The Press.
London, England, 1857-05-09 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 9, 1857.

change was really contemplated. A monarchy
with ancient instit►ttions, and a people devoted
to commercial pursuits, cannot atrird to have
" the minds of men unsettled." A sub-
ject like "Reform" should not be left to the
personal convenience of Lord PALMERSTON It
seriously raked, the question should he deci-
sively settled ; if not meant to be settled, it
never should be raised.

It is worthy of note, also, that Lord PAL-
MERSTON declared an anxiety not to embarrass
" those who, on a future occasion, might have to
" propose measures." Does this refer to the
possibility that other Liberal statesmen, not
now in the Cabinet, are to be called in ? Lord
JOHN RUSSELL was not a member of Earl
GREY'S Cabinet when the Bill of '3l was in-
troduced into Parliament, and a distinction
has recently been made between " the Whigs "
and " the Ministers." It is known that for
some months past Lord JOHN RUSSELL has
been engaged Os some special work, occupy-
ing much of his attention. Is it meant to in-
vite the co-operation of the Noble Member for
London, or will Lord PALMERSTON have nerve
enough to underte.ke a Reform Bill of his own ?
Nothing, indeed, can he more shifting,
vague, and pointless than the language of the
Premier. Whether he means fencing or fight-
ing is not clear, and we must not be too con-
fident on his foil having a button. His ver-
biage requires translation into plain English.
He professed his hope of proposing to
Parliament " some measure calculated to
" satisfy the just expectations of any parties,
" and to collect any defects which may exist
" in the present Reform Act, as well as to admit
" to the franchise those classes of persons who are
"at present excluded from it." What is the
meaning of this verbose obscurity ? Does it
signify that the Minister is vacillating between
East Retfordism, or Chartism—between a
little Red Lion, or a large Red Lion? It
simply means that the Prime Minister will
rciy upon—contingency. His mind is not yet
made up. He drifts along from session to
session, and it is quite possible that he will
have excuses of another kind at the opening
of the next.

Conservatives, however, must recollect that
the Premier himself is only a contingency,
and the Liberal party stands committed to
another measure ou Reform. In the struggles
of 1831.2 the Conservative connection suffered
from want of preparation for the violent
struggle into which the country was precipi-
tated. It will be of the last importance to
take care that the great social interest which
represents the ideas of national perma-
nance and constitutional stability, be not
damaged by a measure, dictated by partisan-
ship, and inspired by reckless innovation.

servative CO!

STAMPED ....SIXPTNer.
UNSTAMPED-FIVEPENCE.

amusing. He seems proudly conscious tl.at
1w represents not Wells, but a great social
truth—that the working of Parliamentary
Liberalism invests the dispenser of patronage
with the political power formerly accorded
only to important statesmen. • Under such
circumstances, no one can be surprised at the
active criticism which is beginning to be
heard from all sides on so factitiously im-
portant a personage as Mr. W. G. HArren.
That none of Mr. HAYTER'S predecessors
exercised so much direct influence is ad-
mitted, although by many of them Mr.
HATTER was far surpassed, not only in general
abilities, but in personal deportment, and the
fitness required for his post. So far from
being "unrivalled," as his toadies proclaim
him to be, whispers are heard, not loud •but
deep, not few but many, intimating that the
vaunted " Whip " is not by any means so
clever a person as he is supposed to be. He
fawns on a mere novice more skilfully than he
can parry the demands of an old stager. Over
unpractised politicians he has influence. and
cajoles those whom a simpleton might de-
ceive; but he does not sway bold and high
natures in the manner of some of his prede-
cessors. He does not canvass them with subtlety,
nor can he manage a proud Whig who meets
him with a supercilious rebuff. He has
triumphed-over no great difficulty ; and it is to
the increasing servility and degeneracy of Parlia-
mentary Liberalism, and not to any inventive
adroitness in applying the arts of influence,
that the overgrowth of Hayterian power must
be ascribed.

Some have even asserted boldly that his
career henceforward will be that of a" decline
and fall," and they suggest that the same
writer who sought to vilify Lord Joins RussElL
in the pages of the Edinburgh Review migl.t
find appropriate work in biographical• com-
memoration of a spirit congenial with his own.
Be that as it may, Mr. HArren (except
.wh, n
he is . acting his part) has by no means that
jubilant air which distinguished him .sorre
time since. His gaiety is too overdone to be
natural. Has he recently experienced some
sharp rebuffs ? Have sonic of the new
Members spurned his too familiar advances?
Is the schism in certain quarters becoming
only too apparent? Time %via answer these
questions in detail.
The fact, however, that Mr. HATTER can
become so important a personage is a crushing
proof of the insatiable love of jobbery which
exists in the great body of the Liberal M P.'s.
It proves, ipso facto, that those Liberals with
large views and loose consciences are not
really independent men. They are not
followers of Lord PALM ERSTON, or of any par-
ticular statesman, or any creed. They look to
" office," and seek to win favour from the
regards of the dispensers Of places. In the
pre-Reform Bill periods a gentleman like Mr.
HATTER could never have acquired such
power. M.P.'s on the Liberal side were then
_
of a higher --
respect than
local leaders
specially re'

all in the soe'
posed, the PP

gone. an ex,
The change
the Whigs a.
of " narrown,

Whigs, not the

rank, and had a , prouder self-
, are to be seen amongst the small
of manufacturing . •
~.,... It is
?markable thOD 1.4 1". 59-*li
.drir
)nnection has i --,
- - .
locial material • +- ' - ' - ''.-
...,,,
I
'arliamentary Fl.
_,...5- - - ek
xtraordinary ,„/ x; ra...,f
..-, 141••• ,
in this latter r . : '-""ws .•
biller
•TI ,
Ls a plea in b. .' . lit • l".-.
Hess "—" exclaim <•:•••••tLi it,-.$ l'I•
the Conservative :• . - • ,
..4
c - % .19" •