The Press.
London, England, 1857-12-19 00:00:00

our notice, for we agree with BURKE " that
" it is a bad habit in politics to moot cases,"
yet there is one constitutional consideration
of the highest impurtanee Which must not be
overlooked, and whleh ought to obtain the
especial regard of the Conservatives of Eng-
land. We allude to the probable influence of
any new Reform Bill Upon the position of the
Rouse of Lords.
It will be recollected that in his fatuous
speeches against Reform, Mr. CANNING used
always to argue on the supposition that
a reformed Parliament would never work
in harmony with an hereditary House of Peers.
The skilful orator, in the first place, assumed
that an extremely democratic measure of Re-
form would have been enacted, and he used then
to ask could any one suppose that a House of
Lords would be able to coexist with a Radical
House of Commons? The difficulty started
by Mr. CANNING was to a considerable extent
met by the arrangements and compromises at
the period of the Reform Bill. Although the
boroughs were swept away, the county fran-
chise was put on such a basis that a powerful
representation of the Conservative connection
was guaranteed, and a strong bond of union
made between the Peers and the Commons.
Mr. HALLAM, in his " Constitutional History,"
alludes to classes "influenced by a predilec-
" tion for the territorial aristocracy;" and how-
ever politicians of opposite sides may differ as
to the degree of political influence which
should be given to the Lords, np sincere sup-
porter of the Constitution would wish to see
their authority practically nullified. If, there-
fore, " the laws regulating the franchise" were
drawn up with an intention, expressed or
implied, of " Tower-Hamletising " the counties,
the emergency anticipated by Mr. CANNING
would actually occur. England would be laid
out into one overgrown metropolitan borough.
The sentiments of various classes, the local
feelings of ancient communities, the generous
pride of Yorkshire, Kent, and Devonshire, the
industrial energies of Lancashire, and all the
characteristic distinctions associated with the
time-honoured name " Old England," would
be swamped in a whelming deluge effacing all
landmarks, and leaving our society one vulgar
dead level, without noble institutions to Com-
memorate the triumphs of the past, or
guarantee our privileges for posterity.

We can prove at once that we indicate no
fanciful difficulty when we remind our readers
that the subversion of the present county fran-
chise might pave the way for vast changes
not yet contemplated by the community at
large. In the last number of the Saturday
Review there is an article called " The Lords
and India," in much of which we concur. We
agree with the opinion expressed as to the
strong nationality of feelings shown by the
House of Lords at every great English crisis ;
but then follows this passage—" The tendency
" of political progress may be towards the
" ultimate replacement of an hereditary peer-
" age by something more in the nature of a
" Senate. It is difficult, indeed, even for the
" greatest enemies of revolutions to see how,
" amidst the overtopping power of wealth and
" intellect, the power of mere birth can per-
" manently hold its ground, and continue to
" form a sufficient conservative element in
" the State." Here we have a great Parlia-
mentary revolution anticipated, while the ne-
cessity for " a sufficient conservative element
"in the State" is admitted. The "replace-
" ment of an hereditary peerage " by a
" Senate" sounds ominously; the "overtopping
" power of wealth and intellect" is pointed
out, and the insecurity of an institution de-
pendent on " mere birth " is mentioned in no
unfriendly spirit.
It is true that there is something of loose
exaggeration in that statement of the case.
The House of Lords does not depend on
" mere birth ;" it has vast estates, wealth, and
the hallowing power of time to give force to
its position and consecrate its character. It
has amongst its leaders the trained states-
men of the two great parties, and it is also
constantly recruited from the classes most
distinguished by " wealth and intellect." The
House of Lords has still great social influence
in England ; its members enjoy ancestral
dignity, and their families have the prestige of
fashion ; their influence in their respective