The Press.
London, England, 1857-04-04 00:00:00

FATE OF POLITICAL SECTIONS.

THE political sections that combined together
in 1832 for the fall of Lord DERBY'S Adminis-
tration have had extremely heavy losses at the
present election. While the numerical rela-
tions between the Conservative party and the
bona-fide Liberals will not be much altered,
destruction seems to have overtaken those
anomalous connections which stood aloof from
the discipline of Party. The Whigs were
united in 1832 m ith the followers of Sir ROBERT
PEEL, the Manchester politicians, and the
Irish Brigade ; and it is remarkable how
these three last sections have been treated by
the constituencies. It is worthy of particular
notice also that great talent, official know-
ledge, and high personal standing, have not
been able to supply equivalents for a definite
polity, and a constitutional course of action.
Sir JAMES HOGG, from his great experience

in the East, and his wide range of knowledge,
was always heard with attention in the House,
but he has lost his seat at Honiton. Mr.
CARDWELL was thought to be safe at Oxford,
but the Right Honourable Gentleman was de-
feated ; and another member of that connec-
tion, Mr. ROUNDELL PALMER, did not even
venture to contest Plymouth. The cases also
of the Messrs. PFIILLIMORE, and Lord A.
HERVEY at Brighton, record the disfavour
which has fallen upon this connection.
We do not suppose that such incidents
could have occurred in so many places without
the active hostility of the subordinates of the
present Cabinet, foe, unless much influence
was used against them, gentlemen like
Mr. CARDWELL or Sir JAMES HOGG might

have weathered the storm on account of their
personal chains. It cannot be forgotten that
the financial measures of Mr. GLADSTONE, who
succeeded to the post of Chancellor of the
Exchequer, have been overthrown by the
Ministry now in office. The Right lion.
Member for the University was the most elo-
quent of the followers of Sir It. PEEL ; and the
Cabinet is not content with disparaging Mr.
GLADSTONE-it also seeks to destroy the
strength of his immediate connection. The
Manchester party fares even worse. Its

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officers of all ranks have been put out of the
field. Mr. CouDEN, Mr BRIGHT, Ma. GIBsoN,
Mr W. J. Fox, have been ejected ; and in the
sister island the pledge-breakers who joined
in overthrowing. Lord DERBY are visited with
signal retribution. Gentlemen who had
nought to do personally with " Sadleir," but
who were active partisans in the majority of
December, 1852, are now left without a con-
stituency.
These facts are not without an important
political moral. They show clearly that firm
Parliamentary Government can never be at-

tained by reliance upon desultory action and
divided sections. BURKE has truly observed

that it is only " unconstitutional-
statesmen

" who carefully inculcated the doctrine that
connection and faction were equivalent
" terms." There must be great Parliamentary

parties to work the machinery of the Legis-
lature. The followers of Sir R. PEEL were not
a party, but a clique of able and eminent
men, with few adherents, and without the
weighty political alliances which would secure
them from defeat at a crisis like the present.
In the same way Mr. COBDEN and his friends
could not be called a party. They professed

- -
no allegiance to Parliamentary traditions.
They were gentlemen of great talent, versed
in public affairs, and with ready eloquence.
They relied for their resources on the platform.
on " loud cheers and waving of hankerchiefs,"
on the factitious applause of public meetings,
and on panegyrics in cheap newspapers. Their
services zo their former friends and to the
middle classes are now forgotten, and they are
a mockery to the servile parasites of power.
Their position is contrasted with such " suc-
cessful politicians" as Sir BENJAMIN HALL
and Mr ROBERT LOWE !

Both these sections joined in an avowed
coalition ; and when we see their present state,
we are reminded of the closing words of Mr.
DISRAELVS memorable speech on the 14th of
December, 1852 :
The coalition by which the present Government was
opposed might be successful : but it had always been found
that the triumphs of coalitions were very brief.

Where now are the " triumphs " of the fol-
lowers of Sir R. PEEL, or the Manchester
politicians, who so eagerly combined to over-
throw Lord DERBY'S Cabinet? By a majority
of nineteen votes, on a question not involving
" Free Trade," the Government retired " The
" Commons put you out," said a voice from the
crowd at the hustings at Aylesbury County-
hall on Tuesday. " No," replied Mr. Des-
RAELI, " they did not turn me out, and they
" did not wish me to go out : but I said then,
" as I say now, that I never will submit to be
" a Minister on sufferance."

The Derby Ministry at once retired, and we
need not traverse the history of the inter-
vening years. The country has been appealed
to, and their isolated sections, though dignified
by commanding talents, have for the time
almost disappeared. None better know than
those various gentlemen how many delusions
arc associated with the name of " Palmerston."
They have now facts enough before them to
warrant them in again examining the argu-
ments of those who believe that party organi-
sations are necessary in England, and that
such connections must be swayed by estab-
lished principles. The formation of the
Coalition against Lord DERBY in 1852 was an
avowed combination to form a Cabinet of
discordant materials ; and it was carried
into power in defiance of all Parliamen-
tary precedents. Lord DERBY might have
stayed in office in spite of it, but the Noble
Lord and his colleagues acted in accordance
with great examples in refusing to hold power
on sufferance. Five years have since rolled
by. The combinators against Lord DERBY
are dispersed, but the Parliamentary following
of the Conservative Leaders is great, nume-
rous, and powerful. Along with the Right
Hon. Member for Bucks, several eminent
members of the Opposition have been re-
turned (and for great constituencies), as in the
Cases of Lord JOHN MANNERS, Mr. WALPOLE,
Mr. HENLEY, Sir FITZROY KELLY, Mr. NAPIER,
Sir EDWARD LYTTON, and Sir J. Y. BULLER ; and
we have not yet heard of any eminent Causer.
vative being deprived of his seat. Such con-
trasts, to use Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT'S words,
teach a lesson to

3/8

THE NEW PARLIAMENT.

RE ELECTED MEMBERS WHO VOTED AGAINST
GOVERNMENT ON THE CHINA DEBATE.