;
England cannot afford constant revolutions. If an
old country like this, with a system of credit like ours,
lost a period of her history in internal struggle or
revolution, would she not, when she again became
tranquil, find that other countries—such as that on
the other side of the Atlantic—had outstripped her in
the race? As long as we are faithful to ourselves,—
as long as we improve but do not destroy, it is impos-
sible to predict to what height of pride and power
England may attain. I will not refer to the thirty
years' war of the Roses, the like of which may never
again occur in England,—l will take the war of the
great rebellion. If we underwent political revolu-
tions such as some of our neighbours have expe-
rienced during the last fifty years, the position of Eng-
land at their termination would not be that which she
at present occupies. (Cheers.) She might become
tranquil, the people might find themselves free and
in the possession of much physical enjoyment, but she
would no longer be, as at present, a first-rate State.
Sbe would not be the leading Power of Europe. She
would become what Sweden and the other Scandina-
vian States are at the present day, and the result of
improvement effected by destruction would be to