The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-23 00:00:00

IMPERIAL :PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS-LAST EVENING.

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at
five o'clock.

The attendance in the House of Peers this evening was
more than ordinarily numerous. The galleries wore
filled with elegantly-dressed ladies, and the space before
the Throne and the bar was crowded. On both the
Government and Opposition benches there was a large
attendance.

REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE BILL.
The Earl of DERBY rose to move the second reading of
this bill, which, he said, had passed the House of
Commons after the most anxious discussion. He
said he felt the difficulty of the task, but
having taken part in, the vote which had brought about so
great a change many years ago, he felt some confidence in
submitting the motion to their lordships. The bill of 1832
effected the most extensive alterations, and was followed
by changes that might almost be called a social revolu-
tion. He was then a young man, and ho remembered
the fact in order to show the difference of the state of
public opinion at that stormy period with that of the pre-
sent time. Then every popular demand had been restricted
until it rose with tremendous power, and broke down all
the barriers that opposed it, and enabled the Government
to carry it with an irresistible demand. At that time the
cry was "The bill, the whole bill, and nothing but the
bill," and such was the power of the movement
that the bill was carried amidst the utmost excitement,
such as had never been known before. Fortunately, how-
ever, at that time they had a man at the head of affairs
capable of directing the storm and ultimately of passing a
measure which put all parties on a better footing and
added largely to the prosperity of the country. Ho
took an humble part in that great measure, and fortunately
they also had still another one amongst them who stood
prominently forward in the great struggle, and who had
rendered himself more to be remembered than the
rest by his opinions with respect to finality. (Hear,
hoar, and laughter.) The bill he had now
the honour to submit to their lordships was one, he felt,
that would be productive of the most important results to
the country, and he hoped it would be acceptable to the
country. The question of reform had for years been the
great effort of statesmen, for so long ago as 1848 the
tocsin of reform had been sounded. It was again and again
brought forward, and successive Administrations had tried
to arrive at a settlement of the question. It was brought
forward in the years 1852, 1854, 1858, and in 1860, but it
was not until the present Parliament had taken up the
matter that the subject was brought to a successful
issue. When it was first introduced to the
House of Commons last session, it was done
so in such a dictatorial sense that the house re-
fused to give its consent to the proposal. Had the right
hon. gentleman who then filled the office of Chancellor of
the Exchequer dealt with the matter with a little more
discretion, it was possible that a more favour-
able issue might have been the result; but it
was left for others to work out a solution of the
problem that was fatal to the Government of that period.
During the whole of the discussions that had then taken
place the question of the borough franchise had never been
alluded to. Her Majesty's Government had taken the mat-
ter in hand, and the result had been a success, and although
they were threatened with an amendment, which, if car-
ried, must bo fatal to the measure passing during the pre-
sent session, yet he felt that the attempt to defeat a mea-
sure which had cost so much thought and anxiety would
be defeated. (Hear, hear.) The noble earl then
alluded to the circumstances under which he was
called upon to form a Government, and said that
twice he had been called upon to direct public affairs with
a minority in the House of Commons and failed. On a
third occasion of the same kind arising, he determined
that he would not again be made a stop-gap until
his opponents had matured their plans of reform,
and therefore he accepted the task with a deter-
mination to change an existing minority into a
practical majority—(hear, hear)—and to devote the
closing days of a public career to the passing of a
measure that would be satisfactory to the country at
largo. They had been charged with change of political
opinions on taking the reins of Government, but what
under the circumstances, were they to do ? Wore they to
iguoro the consideration of Reform altogether ? They de-
cided that they would net, and a measure was brought
forward, and in doing so the Government felt that the only
way of arriving at a successful issue was to take Parlia-
ment into their council, and by such means pass a
measure that had been brought forward with the most
honest and sincere motives. (Hear, hear.) They in the
first instance attempted to proceed by resolution,
with but ill success, and when at last it was determined
to proceed by bill, the great purport of which would
in effect be household rating and personal payment of
taxes, such a proposition resulted in the loss of three of its
most distinguished colleagues. However, her Majesty's
Government persevered in their earnest and honest en-
deavours, and the result had boon a success, which few had
been willing at ono time to concede to them. Adverting
once more to the resolution of Lord Grey, the noble earl,
whilst granting that the opinion of so high an authority
was deserving of all consideration, pointed out that the
proposal could servo no useful purpose, and he put it to
the house whether the adoption of such an amendment