The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-06 00:00:00

- IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

IN the Houma of Loini, yesterday, on the
motion of the Earl of L1C111,111.1., the Friendly
Societies Bill was read &second time.
The Duke of MARLBOROI7OO stated, in reply to
Lord TAUNTON, that a bill will be brought in to
provide that all future appointments to the master-
ships of endowed schools shall be subject to any
f-
tore regulation that parliament umy
The house adjourned at 20 minutes to 7 oTlock.

IN the House of COMMONS, Mr. GLADSTONE,
after moving the adjournment of tho house, re-
ferred to the account given by Mr. Disraeli in his
first speech on Monday evening, of the audience
he had with her Majesty, when her Majesty re-
fusod t., accept the resignation of ministers, but
gave her consent to the dissolution of parliament;
and to the subsequent speech of the right hon.
gentleman, in which he made a statement at
variance with that which he had first made. He
also referred to the speech of the Duke of Rich-
mond in the House of Lords, differing from that
of Mr. Disraeli, his grace observing that the
right hon. gentleman at once tendered the resigna-
tion of the ministry, without speaking of a dis-
solution, and going on to say that her Majesty was
I,,,raciously pleased to state that she would make no
objection to a dissolution of parliament, and that
it would depend on the state of affairs whether
the dissolution should be to the present consti-
tuencies, or to the new constituencies to be formed
under the Reform Act. He asked whether this
language was avowed or disavowed by the govern-
ment as a whole.
Mr. DISRAELI replied that there was not the
slightest intentional difference between his ori-
ginal and his subsequent statement of what took
place at the audience which her Majesty graciously
accorded him. When he attended her Majesty at
Osborne, after acquainting her Majesty with the
position of the government he at once recom-
mended that in the present state of affairs, not
~aly in justice to the government, but for the sake
of the country• and the great issue at stoke, parlia
meat should be immediately dissolved, or as soon
as the state of the public busicess permitted.
Mr. BRIGHT interposed by asking whether the
recommendation was to appeal to the present con-
stituency t_ _ _

Mr. Disnsati complained that the hon. MOW
her had interposed with a matter that had nothing
to do with the question. He recommended the
tli,-olution absolutely and unequivocally, without
reference to any particular circumstance, as 1100 n as
the state of the public business should permit.
lie said afterwards that he had hoped that by
;:iving lip all other bills which they hail introduced,
and by confining their attention to the supple-
mental reform measures, if the house acted cor-
diAlly with him a general election might take place
by an appeal to the new constituencies. As he was
the person who had audience of her Majesty, he
thought his statement should be taken ; but if any
.4 his colleagues elsewhere had made a statement
which conveyed a different impression, the logical
pro,Tilure would be that that colleague should be
called upon to explain the discrepancy.
Mr. 1:oUVEILIF: thought the proper course had
been taken in asking the question in this house,
for the right hon. gentleman who asked it was a
meniber of this and not of the other house of
parliament ; and he remarked that Mr. Disraeli
had not told them whether the appeal visa to be
mad to the present or to the future constituencies.
The sound doctrine was, that the government
should either resign or dissolve. If they were to
a_ujual bi the new constituencies, the dissolution
e•mld not take place for eight or nine months, and
it might be not for eighteen months, and in the
meantime the government sought to remain
in (Mice, though the house had practically come to
a v"te of no confidence in them.

31r. SANDroito hoped the house would not for a,
I.,.,:aent enter into legislation on those questions
with a threat of dissolution hanging over them.

Mr. C %nowt:Lt. remarked that if there was no
in 3 story in the rase there was no difficulty in
;;icing a plain answer to the question, and pointed
out that in the reported speech of the right hon.
gentleman he sail her Majesty gave an unqualified
assent to a dissolution without any reference to the
old or the new constituencies. These words of
themselves implied no menace, but coupled with
other words that were used they did imply a
menace. lie asked for a plain answer to the ques-
tion whether the members were to hold their posi-
tion as representatives of those who sent them
there, or at the will of the right hon. gentleman.
Sirs. '5 oars. said no such menace was held out.
Mr. A VXTON was one of those who did not dis-
tinctly understand what had taken place, and he
was now more confused than he was at the begin-
ning. Mr. Disraeli had no doubt done full justice
to himself, but he could not help thinking that he
hal not done full justice to his sovereign, because
a painful impression would be produced in the
country if what the right hon. gentleman had
stated was what and all that took place. it ap-
pe.tred to him that they had not had a frank state-
ment of what took place between the first minister
and the crown. An impression was intended to be
ereated which was unfair to the sovereign. He
scouted the idea that the house was to enter into a
bargain with the minister that they should abdicate
their functions for the purpose of keeping him in
..Nice.

Mr. Glisvr.A protested against the business of
the house being obstructed night after night for
tai tiola purposes, and called on the liberal mem-
bers who refused to follow Mr. Gladstone last year
to assert their independence now.
. . .

Mr. 11. thntNEobserved that fur the first time
in recent years the authority of the crown had been
used in support of the ministry, which was a most
unhappy state of things not only for the house, but
fur the crown and the other house of parliament.
ft appeared to him that there was a power beyond
the throne which tendered unconstitutional and
obnoxious advice, lie thought the dissolution
ought to take place at once.
Colonel STUART )(sox for one wa, for justice to
all, and no surrenuer of the rights which belonged
to them.

Mr. Hou.smatt asked Mr. Disraeli for a specific
answer to the question whether he advised her
Majesty to appeal to the present constituencies, or
that the appeal should be made to the new con-
stituencies, and whether her Majesty had entrusted
him Kith some unknown power of dissolution
under the menace of which their proceedings were
to be carried on.
Colonel Enwauns said he agreed with Mr.
4irares, and thought more factiou4 conduct was
never exhibited in the house than that of Mr.
iladstone and hie supporters.
. .

Mr. WHITURRAD •considered it a lamentable
thing that the name of the sovereign should have
been used in the manner it had been by the Prime
Minister. What the house wanted to know was
whether the right hon. gentleman had power to
,dissolve the house at any time. The only cry the
•rigid hon. gentleman could go to the country on
was " No surrender, at any time or under any cir-
cumstances, of my place.
Mr. Lowe called on Mr. Disraeli, out of regard
to his character, to answer the straightforward
questions which had been put to him.

Mr. DISRAELI said it had been remarked that
the name of the sovereign had been improperly in-
troduced into the debate. It was not so by him.
The advice that he gave to her Majesty to dissolve
parliament was confined solely to the question of
the Irish church, and if any other difficulty arose
in the conduct of affairs, on which it occurred to
him and his colleagues that such advice should be
given, it would be his duty to repair to her Majesty
and to give that advice.
Mr. LIDDELL regretted that the resignation
of ministers was not accepted, as he believed
they could not continue in office. longer with
honour to themselves or advantage to the
country. He thought the house should not be
called to legislate in teriorem., He appealed to the
opposition not to press further the question of the
Irish church this seasion,as' if asuspensory act were
carried through this house, there was no probability
of its passing through the other.

The motic; wa■ then withdrawn, nd the subject
dropped.