The Press.
London, England, 1856-07-12 00:00:00

050

one parson, his Lordship contributed to the
rejection of the Bill, which, as a member of
the Commission, it was previously supposed
had received his support.
Lord ELLESMERE had a perfect right to
publicly express his dissent from the conclu-
sions of the Commission, though he had been
silent as a member of it. But as the opposi
tion to the Government Bill was ostentatiously
proclaimed as adverse to the influence of the
Prince Consort, his Royal Highness has, by
selecting Lord ELLESMERE as the medium of
his communication with the Manchester
Committee, gracefully shown that he is quite
free from all personal feeling in regard to the
decision of the House of Commons, and that
it is quite possible to oppose his views without
forfeiting his favour.

THE FROME ELECTION, AND

PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATISM.

THE election for Frome has considerable in•
terest in our eyes, on account of the excellent
address put forward by Lord EDWARD
THYNNE. ft is the language of manly, hearty,
and intelligent Conservatism; and, though we
differ from his Lordship in one point, we
recognise no small ability in the expression of
his sentiments, which are worth examining in
detail.

First, we are glad to see that one of his emi-
nent family and influential connection has
clearly recognised the necessity of social pro-
gress. His Lordship says, " The true policy
" of every real Conservative must be to ad-
" vance with the times in which we live." His
Lordship, in enforcing the necessity of " useful
reforms, observes, " that economy and effi.
" ciency will be alike promoted by a searching
" investigation into the present mode in which
" patronage is administered, and the public
" departments conducted."
It is satisfactory to find that the strictures
of THE PRESS 011. " the jobbery of Liberalism"
have not been without fruit. At former periods
the Conservatives of England felt reluctance
at touching on official scandals. But the
" jobbery of Liberalism" has become too out-
rageous to be borne with, and we tell the
Conservative body throughout the country
that in various directions the patronage of the
Executive is most unfairly used to thwart
and molest the legitimate social pretensions
of the Conservative interest, not in Parlia-
mentary circles alone, but in other classes of
life. Mr. HAYTER'S " choristers" of " happy,
happy Wells," diffused through the public
offices, are too faithful representatives of the
way in which Liberals work in power.
Lord EDWARD THYNNE significantly says that
he is not " less liberal" in his views than those
"who would arrogate to themselves the ex-
" elusive possession of liberal opinions." We
believe the fact to be that no party is less
really " Liberal " than that which assumes the
title. It runs down one man because he is a
member of " the Haristocracy ;" it vilifies
another because he is not a Dissenter, as if
there were any positive virtue in mere
title. It declines to be served by practical
talent and honest qualifications if their pos-
sessor will not degrade himself to be a mere
delegate, and if he will not swallow pledges
and forget them like a Sir Benjamin Hall or a
Mr. B. Osborne. If Bob Acres were now
living he would wear a long beard and indulge
in Crimean small talk. We should laugh at
the " ridiculous humbug," but our contempo-
rary Radicals, salaried and sycophantic, who
silently eat their official pudding while an
army is rotting—the men of Liberal principles
and lax consciences—these politicians well
merit the sneer of Lord EDWARD THYI4iNE as
" arrogating to themselves the exclusive pos-
" session of liberal opinions." Of liberal
places they have, indeed, a most exclusive
possession.
His Lordship then observes, " I cannot view
" the present position of the country as satis-
." factory, or one that an Englishman should
"be proud of." " The culpable negligence of
" the Home Government" is censured ; and
he hits the Ministry hard in saying: " While