The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-05 00:00:00

IBEIL

THE REFORM BILL-THE MINISTRY.

On the motion that the house at its rising do adjourn
until two o'clock to-morrow,

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
in the statement he made to the house last night he was un-
derstood to speak as he did under some misapprehension. He
had informed the house that three of his colleagues had
retired, in consequence of the Cabinet of Lord Derby
having reverted to its original policy, but he found that
the original policy had not been announced. In the
statement he made on the 25th of last month,
he distinctly reverted to a statement that it was proposed
to deal with the borough franchise in a more extensive
manner, but the Cabinet had been obliged to relin-
quish it. The proposition of the Government
had been very much criticised, but there was
no foundation for the remark that the sub-
ject of Reform had been taken up in a hasty and in-
considerate manner. In the autumn
,of last year
Lord Derby wrote to him stating that the ques-
tion of Reform must be dealt with, and that in no
niggardly spirit. That was his Lord Derby's first
impression, that was his last, and that was the one upon
which he was prepared to act. He had had the expectation
more than the hope that he should have been enabled to
have introduced a measure sanctioned by the united ap-
proval of his colleagues; but, unhappily, that was not the
case. His three hon, friends had, in acting as they had
done, only yieldedto their feelings like menet high honour.
The measure he had explained was nota hasty one, but one
of matured consideration, and he felt it was one that could
be defended on principle. It was not the measure that
he preferred, but it was one that would have led to a great
extension of the suffrage to the working class. That proposal
however did not meet with approval, neither did it give
satisfaction to the great Conservative party. The day after
he had made his explanation the right hon. gentleman op-
posite (Mr. Gladstone) called this friends together, and ho
was informed that a resolution was come to that no proposal
would be satisfactory that was not founded on a£s rat-
ing. (Cries of " No, no.)

_ .
An HON. MEMBER—It was not authentic.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER continued—
It was about as accurate as information that reached lion
gentlemen opposite from bis (the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer's) side of the house. Tho matter seemed to the Go-
vernment to be fast sinking into the unsatisfactory state it
was in last session, when Lord Derby called his col-
leagues together and informed them that the subject
must be dealt with in the course originally proposed.
Tho result was that three of his colleagues resigned, and
if such a circumstance could have been prevented by his
(the Chancellor of the Exchequer's) resignation, there
was no personal sacrifice, he was not prepared to
make to keep, a united Cabinet and united
party. There would, however, be no hesitation, no vacil-
lation in the measure the Government would propose. It
would contain the definite opinion of the Government,
and by that they would stand. (Hear, hear, and
loud cheers. It was a proposition that would
not be perplexing to Parliament, and it would also be
quite intelligible to the country. (Hear, hear.)
General PEEL said when he took office no pledge was
taken from him about Reform. Ho had held opinions
which he had felt called upon to change, and
no person regretted certain hasty expressions contained in
a speech that he had uttered more than he did, more
particularly that relative to the Thames flowing with blood.
He should never cease to regret the expression. It was the
unfortunate five resolutions, as he might call them, that
led to his retirement from the Cabinet. When he found
that that proposal went down in fact to household suf-
rage, he could not give his assent to it, because i
would swamp and overwhelm the small boroughs. Two
other of his colleagues were of the same opinion, and that
circumstance had led to their separation from their friends
Viscount CItANBORNE said he had come to the con-
clusion that the proposal of the Cabinet came to house-
hold suffrage pure and simple, and, therefore, ho could not
give the measure his concurrence and support.
Mr. GLADSTONE said the 'right hon. gentleman the
Chancellor of the Exchequer appeared to him to act most
ungenerously in attempting to cast upon his (Mr. Glad •
.tine's) side of the house the failure of the proposal of the
Government. (Hear, hear, and cheers.)
(LEFT SPEAKING.)