The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-09 00:00:00

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S lilt

LONDON, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 1867.

No Leader of the Opposition ever sustained a
more mortifying defeat than that which Mr. GLAD-
STONE encountered yesterday. He who had over
and over again assembled the " mob of the House
of Commons" at his residence found that his forces
would not muster in sufficient numbers to carry his
point in Parliament ; he who had dictated terms
alike to friends and foes had to submit to the arbi-
tration of others, and he who was to fulfil the pro-
phecy of Mr. BRIGHT, and become Leader
-of the
House and Prime Minister of England, had to make
a most ignominious retreat. In some respects the
scene of last night in the House of Commons re-
minded one of the famous controversy which
occurred about India during the period of Lord
DEBBY'S last tenure of office ; and in the records of
" Hansard" the Carlton-terrace Conspiracy may
rank with that of Cambridge House in its
character of " much ado about nothing." We
rejoice that the House of Commons should
have fulfilled Mr. DisrtAELl's hopes ex-
pressed at the commencement of the Session, and
rise to the occasion before it, and still more is it
cause for satisfaction that the Liberal members
should have vindicated their party from the charge
of passing a factious motion to impede the course of
a measure of such importance. A meeting of the
Independent members of the Opposition side of the
House took place yesterday afternoon, and upon
Mr. GLADSTONE'S arrival he was invited to hear
their decision, which was to the effect that they
would support the Government, believing that the
consequences of carrying the instruction would be
to prevent any Reform Bill from passing this
Session.

It may easily be imagined that Mr. GLADSTONE
did not accede very readily to the proposition made
to him by his seceding followers—namely, that all
the concluding portion of the Instruction should be
struck out, and only that part retained which referred
to the alteration in the law of rating. This,
it will be remembered, was the object which Mr.
CLAY had in view when he made a few remarks at
the meeting on Friday ; and it must have added
poignancy to the bitterness of Mr. GLADSTONE'S
disappointment to remember the uncompromising
hostility with which he met the proposal of the hon.
member for Hull. He said that it was " totally
impossible for him under any circumstances and
conditions whatever to accept the suggestions offered
by Mr. CLAY." Three short days made a great
change, however, and the assertions of Friday could
not be substantiated. When we picture to our-
selves the striking contrast exhibited between the
master of the ceremonies in Carlton-terrace and the
discomfited Leader in the bye-ways of the House,
we recall the lines referring to a mighty downfall—

" The desolator desolate,
The victor overthrown,
The arbiter of others' fate,
A suppliant for his own."

Conspicuous as has been his defeat we do not pity
Mr. r_kapsToNE, for he did not deserve success, and he
had not acted with that consistency and public spirit
which can confer dignity on defeat, and make the
van i
qu-s-ed appear to greater advantage than the
victor. lie endeavoured to lead his party astray,
and, thanks to his inanceuyring, the long tried friends

to Reform ran a great risk of appearing before the
country in the light of its persecutors. Such an
anomaly has been prevented by the courage and
wisdom of some of the party, but we must not
forget, in direct opposition to their Leader, and in
determined defiance of his wishes. Mr. GLAD-

STONE has enjoyed for a long series of years the
delights of a seat on the Treasury benches, and
doubtless considers that when there he is the right
man in the right place ; but he is now required to
show his abilities in another place, and the best
counsel we can give him is to follow a little more
closely the example of his predecessor. Never during
the years he has led the Conservative party has Mr.

DISRAELI exhibited himself to the world after the

fashion in which Mr. GL.kDSTONE figured yesterday.
The worst of all was to be reproved by his own
party, and to feel that it was not the strength of
his friends, but the disapproval of his foes, which
had brought him to such a pass.
Those who went down to the house in expectation
of a great debate were disappointed, but the chief

point was gained when the bill passed into com-
mittee. We may now consider it safe, not only
because it has reached that haven, but because the
feeling of the House is now unmistakeably expressed
in favour of the Government. The bill may be

modified in some respects, and perhaps improved in
others ; bnt in its main features, its integrity of
principle and decisive character, it is now almost
certain of gaining the sanction of the House, and
to pass beyond that, to gain the goodwill of
the community. Mr. DISRAELI, in the few
remarks which he made to the house last night,
spoke directly to the point, and exposed the shal-
lowness of the schemes of his opponents. So far as
related to the power of the committee to alter the
law of rating, he said that it had been all along the
opinion of her MasEsTv's Government that the
committee had that power ; and, therefore, on this
point, " it was unnecessary to have recourse to any
pressure, however gentle." Further on the right
hon. gentleman expressed to the house the " deep
gratification" experienced by the Government, and
their gratitude for the generous and candid manner
in which they had been treated by the House, be-
cause it shows " that the house is resolved to sup-
port the Government in carrying this bill, though
subject to those amendments which the house may
think proper to adopt, and which I am con-
vinced, after the encouragement we have re-
ceived this evening, will terminate in the passing of
a bill that will command the respect and confidence
of the country." No one better than Dr. DISRAELI
can appreciate the temper of the House of Com-
mons, and he is quite right in his declaration that
it has treated the Government with candour. It is,
in fact, to the tone adopted by the house collectively
that her MAJESTY'S Ministers owe their present
vantage ground. They have had to sustain many
losses and drawbacks, and to contend against many
difficulties. Some of their colleagues felt constrained
to quit the Cabinet, some of their friends were
rather unfriendly, to say the least of it, and some
of their opponents were indescribably oppressive,
but they possessed one thing, which has proved
mightier than all that could be brought against
them, the confidence of the House of Commons.
We have all along relied upon the support and
sympathy expressed by the generality of the
house in enabling the Ministers to bring this
" vexed question" to a settlement this ses-
sion, and we are glad to find our predic-
tions fulfilled. As lovers of Reform, we have
appreciated the sincere desire of Lord DERBY'S
Government to do their best in the matter,
and we regard the virtual settlement which
took place last night as no party triumph, but as
a great national blessing. It is impossible to over-
rate the importance of some decision being arrived
at at present, and the most gifted political sooth-
sayer may be puzzled to say what would have
been the consequence of another failure on the
part of Parliament to deal with a question affect-
ing the vital interests of the people. As for those
who thought proper to speak against the Govern-
ment, the Opposition, and the question of
Reform altogether, their remarks will have
no weight, and their motives aro only too
transparent. Mr. OSBORNE may taunt the
independent members for showing their inde-
pendence by serving their country ; but every one
knows that he likes to hear himself talk on striking
occasions, and the hon. member bad evidently lost
his temper too much to be able to brook impressive
remarks. He abused Mr. GLADSTONE for not al-
lowing him to form a part of a " miserable minority',
rLaothweEr t,Nli,aaan aaspbpietatreroaane
uofauaal,dbisautnoitfedeopuararety
he. M.
s
disappointed at the prospect of Reform being
settled. He now seems to regret having displaced
the Government of last year, because bad as they
were
ei
dethedely worse.pdresentoc I
occupants of
etahreed a
Tres if
Treasury benches
are language
failed the right hon. member in his denunciations of
the Government, and he hesitated to decide which
preponderated, their "assurance" or their " tergiver-
sation." " Such conduct may fail or not; it may
lead to the retention or not of office, but it
merits alike the contempt of all honest men, and
the execration of posterity."
observation of Sir S. NORTHCONEr e thinkthat the
applied
equally
well to Mr. LOWE as to Mr. OSBORNE, that he got
up a discussion after the proper time. In "fact, he
appears to me to be like the soldier who fired off his
gun when the review was over."
T
no occasion for these speeches beingher
made,
anrdeailnly-
deed their extreme views and extravagant language
required the " heat of debate" to pass them off.
It would have been at any time a difficult matter
to pass a Reform Bill, but under existing circum-
stances it was quite impossible to do so. We con-
sider it to be tardy but complete poetical justice
that a Conservative Government should carry a
Reform Bill through Parliament, because they
were treated in so unworthy a manner in 1859,
and were not allowed fair-play. They have, how-
ever, considerably improved their position by this
time, and although their former measure vim, well
deserving of the support of Parliament, it was not
so comprehensive a ono as the present scheme.
With the alterations and amendments it will receive
in committee it will be one in every respect suited
to the time, and quite as good, if not better than
any which the people have reason to expect. Mr.
DISRAELI said, in one of his impressive addresses to
the house, "Pass the Bill, and then change the
Ministry to-morrow," and he knew he was safe in
so speaking. When they have passed this measure
they may rest on their laurels, secure of
the approval of Parliament, and the confi-
dence of the country. Finis coronet opus is a
well-worn saying, but we think we may venture
to employ it on this occasion, fur it aptly describes
the situation of Ministers. They have, indeed,
found their position on the Treasury benches no
bed of roses, and they have been able to discover
no royal road to Reform. They have had to clear
the way by dint of hard work, somewhat after the
fashion in which the first settlers in the backwoods
of America had to prepare a spot for future habi-
tation. To use Mr. BRIGHT'S words the other day,
we hope that the corner is turned, and that the
worst is over ; and that this question of Reform,
which has tantalised us all for so many years, may
now be settled in a satisfactory manner, and redound