The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-17 00:00:00

ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM.

The preliminary meeting in support of administrative
reform was held at Norwich yesterday, the Mayor in the
chair. It was distinguished for the high respectability
of the electors of both parties who attended.
Mr. LINDSAY was the first speaker. In the course of his
address he said,—We have been engaged for 12 months in
a great war with a powerful nation. We have suffered as
all suffer who go to war. War is an evil, and included
dangers and perils, and therefore we cannot expect that
matters could proceed as they did during a period of
peace. We must expect, for instance, to be heavily taxed
to carry on the war, and the people of this country, con-
sidering the nature and power of the enemy with whom we
have to cope, and the danger of allowing a further power
to that enemy—l say the people of this land have not
grudged the necessary supplies to carry on the con-
test as it ought to be carried on. But we feel that we
ought to have some guarantee that the money voted is
properly expended, because if 8,000,000/. well expended
could go as far as 10,000,0001., we should be able to see
that the difference of 2,000,000/. is saved, and not wasted.
But what is really the state of matters ? Have we con-
ducted this war hitherto as men of business would con-
duct their own concerns, and upon any system. I find,
wherever I go—l find everywhere—through the length
and breadth of the land, the opinion prevails that there
is no system. (Hear.) I saw one of the finest and the
noblest armies leaving these shores for the seat of war, full
of spirit, of valour, and of heart. I saw the noble army
despatched—first to the neighbourhood of Constantinople,
then to Varna, then to the sickly region of the Dobrud-
seha; I saw that whole army despatched across theßlack
"ea to the shores of the Crimea, and there landing. I law
that noble army, with all the indomitable courage and
energy of the British soldier, mounting the heights of
Alma, and by their bravery and courage drive the foe like
a torrent before them. But I also noticed, while this
_
wai

8 going forward, and these noble soldiers were doing
these great things, that at home nothing was being done
to feed them, to clothe them, or to protect them from
the weather. It struck me, as a man of business, that
surely some plan of operations for the campaign must
be laid down. I thought I saw that a plan had been
adopted. I presumed that after the battle of the Alma
Sebastopol lay open to our victorious arms, but it ap-
pears the system followed did not allow a manifes' ad-
vantage to be taken. The object appeared to be that the
army should go to the eastward, and to the eastward
they went, and then took up quarters on the south. But
my astonishment was great when I observed that this
course was taken without a supply of covering, almost
without stores, and almost without food. (Hear.) Ships
at length occupied the harbour of Balaklava, but the
stores when disembarked lay on the shore without
order, indeed, a perfect chaos appeared to prevail. Let
us look at these things closer. Take the transport ser-
vice, for instance. Why, in the establishment founded
by myself in Austinfriars, I do a larger extent of busi-
ness than the whole of that transport service of the Go-
vernment put together. My business is easily done, be-
e tuse done on a proper system, and with regularity. I
have done my business this very day before I came here,
for I spent one hour and a half in my counting, house in
London before I left for Norwich. Should not the Go-
vernment conduct the business of the nation equally well
as that of a private person? I say, then, we must make
our solemn protest against the present mal-administra-
tion of the vital interests of this country. We must have,
in fact, administrative reform. Now, it has been said
that this movement is dangerous. Dangerous! Why,
it was said that the movement in favour of Catholic
emancipation was dangerous. The country would not
have obtained that boon if the people had not stirred
themselves. Ner, if the people themselves had not
stirred, would the country have obtained reform of
the representation. Would the country have ob-
tained untaxed food and free trade if the people had
not taken these questions into their own hands—
if, in fact, these deprecated movements of the people bad
not taken place ? (Applause.) I ask, what is the reason
of all the disgrace we have incurred ? I can soon tell
you ; it is because the right man is not put in the right
place. (Hear.) I wish you would hear from me what
is meant by administrative reform. I have already said
that it means the right men in the right places. It means
also that we should recognise an aristocracy of merit,
and that an end should be put to jobbing of all kinds.
How are we to act ? By uniting with the association.
I apprehend that shortly other associations of similar
character will be founded in cities and boroughs, and
similar resolutions will be passed to those we have passed
in London, and shall, I hope, pass here to-night. We
have been told that no Government can exist without
patronage, and I can understand that such a Govern-
ment as the present, or the last, find, and have found it
very difficult to live without patronage, and find suffi-
cient members to support them. But we think that
the Government which cannot exist without patronage,
and the right of giving away appointments, is not fit to
govern, and ought not to exist at all. I feel this reform
very necessary, and I do not speak to you as a political
agitator, but as a public man anxious to effect a good
especially required. I speak to you with seriousness,
for we are in a very ticklish position. If we have a late
harvest, food high, this war still going on, we shall feel
great distresses, and perhaps the people will he discon-
tented—and then, if we continue to have a had Govern-
ment, why, God help us. (Hear, hear.) Then, indeed,
a time may come when the country will require men of
nerve and energy to guide it through the critical state
of affairs that may exist. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. SPRINGFIELD moved,—
"That this meeting is deeply concerned at the mis-
management of the war, which has brought fearful suffer-
ing and losses upon the army, and discredit upon the na-
tional character, and is of opinion that the incompetency
of the public establishments is mainly attributable to the
system by which appointments , are to a large extent
regulated, and which sacrifices efficiency to party
and family influences, and this meeting, therefore, with-
out wishing to exclude the aristocratic classes from the
position in the public services to which their talent and
potriotism may` entitle them, assert that merit is the only
principle by which appointment to public, offices should
be attained.

Mr. WARNER expressed a hearty concurrence in the
object for which the meeting had been called, and said,
had it been convened for party purposes or for putting
the working classes down in order to get the middle
classes into power, he would not have joined in giving
it his support. He was happy to see the union of gen-
tlemen on both sides of politics, and hoped that the ex-
ample of that meeting would be followed in every place
throughout the kingdom.
The resolution was then put and carried unanimously.
Mr. W. T. WCULLIGH said we disclaim utterly that
we are innovators—(hear)--we are prepared to resist in-
novation. We are here to restore the just balance of
the constitution—(hear)--we are here to say that, as in
former times, when the monarchy attempted to overstep its
province, it was repelled and repulsed by the combined
might of the nobility and the Commons of England, so
when any class in this land is found to forget itself and
its great duty to fatherland so much as to attempt to
encroach upon us, the Commons, we are as ready as our
forefathers were centuries ago to say, " Thus far thou
shalt go, but no further ; here shall thy proud waves of en-
croachment be stayed." (Applause.) As you will all re-
member, Sir R. Peel came into power in 1841, at the head
of what was called an irresistible majority, and formed
what was boastfully declared to be the strongest Govern-
ment ever constituted. But who was one of the men
whom Sir R. Peel found it necessary—coerced as he was
by the oppressive power of the system in which he found
himself entangled—to place in his Cabinet? No other than
his Grace the present Duke of Buckingham. (Laughter.)
Now, I will ask any friend of Sir R. Peel, any man who
calls himself Conservative, of whatever degree, would be
recommend a Conservative Prima Minister coming into
office to-morrow to replace in the Cabinet his Grace the
Dukelof Buckingham ? (Cries of "no, no.") I will not
say that the appointment was made improperly or ought
not to have been made. I will not inquire into any-
thing beyond the mere statement of the fact, and it is
enough for me to show you that the same system has
been carried out since by every successive Government.
Lord J. Russell was called to power in 1846. His party
were in a minority in the House of Commons, and in a
minority in the House of Lords ; and here was a case in
which you would say a man had need to strengthen his
hands by summoning the best men he could around him.
But, like Sir Robert Peel, Lord John Russell was en-
tangled so completely in the net of aristocratic influent.;
that it was utterly impossible for him—supposing, for
argument's sake, that ho had the will—to form a Cabinet
based on merit alone. In his Cabinet was included the
most noble the Marquis of Clanricarde, and I will ask
any man if Lord J. Russell was restored to power, would
you recommend that Lord Clanricarde should berestored
to his former place in the Cabinet ? In considering the
next Cabinet which was formed we must pass from Whigs
to the Tories. Lord Derby was called to power, and
I well remember the interest which was felt at the time
as to the appointments he might make. Well, who did
Lord Derby make First Lord of the Admiralty ? His
Grace the Duke of Northumberland, and I ask any man
who has read the disclosures before what is called the
" Stafford Committee," would he recommend Lord
Derby, if he ever gets back to power, to put the Duke
of Northumberland again in the same office? (Laughter.)
At the end of the same year Lord Aberdeen was called
to power. Lord Aberdeen having "drifted" intoioffiedcr,
—the phrase is not my own—and having " drftd
with
with the
most country n onit e
xhisf g ebnaoci back s intoha
ri
nwar—havinggbeen
oomt to
compelled
by the force of public opinion to create a newthe office,os
called the Ministry of War, bad to choose then
to
competenthard
af
nm
t'allnge
critical
manit.
times t Io
begftil
fty.oufrLapnc
(Laughter, eland
and I must appeal to your indulgence.
n :oh (Laughter.) lhtaids
to keep
the` ' he ar
Ministry' Well,
a t Lordwrar Aberdeen,an d
.h ed
pas lacedcaen.
yifinbl lo,f
anybody
ayot all
be vleemn
speakas,
of whom I am as disincline
heann
damn
eaxnt isb dc
ao
uws ne
I
think great injustice is generally it
dealt out a ainst a
fhsaarsnholyw—arfidrlyst,thfng
strikethi nhki
mw
to because
I
notwithstanding that I am at liberty, with-
the
who is made -a Jonah of to save the restg of the
coruetwi But, nohe least feeling of hostility, to name the Duke of
Newcastle in the present argument, with the view of
calling to your recollection the fact that after a few
months he was obliged to abandon his office in despair •
and Ido not suppose that even Lord Aberdeen—if in
the inscrutable will of Heaven he should ever get back
to power —would inflict so great anno place t h
injuryim
qualified aurp.aoi nuNiohnewi
as,
friendpo s
iposition
tnh ef
oDrDuke
which
hf
he
nNewcastleertai
certainly
awsatso
and nothing
here we have three dukes a;naduodnle marquis,w
hi tahvoeu tdfnenaer: any
d
Po facal opinions may
to credit on the other side
man in this room, whateveur
be, whether he will stand
fetthese four individualse
say that he believes an
would have been appointYeklOnt,ol:h,om
iesaf
errif he bad not been a
duke or a marquis ? (No, no.) If not, then my case is
made out ; and when you have an Administration suc-
ceeding to all the faults, and uninstructed by any of the