The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-12 00:00:00

The Attorney-General at Glouvster.

Yesterday evening, at the Shire-hall, Gloucester, a
public
dinner was given to Sir John Rolt, M.P.
the Attorney-General. The Duke of Beaufort oc-
cupied the chair. There were also present the Mar-
quis of Worcester, Earl Bathurst, Sir M. E. H.
BeaCh, M.P., Mr. W. W. Beach, M.P., Mr. R. S.
Holford, M.P., Mr. Schreiber, M.P., &c.
The loyal toasts having been given and responded

Sir GEORGE JEN,RSON proposed the toast of the

evening.
Sir Jo EIN BOLT, who was enthusiastically received,
said, in reply, that from the bottom of his heart he
thanked his friends for their corli d greeting. They

all knew that he had been connected wit,i Glouces-
tershire since childhoo l, in a way somewhat humble,
but not less dear on that acco ant. (Hear, hear.)
His first ambition was, when he had surmounted the
struggles of early life—the first years of an arduous
profession—to plant himself among them. It was
now 20 years since he began to realise those aspira-
tions, and from that time to the present his life had
been before them. Ten years since they sent him
as their representative to Parliament. Again and
again they renewed that confidence in him, and
through the course of events, without solicitation,
he had become her Majesty's Attorney-General.
(Cheers.) Their welcome to-night had not been
given to him merely as an individual, neighbour, and
friend, but they had associated his name with that
of a position he filled as their representative in Par-
liament, with that office which he had now the honour
to hold under the Crown. Their meeting, there-
fore, had somewhat of a political aspect, audit would
be a sign of iweakness on his part were he to shirk
the responsibility thereby thrown upon him. Never-
theless, this was not an occasion for entering into
the details of political discussion, or to point out the
details of measures it would in his opinionbe advisable
to adopt or advisable to resist. Their object to-night,
so far as politics were concerned, was to vindicate
and assert their attachment to the broad principles of
that Constitution to which in the main we o wed our
prosperity as a nation—their attachment to that
specific form of Government under which we lived.
(Cheers.) It was wise sometimes to look to the
foundations of the noblest and best constructed edi-
fices, and at the risk of talking platitndes and giving
utterance to truisms, it was wise for the Conserva-
tives at least to examine the principles of that Con-
stitution which was said to confer liberty with-
out licence and equality of rights upon all. But
among the friends and supporters in the Western
Division of Gloucestershire there were some who
refused to be enrolled in the ranks of the Conserva-
tive party ; there was, however, not one among
them who had not the same attachment to the Con-
stitution and that specific form of Government to
which he had referred— a limited monarchy ; in-
deed, it was due to all those who up to this time
had been the main opponents of the Conservative
party, in this country at least, to say that they pro-
fessed a profound attachment to that Constitution.
The only difference between them and the Conser-
vative party was a difference of details. Into details
he would not enter, but he asked every friend of the
Constitution these questions—What did that com-
mon attachment to the Constitution involve ? and
what were the duties which at this juncture it im-
posed upon them ? He would attempt a somewhat
general answer to this somewhat general but most
important question. It was a trite observation that
the great difficulty with which every mixed form of
Government, such as ours was, had to contend, was
that it had to preserve the balance of the several
powers of Government which it called into action,
and to give to each a substantial and important part
to play in the administration of affairs, without
enervating or impeding the action of the general
Government. (Hear, hear.) The absolute mo-
narchy, the pure oligarchy, the unchecked de-
mocracy, were alike free from difficulty ; more-
over, each power in itself was subject to this ob-
servation—that the freedom we had so long en-
joyed was in danger from the separate domination
of either. (Hear, hear.) We in England had mas-
tered this difficulty. The several powers were so
fairly balanced as to suggest a sort of self-adjusting
power. There were former eras in our history when
there might have been danger from the too great
ascendancy of the Sovereign or of the aristocracy.
But these dangers were past. Nobody saw any dan-
ger of that kind now. Aggression from the Sove-
reign or the House of Lords was not apprehended.
If danger there was it was in another direction—the
danger of the democratic element, which sought by
force to exceed its just proportion of power. Ile felt
he was approaching the great question of the day—
the question of the redistribution of the powers of
Government—the question of the reconstruction of
thellouse of Commons and the representation of the
people. (Hear, hear.) Certainly, however, he did
not mean to say anything on this question. It was
not within his province, nor was it his intention, to
say what was the policy of Government at this junc-
ture—a policy of action, or a policy of inaction ;
but he thought he was entitled to say, and he would
say, that those who professed a common attachment
to our Constitution should bear in mind what would
be the effect of the course they took with respect to
the increase of the democratic element. Of course,
if the democratic element was swamped by the So-
vereign or the House of Lords, the just balance of a
limited monarchy was necessarily disturbed ; but if,
on the other hand, the democratic element by force
acquired more than its just proportion of power,
there could be no balance ; and the duty of every
man at this juncture, whatever his party politics,
was to regulate his judgment and form his action
with reference to every proposal for organic changes
of the Constitution by this consideration—what
would be its effect upon the true character and
united action and just influence of every branch of
the Legiiature? That question, being faithfully
and fearlessly put and honestly answered, he had no
fear of the result. We had steered through greater
troubles than any before us, the winds were still
from heaven, and with the helm in the hands
of a competent statesman our Constitution.
would be preserved to the remotest generation.
(Cheers.) This might be said to be vague—to give
no test, but he begged to think otherwise. We were
apt to take blessings as a matter of course. With-
out looking at the foundation or theprinciples which
gave us those advantages, we were apt to forget
them—to lose sight of them ; but if these principles
could be steadily kept in mind, he felt perfectly
satisfied it would be enough for the purpose if the
desire was to steer a just and middle course. On
the other hand he should be told—and really ad-
verse criticism spoke with candour—that these were
the sentiments of men opposed to all improvement
—of the sticklers for everything strictly loyal and
constitutional--of the enemies of all progress ; but
when anybody talked to him of progress he was apt
to say, " What progress? in what direction ? by
what road ?" Everything depended upon that. He
might say that he was opposed to that progress
which travelled in a circle, disturbing everybody
and everthing in its course, and ending where it
began. (Laughter and cheers.) Change for change
sake he disliked. Ile was opposed to that progress,
made up of spasmodic acts, or acts by fits and starts
and which did not look carefully to the end to be
reached, which did not consider the road by which
to travel, and which rushed on a headlong course,
heedless of the goal to be reached. But the progress
that carefully sat down and first considered the
object to be gained, that looked at the roads which
the ancient landmarks of the Constitution pointed
out, which carefully ascertained the end to be gained,
which, having looked at the growth and develop-
ment of the people, traced its progress by that
growth and development, and not forcing or stimu-
lating development for either party or momentary
purposes—to that progress, followed out to its end,
regardless of all obstacles, he and the Conservative
party were fixed. That progress, they said, should
be their watchword, and they were prepared to
go as far in it as he who went farthest.
(Cheers.) He would illustrate the advan-
tages of such a constitution and such a
policy by reference to the state of things in their
own county. Their county was largely agricultural.
Agriculture predominated. There were large estates
and small patrimonies. Of the large estates some
bad been long in the handii of historic families, others

bore newer names. With regard to the smaller pa-
trimonies, some had been long enjoyed, and some!
not. There were flourishing tenantries everywhere.
In the midst of all this they had commercial enter-
prise and successful manufacture; seats of mineral
wealth and enterprise, each and all the foundation of
new fortunes and new families, infusing new blood
into the service of the State, and creating new capi-
tal for the employment of industry, and, above all,
a labouring population as free from sordid want and
poverty as any population to be found in the coun-
try. Looking at this state of things he could not
but admire the machinery that brought it about or
made it possible, and, speaking without any class
jealousy, which prevented the humblest in rank and
the lowest in fortunes from rising, and from his own
experience—and his experience did not stand alone
--he could not but ask, should Clev not struggle to
preserve a constitution which gave existence to cir-
cumstances so happy and pleasing ? The right hon.
gentleman concluded by expressing his determina-
tion to cling to the constituency that had brought
him so much honour. (Loud cheers.)
Sir M. BEACH, M.P., afterwards proposed Lord
Derby and the House of Lords, to which Earl
Bathurst responded. Mr. W. Beach, M.P., re-
sponded to " Mr. Disraeli and the House of Com-
mons." The other toasts were local.