The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-06 00:00:00

THE LORDS AND REFORM.

The Journal des Debats- , in its issue of Sunday,
published the following article, bearing the signa-
ture of M. Prevost-Paradol :
" The sitting of the House of Lords on Tuesday,
July 30, will be memorable, not only in the history
of the Reform Bill of 1867, but in the general
history of the representative system. It was,
indeed, in that sitting that: an idea quite novel
in political science, and which but the other day
was familiar only to a few enlightened minds, was
solemnly accepted into English legislation, and WaS
adopted as au institution which merits to serve as an
example to free nations. We do not forget that the
adhesion of the House of Commons to Lord Cairns's
amendment is required, but after the very favour-
ablet reception which a similar amendment met with
to
in that house, we may regard as certain the ultufinl
assent of the Ministry to the principle, and t.he
success of the great measure which institutes in Eng-
land the representation of minorities.
Our readers
• ncy in call-
will perhaps well remember our persis
e
ine. attention to a subject which affects us at this
t
0
cited the discussions in
other people
We have
intimatelytoinmtehtenocroentinent. than i t does any
the amendment de-
the House of Commons
• • a
signed to introduce their rill Ind those usually the
upon
einpreusiotantiotnhisofgnroliunnodrittihese
into the new Reform
most distinguished authorities,
—from Mr. J. S. Mill, the democratic
to Mr. Lowed, the Conservative doctri-
gree , and the amendment was
naire_have been a
dm:estrt idnaiviti.de,ed
stit the strongest reasons, enforced by the
highest
t
ei°Y
bquence. Government, however, had de-
termitic
de to resist it, and the proposition was de-
hp
d
felted with an honourable minorizy of 143 votes. It
is exactly by 142, votes against 51, making a majo-
rity of 91, that the same amendment in another
shape has just been adopted by the Home of Lords.
On this occasion also the Government considered
themselves bound to oppose it, and Lord Malmes-
bury, who was charged with this ungracious duty,
found but one objection to the proposition— that the
idea was novel, a strange argument indeed, as Lord
Russell remarked, toproceed from a Ministry which
was about to inaugurate the greatest of novelties iu
England by so considerable a lowering of the elec-
toral franchise. It might have been embarrassing to
Lord Malmesbury if he had been reminded that one
of the resolutions originally submitted to the House
of Commons proposed to establish a plurality of
votes for certain classes of electors—an innova-
tion which would, have been as remarkable, less
easy of justification, and certainly less popular,
than the system proposed by the amendment. It
is, indeed, the especial character of this system to
offer equal advantage to all parties—to establish no
privilege of class or fortune, favouring no opinions,

ANEW S P_AJP,V, 111
more` oThem, pr- Ovid' i
whatever they may be, solid an.
against the exclusivemeabsupthti;raeit
cerof t:
stlandwito representatives,
ewned k
return
rl iant usually the 147': : • /PI
and accordipi 4elp.
PS-
sent bill as it stanthd number 7oilf .44-i
these/44(
three-
cornered constituencies will be 12. It is to this
dozen elections that, subject to f•iture extension the
Ntn.loci amendment
itilie(dThm
elector
Pte rtuoop upon 71edthtesoebe12*
hiincithteheeilelc
aPePoininslili;t?euAeoncti:lisosm.;unlds
of one-thirdvt. fbecily :''According to
be entitled to give his three
votes to the same candi-
date. From that arrangement it would result that
minoritya
be certain to return one out of the three representa-
tive ssysmc b s rb, a proportion perfectly equitabl and
h' s'
!co in no way interfered with the prepon lera Nisnce
of the majority. The 1 e
Ivhich
has
barn
adopted, modifies the application of
the same hrincil.l by declarins, thateach elector • in
these 12 constituencies shall
vote
for only two of
t
the candidates, which insures the majority one
representative out of three. The condition of a
minimum of votes insures that a
thethird of the voters
shall be required to render validelectiono of the
third member. This mode of election tvo votes
where there are three representatives tob-e—Chv chosen, or
three out of four —is already adopted in the Spanish
Cortes in the elections for the bureau of the assembly,
while it is indispensA e minority
necessary that the ' • ity
should be duly represented. Whatever may be
the result, Lord Cairns's amendment doesintro-
duce the representation of minorities, as would have
done the amendment suggested to the
House of Com-
mons, and both amendments have
been supported by
the same arguments in the two houses. Decisive
arguments, too, it may be said to every
just and
enlightened mind, and the recent sitting
of the
House of Lords has brought them into still greater
prominence. With the exception of Lord Malmes-
bury, all the speakers, .Lords Cairns, Russell
Spencer, Carnarvon, Stanhope, Shrewsbury, Hough-
ton, Stratford de Redcliffe, spoke in the same sense,
and those who, constrained by discipline or roatine,
voted against it, did not attempt to combat it. What
reply could be given to Lord Russell, who asked
whether it was right and proper that out of 20,000
electors 8,000 should be unrepresented •
without in-
fluence in public affairs, because
the remaining
12,000-had all voted together? What can result
from such a system, especially under a very extended
franchise, when personal influence and • dju gment be-
comes very much diminished What does follow we
know from experience that a considerable number of
' citizens, finding themselves always in a minority,
become disgusted and abstain from taking part in
elections, the result of which is known beforehand,
and in which they are aware they can count for
nothing. It is in this manner that assemblies may
be formed, animated by a narrow and exclusive
spirit, carrying to excess the opinions which their
elections represent, finding no counterpoise within
themselves, and, what is still more regrettable for
the dignity of the country, deprived of the eminent
men whom an intolerant majority can always exclude
from the national representation. Let us contrast
with this picture, the accuracy of which no honest
critic will deny, the advantages of the new system
which, by taking note of minorities, will constitute
in the full meaning of the term a true national re-
presentation. Above all, the rights of the majority
remain intact,- since being certain of always carrying
two representatives to one, they remain controllers
of the public affairs and destinies of the country.
Government by majorities, or what may be the same
thing, by public opinion, which is the very principle
of Parliamentary Government, is, therefore, in no
way weakened by this system, while, at the same
time, there would be no longer a disheartened mi-
nority, irritated and discouraged by the feeling of
complete powerlessness and great injustice. This
minority, revived by hope, will take a regular share
in public life, and even when it cannot aspire
to power it will, at least, have the advantage
speech. It will be certain to send its mo,t
worthy representatives, and when the time shall
come for its accession to power it will not be found
to be soured by enforced silence, nor envenomed by
oppression, but to be, on the contrary, animated by
the moderate and benevolent spirit which emanates
from just legislation. Therefore there wo.rld be no
longer the risk of seeing in the constitution of legis-
lative Assemblies those lamentable exclusions which
not only deprive them of
e theextreme brightest luminaries,
but which too often by thir
the honour of the nation. To confine ourselves to
our own history, which opinion among us, which
party among us, would, not have profited in its turn
by so equitable a systm of election And what
benefit might not have resulted from it to the entire
nation ? Without going back farther than 1815,
the uniliscoverable (introuvable) Chamber could not
have existed with such an electoral system, and how
many other examples might we not instance to prove
that in France an insured represerfulntataid to good
ion of the
' minority would have been a powe
sense and a protection to the public interest ? What
party can be sufficiently arrogant or sufficiently blind
as to expect for ever to enjoy, to the exclusion of
others, that excessive power which the possession
of a majority gives it for a time ? If, by possibility,
Em-
the present regime should disappear, as the :
Em-
peror in a celebrated speech has suggested, wd
M. Rouher or M. de Persigny, remaining, of course,
consistent to their present opinions, would they
obtain admission to the national Parliamasent
are
?
Would not they then be excluded from it,
now Messrs. Dufaure, RelllUSat, and many others,
and yet would it not be right that their views should
be represented, and that
among us i
verses, and then complains bitterly of being g
over without check or hindrance to the domination
of the opposite party. If there be a country where
the rights of the minority are already established
and solid it is England. If there be a country where
minorities have usually been deprived of protection
and have had reason to complain of legal powerless-
ness it is our own. And yet it is from England wo
now receive the example of this great reform which
will, doubtless, inaugurate into the world the re-
presentation of minorities. At all events, may
this event be pondered upon and comprehended by
all those who favour the co-existence of Democracy
in
and liberty ; that is, all those who are.interested
the future of France, since our
nd countrystil is irre
striving
to found its liberty."

SOLDIERS' GARDENS.—Partie,, of the men in
camp at Aldershot are hard at work trying to got the
" gardens" at the south camp into something like trim.
At present they have a very woe-begone aspect, and have
much the appearance that a London street has after it has
been " put straight" when the sewers aro being made.—
United Service Gazette.
EMIGRATION FROM LlVERPOOL.—Duringthe past
month the total number of emigrant ships sailing from
the Mersey was 47, carrying 11,498 passengers, being an
increase over the corresponding period of last year of
2,508. Twenty-two ships were for the United States,
with 9,377 passengers, of whom 8,793 were steerage, and
584 cabin. Of the steerage passengers 2,957 were
English, 137 Se itch, 2,493 Irish, and 3,176 foreigners.
Four ships sailed to Canada with 1,097 passengers-927
steerage, and 170 cabin; one to Victoria, with 1 cabin and
9 steerage passengers. Of short ships there wore 6to the
United States, with G 49 passengers, 3 to Victoria with 138
passengers, 3 to the West Indies with 37 passen,gers, 6 to
South America with 92 passengers, and 2 to Africa with
12 passengers.
[Anfrsansintnir.)—Avoid Medicines: they always aggravate
chronic complaints: but Du Barry's delicious health-restering
licvelenta Arabini Food, which yields three times the neurish-
rnent of the best meat, saves 50 times its cost in other remedies,
and invariably restores perfect digestion, strong nerves, s9undi.
lungs, healthy liver, pure blood, refreshing sleep, functionee
regularity, anti energy to the most disordered or enfeebled. W
extract a few out of 63,000 cures ;—" The Pope's health
.restored.
by Du Barry's Food. Cure No. 69,417.—""Rome, July
12t, 1866
—The health of the Holy Father is excellent, especial_ since,
abandOning all other remedies, he has confined. binvell entirelyn
to Du Barry's Revalenta Arabica Food, of whiche consumes
Isure renngly bene-
ficial effect on his health, and his Holiness cannot praise this. eece
a plateful at every meal. It has
lent food too highly." From the "Gazette de Midi, July 25. Cure
produeec, a . . l
No. 53,216, of the Marchioness de 13rehan, of seven years' liver
. palpitation all over, bad digestion,:constailt sleeplessness, and
complaint, wasting away, debility, nervousness, with a nervous
Stuart de Decies, Lord Lieutenant of NI, aterford, ro„ many years'
the most intolerable nervous agitation.;" Cure No. 1,771; Lord
oanusdacto
iwouhsileyh,atttlihoeudt
dystpepsfa.' No. 49,832: " Fifty years' indescribable agony from
dyspepsia, nervousness, asthme..„.cough, co.nstipation, flatulency,
spasms, sickness, awl vonuting.—Mana Joly,"—cure v...
itaolbstlts., 4s. 6d.; 5 lbs., 11.8.;
46,270; Mr. James Roberts, of Fernley, Surrey, of 30 ye—arus,
imitations
BARRY and CO , No.
disease
lungs, spitting of blood, liver derangement, and
partial deafness. Important Caution Beware of the many
and l‘slarn, 182, Piccadlly 77,
erß9tlni:a m
).lautunelt
hsgrabooventr.oists2ysr unsavoury
ti.:nir,2dsLoinonlintb
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en.
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no. sloppyßa2FAßmso
and at 61, Oraceeharch-street; 4, Chea
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1 P id ; 63, 150, and 298 i
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