Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-06-13 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN TIMES, MONDAY, JUNE 13, 1859

THE MINISTERIAL DEFEAT,

THIS catastrophe was by no means' unexpected,

we find, on the ministerial side, for the two or three

days immediately preceding the division ; and we are

informed that the majority against them was appre-
hended "to he likely to nnmber more than it has

done. Some, anxiety was shown on the Opposition

side as to how Mr. GLADSTONE would vote ; though

..
we believe that, from the first, Ministers themselve

•
had no manner of doubt that he would support

them,—which, of course, he did. Mr. LINDSAY, the

newly-elected member for Sunderland —7 late -:for

Tynemouth,—and Mr. ROEBUCK,. also voted.for the

Derby Ministry

The House of Commons met, it will be seen, on

Saturday, in pursuance: of an agreement that was

come to after the Division on Friday night, or rather

Saturday morning. -Lord JoirNlitY§sELL simply 'milted
that the consideration of the report on the. Address be

deferred.; till next Friday, to which day the House

immediately adjourned,—

hat is, over the Whitsun-

a Committee having been appointed

to draw it.up

The resignation of Ministers was a matter of

course.. Lord DERBY tendered his resignation, and

from all we can learn, Lord. GRAN VILLE is instructed

to form a Ministry, Lords PALMERSTON and RUSSELL

taking prominent positions

The question is not unreasonably asked, now that

the Opposition have gained their triumph,

" What

will they do with it

A.nd it is considered,

under the peculiar circumstances of the cas

that it -is at present -very difficult to answer with

any confidence. The difficulty will be in
.the construe-

tion of sueh-a Cabinet as will.secure, the support of

the whole Liberal party.-in the HOuse, an aChievement,

the arduous nature of which cannot easily be under

stood by those whO are not'in'the ;eeri4. The ±inzs

admits this, and refers somewhat exultingly to the
. .

caution it gave the Opposition more than:a week. ago

on the subject

We suppose we must wait with patience until the

re-assembling of both Houses on Friday, before

anything very certain can be communicated as to

the real issues of the crisis. In the meantime,

there not unnaturally prevails the most intense

anxiety

LORD DERBY AND THE ROMAN CATHOLICS.
THE circumstance of a. large proportion of the
Roman Catholics having supported the Ministerial
candidates at the late'election for South Lancashire,
has been attributed, we know, to very unworthy
motives, both on their part, and on the part of Lord
.;D.ERBY.hiinself. There was not a particle of charity
in the conclusion which the adverse party so readily
jumped to on the occasion. There must, it was most
unjustifiably declared, have been foul bribery in one
form or another,—some criminal compact must have
been entered into between them and the Ministry,
or between Cardinal WIREMAN-and Lord•DEM3I, on
their behalf. - The worst-construction was put up-on
ferth the' Most 'malicious censures:
Not one single idea of it did they expres"
that was not . uncharitable and evil.
.Nor
was it confined by any means, either the occurrence
or the malignant judgment of it, to South Lancashire
only. It prevailed elsewhere, both in England and
in Ireland. The Roman Oatholics, or, a considerable
body of them, gave their support, it seems, pretty
generally to the. Ministerial candidates at
.the late
General Election. • But they did so, we are assured,
honestly and independently,—as they had a perfect
right to dO;if they thOught proper. "It is quite
true," said Lord DERBY* in his place in Parliament,
the other night, " that Roman Catholic gentlemen
have-given the Government their support, but with-
out any pledges on the part of the Government, but
because they found that as Roman Catholics they
were. treated .with more frankness, and in a more
straightforward manner, by the present than by any
former. Government. Ido • not think," he' continued,
" that: it is a support of which the Government, on the
one side, or the Roman Catholics, on the other, have
any reason to be ashamed. We acted' as' we have,
done towards the Roman Catholics in the discharge
of our public duty, because
-'we thought they were
fairly entitled to be treated in the manner we have
treated them. We shall pursue the same course.
We shall give them whatever indulgence —or fair
dealing, I-should rather .say—we think them legiti7
mately entitled to ; but we shall not give them tI4
slightest thing that can prejudice or impair the
interests of that Church to which we belong, and
-h we think we are boundto support. If Roman
_nen think, themselves justified in
giving their support to a Government which makes
them no promises, but that it shall deal . them sub-
stantial justice, I say that neither they
.nor we should
be ashamed of that measure of support, such as it is,
which they have given us." Subh, :it is said, was
the simple fact of. the matter. Nor is there anything
unnatural, anything unreasonable in it. The Roman
Catholics, it is but fair to suppose, did think them-
selves justified in giving their :support to the
Government. They are the best judges, or ought to
be, of their own interests, as a community, and as
individuals; and they thought 'it best, it would
seem, to support a Government by which they had
been fairly treated, and in which they had confidence
for good treatment for the future,—" a Government,"
as Lord DERBY said, " which makes them no
promises, but that it shall deal them substantial
jtstice." And, certainly, it is undeniable, that there
can be no cause to be ashamed of such their support'
being given, -either on one side or the other. Of
course we are not considering the question in a party
light. We have nothing to do with party in such a
ease, but touly with justice, and right, and fairness.
The Roman Catholics are, as British subjects, as
much entitled to have "substantial justice" dealt
out to them, as are any other body of the people.
The age of religious disqualifications is past and
,gone, All are equal wider the Jaw, and fn the

Catholic gentler