The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-17 00:00:00

Liberal Demonstration at Lee( Is that prosy perity than those who have habitually op-
posed it." (Cheers.) And I don't know how we
are to acoonnt for this position unless we assume a
state of thie4p; which we in England don't quite un-
derstand—Viz., that there is nothing for it but a re•
gular turn and turn about for all the profits and
conveniene es of office, and that, therefore, patty
existence shall collapse. I might be inclined to say
that theasa was some reason in this argument did I
not feel, that there is still, and that there ever will
be, a f indamental difference between the men who
wish fin progress and the men who wish to remain
still. (Cheers.) We may well allow that toe vete-
ran utatesman who was a party to the repeal of the
Test and Corporation Act, to the emancipation of
Roman Catholic fellow-subjects, to the revision of
the, Poor Law, to the establishment of your munici-
pa I franchises, and to the great Reform Bill—
(c veers)—we may well allow him, in the decline of
his ilge, to say that be wishes to" rest and be thank-
ful." (Applause.) But the nation to which we be-
long is not a veteran nation. It is young and still
fresh, and full of future energy and future hope,
and therefore we will say to him, "Rest and be
thankful, if you will. Grateful to you are we
for all you have done, and we wish only that there
were many like you, but you must permit the nation
to which you belong to say that we wish to ascend
to still further heights and to still nobler develop-
ments." (Cheers.) The difference between us and
our adversaries is this—that we do desire to keep
ever open the portals of our Constitution to the foot
of honest endeavour and of noble aspiration. (Re-
newed cheers.) We do not desire that these portals
shall remain hermetically Closed until some evil
day they are forced open by an "ugly rush," such
as one intelligent individual had prognosticated.
(Applause.) Therefore, Ido trust that this assem-
bly—each one of them in their own spheres and in
their own localities—will do all in their power to
promote this issue and advance tee interests. Let
them beware of any supineness ita this matter. Let
those in Parliament know that there is a good
genuine Liberal constituency in the West Riding,
and let there be no want of vigilance, or enthu-
siasm, or interest. Let your friends know that we
have not to deal with any supine or idle enemy.
We have to deal with men who, Tories as they are,
still are enough of Englishmen to know that it is
the business and duty of Englishmen to be active
in the political position which they occupy. They
are active, and you must be active too. They are
vigilant, and you must be vigilant too, or else they
will beat you in the race, and distance you in the
objects you are pursuing. (Hear.) There is no
doubt whatever that there is at this moment in the
country what is called a great Conservative spirit.
Much of it is honest, mach of it good, much of it
wise, much of it safe. It is for us to see that that
Conservative spirit does not go on till it tends to
excite the feelings of those outside to fancy they
are excluded from the benefits and blessings of our
Constitution. Let them remember that the greatest
danger, the greatest calamity, perhaps, of the
times in which we live was when the people
of France thought that the electoral body
was an exclusive body, that that body made
itself into a separate country within a country, and
that it stood by itself apart from the interests of the
whole community, depending upon itself and think-
ing only of itself. Then it was that they rose and
crushed it by revolution, which ended in its turn in
a miserable despotism. Let them see that there is
nothing more unhappy for a country than to yield
to the impulses of fear. Dont let us distrust each
other. Don't let the employer distrust the employed.
Don't let the wealthy and powerful in this country
believe that merely by education, by counsel, and by
example they can raise others to their own level;
but let them do all in their power so that we may
grow gradually, extending the power and greatness
of this England of ours until this country, which
knows no classes, which knows no divisions, which
knows no essential interests between all classes of
the people, shall become, as far as God permits, a
homogeneous and glorious whole. (Loud cheers.)

--
Oa Tuesday evening a demonstration of th e Li-
beral party in the Northern Division of the West
itidieg of Yorkshire took place at the Queen Hotel,
Leeds, when several members of the Legit dature
were present. Mr. H. S. Thompson, M.P e pre-
sided, and proposed the toast of " Her Ms jesty's
Ministers," saying that two of them (Sir C. Wood,
and Lord de Grey) had promised to be press nt, but
important business connected with the occupation
of Denmark by German troops made it net :essary
that a Cabinet Council should be held, and the ,t they
should go to London.
Mr. BeINEs, M.P., proposed, " The Haiuse of
lords." (Cheers.) Although they belonged to the
democratic portion of the Constitution, and the
Lords to the aristocratic; although they were .most
of them earnest reformers, and although the HA-use
of Peers was supposed to be rattler conservatively
disposed, yet, notwithstanding that, he believed. the
noblemen of Yorkshire were not one-sided politi-
cians, but were capable of viewing more than "one
side of a question. Looking at history, and loo'teing
around upon the Governments of the worlei, he
thought he had reason to be confirmed in our at-
tachment to our glorious Constitution—to that
mixed form of goveratnent of King, Lordt t, and
Commons which seemed to be pronounced loy the
verdict of history to be more conducive them any
other to true liberty, solid prosperity, and „peace at
home and abroad. (Cheers.) The House of Lords, he
conceived, was entitled to their respect, not merely
for its great antiquity, which caused it to be rooted
in the very foundation of the commonwealth of
England, but also because it had proved itself to be,
at many of the most important periods of our his-
tory, the best defender of the liberties of the people.
(Cheers.) Meny a time and oft had the peers of
England prevented the liberties of the people from
being swallowed up by the prerogatives of the
Crown. He need not say that those old barons wilo
assembled at Runnymede took for their motto,
" We will not that the laws of England be changed ;"
nor remind them that at our glorious revolution the
foundation of that great change was laid in the
blood of a Russell, and cemented by the patriotism
of a Cavendish. (Cheers.) Nor need ho tell any
of them that in our great modern charter—the Re.
form Bill—the people had for their leaders Grey
and Brougham. (Cheers.) Therefore, he thought
they had reason to pride themselves that the peers
of England had held an exemplary position in the
history of the liberties of this country. Theirs
was
a history which he thought would not fall much
below that of any other class in any other country
of the world in brilliancy and real dignity. (Hear,
hear.) There were aristocracies which were of a
very different character to this. There were those
who were so separated from the bulk of the com-
munity that a man could neither descend from them
nor ascend from the plebian ranks to them—an
aristocracy which had been distinguished by being
exempted from the burdens of taxation, and by not
being amenable to the same laws es their fellow-
subjects. But how great was the difference between
them and the aristocracy of England. (Hear, hear.)
They were amenable to all the laws to which the
meanest subject was amenable ; they had to pay all
the taxes which any yeoman, farmer, manufacturer,
or artisan had to pay. They were also intermixed
in various ways with the bulk of the people, and,
as commoners, the sons of peers had been distin-
guished as legislators by their wisdom and their
patriotism. In Yorkshire they had happy recollec-
tions of a Milton, a Morpeth, and a Goderich, most
beloved representatives of that popular and popu-
lous constituency who had ever been true to their
early lives and pledges. They were peers who rose
from the ranks of the Commons to the higher
House, and he was happy to say that they had
one noble friend there—(Lord Houghton)—
they had hoped to see two noble friends—who
had been raised by desert the most unquestionable
to the dignities which had been conferred upon
them. It was a subject of great regret to Lord Mon

eagle that he was not able to be 'with them thw

Mr, J. I). DENT, M.P., proposed " the Army,

Navy, and Rifle Volunteers." He believed that a
evening, but he was happy to see the youngest
member of that illustrious assembly, the House of reduction in the expenditure for the army and navy
Lords, then present. (Cheers.) He classed him could alone be accomplished by the efforts of such
without hesitation in the same category as Lord men as Earl do Grey and Ripon and Mr. Stansfeld
Morvengle, for he knew that the name of Richard (Applause.) He saw no reason to disbelieve a para-
Monekton Milnes, that was inscribed upon bright graph of a semi-official character referring to the
pages in our literature, was honourably known in services of Mr. Stansfeld during the recess for the
the House of Commons, and was inscribed in the reduction of those expenses—(hear)—an dhe thought
hearts of a great number of Students of our educe- they ought not to begrudge the large expenditure,
timed institutions, whom he at all times had bat the money waited by ofDeials. (Hear, hear.)
honoured and encouraged. (Hear.) Mr. Baines then That was the motto of the Liberal party. There
remarked that he did not know any aspect in which were one or two small wars on hand—wars expen-
the interests of the Heuse of Lords were adverse to sive and reflecting discredit upon the country.
the interests of the great bulk of the people; on the (Hear, hear.) He did not mean to say that the
contrary, he believed their interests to be most army and navy were the cause of that discredit,
strictly and indissolubly bound np with the safety, but there were Englishmen who were only English-
the honour, and prosperity:of the country. It might men in name, men who thought they could do
be admiteted that the Lords were not directly repre. what they liked with barbarous nations, and
sentative, nor were they directly responsible, yet it fell upon the country to redress the grievances
substanstialiy he thought they were both one and which they had created. (Hear, hear.) There
the other, and stood as much, or more, exposed than was but little credit to bo made with wars in
any class in the country to pubEe opinion, which India, New Zealand, or battles in Japan, bat there
no men in this age dared to set at nought and de- was a sad loss of life and expenditure of money, a
spice. (Cheers.) He did not see any reason why loss of the best men in the services. (Hear, hear.)
there should be any jealousy on the part of the He wished they could see the conclusion of those
House of Lords of a full and free representation of miserable pettifogging little wars. (Hear, hear
the People in the House of Commons. They gave to Sir J. W. RAMSDEN, M.P., briefly proposed "the
the
the Leves most cheerfully the rights which for so Chairman and Committee of the Liberal Registra-
many centuries they had held, and to which they tion Association for the Northern Division of the
were ent-,
a; but they on their part claimed that West Riding." (Cheers.) He expressed an opinion
the Hoeft of
~uate
re...sr
entuo.mmons should be a true and ads- that the Northern Division would return two
‘nglanc-ti:
(chetTon of the people and Commons of Liberal members, and that a gentleman would be
He was glad to find that that selected as his (Sir John's) successor who would do
eves the opinions')Of
clean\ He tu..__ . the meeting as well as his. honour to the representation. (Hear, hear.)
' de. "natthey would not find that
the quesaon of the ezte . when Mr. THOMPSON, M.P., the chairman, acknow-
leouintiston of the franchise was lodged the toast. He spoke of the efficient way in
approached there
the part of the Lords; he be any opposition on which the Liberal registration for the West Riding
held the
there was not on had hitherto been conducted ; but he said the
the part of those who
certihe principles of true observation was often made, " What is the use of
Con servatis tn, because tie,
; it
wziervatistu was always it, there is no difference now between Conservative
in favour of real reform
improvement
false Conser- and Liberal ? Real Liberalism is de
vatism which opposed all defunct or at least
avtiment indiacrimi- as dormant as if it were not of any practical use."
nately, and of that false Consery
h. e would not He did not believe it. The statement was an inven-
, suspect them until it was proved to
receis,viesdt. (Rear.) tion of the enemy. He stood up, as chairman of the
Lord HOUGHTON was warmlyhie
regret on rising association, to give it a most unqualified contradic-
to respond. After expressing
twothat the tion. Did any one really believe that Conservative
West Mding would be for the future in
to hie
divi- tactics had changed —(cries of No)—when there
sirens for electoral purposes, he alluded
,r_ own were any great questions to be considered ? The
elevation to the peerage in the following te
By the favour a our gracious Sovereign anwti ie—he Conservatives did sometimes, in small matters, bid
kind regard of the great and popular Minister jam as high, or perhaps higher, than even the Liberals
plaeLd on the threshold of another assembly the —it suited their purpose to do so; but the measures
that weich 1 have been a part of for the last teen
of. progress which they would have supported or
tvben would have been small indeed bat for the
and twenty years. I own that that circumstance
Their
ral party, who kept them up to the mark.
would be to me one of unalloyed regret (and it is
they
.tl7 (Conservatives') maxim was to keep what
accompanied with sufficient regret in leaving those
frnnYea,ese,got. In considering any measure of the
old friends, and those old benches, and those old
mit must make an essential difference,
faces, and ad the familiar as sets, and ail the whetuhler
looked at it with a view to give as
t nmults and confusions of that period), if I believed much fte the"'
the jvceould, or give as little as they could.
that I was going to join an assembly which did not Again,
pail told that there was no liberality in
permit me to continue my sympathies with the the Liberal
_an.d the supposed proof given
popular cause. (Hear, hear.) I believe—and the in the fact of
feYvvt liberal meal se
having was
passed of
assertion of Mr. Baines, veteran Liberal as he is, late years,
and it, Liberal measures which had been
proves that he at least believes—that by going into proposed being rejected,
coxtrae He was not going to de-
that House Ido not in any degree abdicate those fend altogether the
mpe:rsued by every member
interests. (Applause.) I think that a man must of the Liberal party.
reed very ill the signs of the times who believes that there to find fault with individuals
) He was not
any aristocracy can exist in this or any other country party might have done more ha, but to say the 1
whit;, nd he thought it II they been entirely
• does not sympathise with and take an hate- unanimous ; a
rest in was of all
when they We of things the
the pursuits and progress of the people. most important,
Not - looking at the
wealth, not hospitality not the graces and am meei Liberals e a political party, that the
ties ofFociuly not knowledge, e . - - ae
e lost of late by not 3' should see how
not learning, not even much they had
virtue itself
' will id lay corning cordial!
preserve an aristocracy in its together. Therefore he would ay down, as y
pOwcr, itk, di
maxima, that for the e one et
;may, or even in its securit in the '
in which we 1,,,-,.
from , it' it remains exclusive, apart. should eschew crotchets, and pursue all great
tneo.
and alieris.ted
the destinies of the people. sures with unanimity, and turn a deaf ear
(Loud cheers.) 1, to the
n%,nmateblie the feeling with which I suggestions of the enemy that they were divided and
apiero9ch that a
with
h—that ls the feeling with useless. (Hear.) Now be believed thoroughly that it
weich I leave thess
whom I hr;ve been so lot g was because there were no great questions afloat that
tesecieted• I know it •
18 said by many persona that there was proved
That
party' interests are entirely
extinguisheddifference
that there by the consideration that no changes were called for
is really no longer any
no
ire: between parties, through practical injustice or disabilities, or from a
and that therefore it is of
tit:it:dance whatever mant of rights: for if he compared this country with
whet party is predominant in
it serrn to me, at least, a
very
str„cnountry. Now, any other on the face of the globe, there was no other
zentmiereiode of ar- in which the people were enjoying such perfect
gurneet that cur cPPoneule, the g
liberty and independence as this. (Hear.) He did not
have opposed ,as so long, should have Come il who
con tothis say this in order to prove that there was no occasion
conclusion,—that we have brought the
to do more, but after looking back upon what had
so contented a position that the measures intowhiYehv.e
_ ti
been done, they must not be surprised that people's
have passed have resulted in much prosperity.
-1
gentlemen, time should be taken up in realising the results of
own that I am inclined to say to these
'`Surely you can't find fault if the country should great
measures. Therefore, until some other
measures came up, people would not be found
rather favour these persons Who have produced sivin
g SO much time and attention to the political