The Express.
London, England, 1864-05-12 00:00:00

IMPERIAL
ROOM OF COIDIONS.-.-WZDNViDAY, MAY 11.
nrariacia lea the emir ai • quarter past 12 o'clock.
BDIIOI7OII FRAIJOHIRE BILL.

iCkseleded from 's Express
Tim CHANCELLOR e yeaterday
l the EXCHEQUER .)
--Far, the
Irma ef the Mei wombs, who moved the previous ques-
ts= west fer beyond the mention which my hoe. friend
laid ism has sakesitted to the home. The speech
of the bee. member fer tihortham was against any exten-
d= Miles fraeckle in the direction of the working classes,
and beidesheel so esterase to the motion of my bon. friend.
Ifisweeer.ii may be said Ureic is with the moues of the hon.
aamber webswe to dud ; and such bolo, the cues I ask what
in the Seas 'shish at preeent steeds for our decision! Now,
there are two point' coonected with this question upon
Mich there's • peerst eoncurreons of of inions, one being
• matter el fact, sad the *thee a matter of judgment. With
omesict to the matter of fact, gentlemen opposite may be
said SO be ameimaes in deprecating at the present time, or
at any future time, say further extension of the franchise.
(Tory cheers.) Bet I meet at the same time avow that
meths. peat party, which sits on this side of the house, is
by no mesas unanimous in wishing for such extension.
(Hest, bear.) The second point, and it is one on which
both parties agree, is that the present period is not •
favourable one for the government of the Queen, however it
may be or might be °moaned, to submit any measure on
the. subject to whiteout. (Loud cries of " Hem, hear.")
Coder these eircuinstmese, the real question is what course
we ought to take with respect to the present motion. My
10a. timed the member for loads, in the exercise of lib
unquestioned discretion, and acting without communication
with any other perms, in at least so far as I have any
knowledge, has brought the franchise before the house as
a matter that was for discussion ; and the amend-
ment of the hoe. rae7n opposite, being • motion for time,
doe. no more than embody the admission which I myself
have made—namely, that this is not the time in which the
government can deal with the whole question of the repre-
metatioe, and that the liberal party is not unanimous in
wishing that we should immediately deal with the ques-
tion G(Hesr, hear.) But I shall vote against the amend-
mint of the hon. member for Shoreham, because apart from
his motion he presses upon a state of facts and of opinions
which I especially deprecate. (Hear, bear.) But ems ad-
saithiag the state of opinion to be such as he &writhe, it is
utterly impossible to shut our eyes to the existence If cer-
lain facts, in the presence of which I must deplore the ex-
istecce of opinions such as he describes. It appears to me
that so much of oar parliamentary history as describes, the
menu of the period which has elapeed since the Ent rejec-
tion of Mr. Locke King's bill teethe extension of the freschise
is • most aria oiefactory chapter in that history. (lear,
bar.) And I hope that the effect of the pretest discussion
will be, to bring home to the public mind thee:sovietise that
we have not been as keenly alive to our duty as we ought to
have been, and that it is for the interest of the country that
this question of the franchise should be continuously enter-
tained, until at bat we get it satisfactorily settled. (Beer,
bear.) It is ati advantage in the present discussion that ths;
question before us is not introduced as strictly a pasty class
tuse, although I am afraid that, if we look et the party pod
side of the house from which it proceeds, the day is not
far distant when it may become a party question. At pre-
sent. however, we can discuss it without party divisions,
and I am glad that my boo. friend the member for Salis-
bury has started into the arena, as it emblem us to ester into
the discussion without appsoliag to those feelings which are
too sure to become engaged when • dimension assumes •
party character. I will edibles myself to the subject
without address* myself to one party or the other, and I
shall begin by frankly Meting, that if I deplore
the state of opinion on the one aide of the house,
1 em by no means satisfied with its condition
on the side upon which I myself have the honour to sit.
(Loud cries of ' Hear, hear.") My bon. fried the member
ler Salisbury thinks be has made out his case when he says
that no one wants reform, that the exercise of the females
would lead to bribery, and that the interests of the wartime
classes are already well looked after in this house. Now I
Mello* to enter into the discussion of whether an extension
If the franchise would encourage bribery I merely record
my emphatic dissent to the proposition ; and se to the
interests of the wedding classes being well looked
after in parliament, far be it from me to deny that
this house hes full rympathy with the working
three but I do not admit that that sympathy would
be lees shown if the people were more fatly rem-
mated. (Hese hear.) What I want to know is where
fairly lies the burden of proof in this most;argu
whether on the party who maintain that the (rambles
ought not to be touched, ores those who say that it ought
speedily to be amended. (Hear, hear.) The hon. member
for Shoreham Says that it we disturb the pretest franchise
the case of the British coestitiatiou will be that of the man
who chose for his epitaph the words, " I was well. I wished
to be better. sad, here I ass," and that the effect of this
motion will be to divert us from the study al prastical and
pressing affsin, and to plunge us at once into ell the excite-
ment of a domestic ',moieties. (lime, hear.) New, I
entirely deprecate such language. I support the bill of my
hoe. friend without entering into the question of whether
the fetus or precise finned the franchise he proposes is that
which would be best ; whether we should base it on mum
or ooenpation. or whether we should net have a ledger
or an educational franchise, but this I say, in
order that I may not he misunderstood, that II
apprehend the priseiple—end to it I give my cordial son.
eurreoce— to be that there ought to be a coesiderable ad-
dition to the combine of the working classes, at present
almost infinitesimal, who are permitted to participate is the
franchise. (Loud liberal cheers.) What I mean is, that I
there should be suck an additive as would have been gives I
by the bill which as a government we submitted to the
house ins 106 ft. (Hear, hear.) Dees the onus of proof as to
the necessity for each • oomessioe lie with we! (Hear.)
What is the elite of the coostituesee, say departure from ,
which the hoc, member fer Shoreham deprecates as plunging
I
us into domestic revolution'. At present we have • 000-
Mituency of which certainly lees than ooistenth is composed
a the work iag classes. Iletwero me-teeth sad orie-tweetintli. j
including town and °poetry, I believe to be about the vesper-
ad that °se-Math or nee-twentieth still leaves less
than use-fiftieth of the whole workieg claims in the enjoy-
meet of the franchise. (Hem. hear.) I want to know wbe-
thew we cm fairly describe se a dementia revolution any
attempt to improve such • state of things. (Hear, hear.)
I contend that it is cm the hoe. member for Shorellere that
the burden of proof lige. (Tory cries of " Oh, oh.") Yea,
sir, I contend that when he would penis is excluding
forty-nine fiftieths (Attie working classes from the franchise
it lies with him to show the iumpseity, the unfitness, the
misconduct of them classes as unfitting them for its msg.
meet. (Liberal cheers and Wry cries of " Oh, oh."( Well,
I ant very sorer that we should have hitredomd into this
discussion what in mild phrase I may venture to
call inarticulate masa:dog. (Loud laughter.) I shell
set provoke more of it than I me help, but
I most adhere te my opinion that if forty.
Wee fiftieths of the working dames are excluded
from the frseehise, the onus of proof lies on tbe party who
woold advents' the continuance of each exclosios. (Hear,
bear.) OD the other hand my hoe. 'rime' asks for an as.
tension of the suffrage which would give the working cheese
an importent position in the isoustitsiney, although still
enjoying the franchise in the penes. of bat a small
minority of their numbest That is his propneitioa, a
moderate one. hut we are told that eves foe that the work-
ing classes don't agitate. Bat, sir. I treat to know, la it
desirable that we should wait until they do agitate? (Loud
tries of •• Hear, hear.") In my opinion the agitation of
the working classes is • thing which ought not to be waited
for, or mole the preliminary oondition of our „movement ;
but, on the contrary, is a thing which ought to be depre•
gated, and if possible prevented and anticipated by wise
and penitent concememes on the pert of puha-
meet. (Hem, hear.) The imitation of the working
elegem is a very different thing from the agitation of the
elsesee who are in easier eirtenestames. For the working
moo his time has a heavy money value, and when he dads
himself In sorb a °matelot. politically speaking, that he
most abandon the daily labour noon which he demos& for
subsidence, it Is, sir, a sate of things is which, to use the
railway language, we have "the dagger signal turned on"
m • sign that the working man slightness his memhers, and
it is one which should if passible be averted by the wise
apoolasioal of parliament. (Loud cheers.) The pretest
Mate of things, I rejoice to nay. does sot indicate the ex-
%Mime of any such distrust on the pest of the working
man, but if we adroit that to he true, we must out ass it as a
Yews why the public mine of England should be indisposed
I. the discussion of the franchise. I had myself recently
an opportunity of Marisa the views of the warkieg classes ow
the subject. It arose ineideetally, sod the views they expressed
mar be worthy the attention of the house. It was when,
during the dimension onthe Annuity Bill, • deputation of
the working dames of Liverpool came to me to express
their opinions. They maid that any hostility ex-
bibited by the working closes towards the bill wee
eerie( not me much to say objection they had to the hill
Itself as to their disetisfactioa with the conduct of parlia-
ment respecting the franchise. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. HOB.SFALL—The depstatios came sot from Liver-
pool, but frees Lender'. (Tory cheers.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—I ma mach
obliged to the boo. member for his correction, as it enables
Me to show that I am quoting the °Primo of a body of
worlds: men eight times larger than that of the working
sou of Liverpool. (Lead cheers.) My answer to them was,
"Domed upon it the conduct of parliament has mime from
the Medina of the working men themselves." To which
they replied that It was true that since the abolition of
the eon laws they had gives up political *taboo. They
Uwe to place tonfidesee in parliameet, and were told that
they bed held abenden these habit, of &Militias whirl so
mach interfered with the ordinary bushman of life. They
lad dose so, hot it Was sot fair then to torn morel on them
art my that because they were tranquil, therefore they
were isdifferest to the families. (Hear, hear.) Now the
etijeolthe mode by many to an extension of the frasehise in
the climatic, of the treatise deems is that those slew"
teal not as a elms, and break off tram the other threes
et satiety. I do net wish to me berth begone,
semi therefore I Mil set say that seek en assertion is a
libel es the swish,* chimes. but I believe it to he an
Minim tat is whoLly unjustified by the fads. (Hem,
team) It is not the habit of workbag men who are the
111110 ii“ logo together se a elms. I grant that II you were
to adept sadden swiping sad revoletimary measures,
plying • maeopoly of power to the working dames, if imbed
of am-third you gave them two-thirds of the boroughs,
these might be • Melifienties foe the meertios. cad It would
Is delimit he thew that there would net be name danger is
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