Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-02-05 00:00:00

THE PROSPECTS OF REPORM

THERE is nothing that we can discover, either
in the Speech from the Throne on Thursday, or in
any thing that fell from Ministers in the debate
which ensued, in either Rouse, to danip the hopes
of constitutional reformers as to the accomplish-
ment of their _ anxious desires. We should
certainly have liked it better, as we said

yesterday, had more prominency been given
to the . topic of Parliamentary Reform, in the-
Speechi—had it been put foremost instead of
hindermost, in that important Royal manifesto.
But there is a precedent, it appears,
.for placing
it where it was. Sir JOHN PAKINGTON produced
the Speech of her Majesty in opening the Session
of 1852, when Lord JOHN' RUSSELL was Prime
Minister. " I find that Speech refers," said the
right hon. member, "to a great number of topics, of

more or less interest, connected with the Govern-
ment,of the country, and then at the very end of
it, and not till then, adverts to the question of
Parliamentary Reform in these terms It
appears to me that this is a fitting time to calmly

consider whether it may not be advisable to make

such amendments in the Act of the late Reign

relating to the repn

sentation of the Commons in

Parliament as may be -deemed calculated to carry
into more complete effect the principles on which
•
that law is founded.' So that whatever error we
may have committed in the position which has
been assigned to the topic in her MajestT's Speech

relating to a reform of the representation in this'

House, we have at least the consolation of knowing

that we are supported by the precedent and
example of the noble lord himself, seeing that he

assigried to that subject precisely the same posi-
_

tion in the Speech which we have given to it

This was. certainly a most conclusive reply to
Lord. JOHN RUSSELL and the Whigs. But it
-would have been more satisfactory to the country,
nevertheless, had greater prominency, been given
to it on such an occasion as the present, •Still it

does not in anywise affect the real position of the

great question. -
The formal introduction of the question to the
consideration of Parliament is not likely to take
place, it seems, until after Easter. Lord
PALMERSTON took it , for granted, on Thursday
evening, that the Ministerial measure
of Reform was prepared, and therefop would
immediately be brought forward ; and the
Chancellor of the Exchequer told him he was per-
fectly right. But he at the same time maintained
that it is the duty of Ministers to introduce it at
a period when it- can, receive ample deliberation,
and when Parliament will have time to comprehend
the purport of all its details. Therefore, he added,
" the noble lord cannot expect, or if he does indulge
so unreasonable an expectation he will be disap-
pointed in supposing, that Her Majesty's Govern-
ment will bring forward that measure before the
urgent business of the country can be put in a
proper frame

Nor do we really see any thing
very unreasonable in this. Lord PALMERSTON
had himself admitted that a due provision for the
reorganisation of the Navy, for instance, was not
second in importance to any question that would
occupy the attention of Parliament. And this is

one subject, it would seem, which is to have pre-
cedence of the Reform Bill. "At the proper time,"
says the Minister, "and giving to the House the
most ample tittportunity to consider its merits, I
shall be prepared on the part of the Government
to introduce that measure to their consideration."
This, then, is a pledge; and it is one from which
the Reformers in the House will take care there is