The Sun.
London, England, 1867-10-25 00:00:00

SIR E. COLEBROOKE A 7 LANARK.

On Tuesday Sir Edward Colebrooke, M.P. for
the county, addressed his constituents in the As-
sembly-rooms, Lanark. Major Brown, who was
called to preside, in a sentence introduced the hon.
member.

Sir EDWARD COLEBROOKE said—l think you will
agree with me that the state of the country, and the
events which have recently taken place in Parlia-
ment, make it very important that there should be
some interchangeof opinion between the constituent
bodies in this country and those who have the diffi-
cult task of representing them in Parliament. But
I have asked you, gentlemen, to attend this meeting
to-day—one which in any circumstances is justified
—considering that the present Parliament is a
doomed one, and that in the course, probably of one
year, I shall be called to render an account to this
great county of my conduct. Further, I think this
meeting is called for, considering that we are now
passing through a great political revolution, and
also considering the extraordinary circumstances
under which it has taken place. We have passed,
in the late session of Parliament, a bill involving
very momentous changes, and regarding which I
think no person who watches the signs of the times
can doubt that there is considerable perplexity in
the minds of the people of this country—not merely
of common ordinary politicians like myself, and
many of those I see around me—but even of those
occupying a high position in the country. It is
useless to deny that the great change we have in-
troduced has not been followed by those remark-
able rejoicings and expressions of satisfaction which
accompanied the great change in the year 1832,
except so far as regards the great Conservative
party, -which seems with respect to this question to
be somewhat off its balance in the extraordinary
circumstances in which it is placed. But with
regard to those who are watching these events,
we may appeal to the fact that even Lord
Russell—a very stout politician, one who has
a strong confidence in the full development of
a representative feeling in this country—has ex-
pressed his opinion that this is not a case in which
he for himself felt inclined to join in the
exultation which has been manifested. Even such
a pretty strong politician as he has expressed the
opinion in Parliament that the goal to which we
were apparently arriving—household suffrage—was
one which we might reach by degrees. Even the
Prime Minister of the country has, with respect to
what has taken place in the past session, declared
to his followers, and repeated the expression, that he
for one considers it in some measure " a leap in the
dark." I think you are entitled to call for some
explanation from your member in the singular posi-
tion in which this country is placed ; especially
when we consider that this great change has been
introduced under circumstances of unexampled calm
—without any of that collision between classes that
forces agitation, such as has, on former occasions,
inaugurated great political changes, but that it has
passed under respectful remonstrances on the part
of those who claim to be admitted to the franchise,
which, I think, entitled them to the fair considera-
tion of Parliament. But I think it is impossible for
us to measure the causes which have produced this
great change without casting our thoughts back for
one moment—and for one brief moment—to the
events of 1832. Now, with regard to that great
settlement, I for myself consider it to be one which,
in its broad outlines, it is desirable should be main-
tained ; one which, in its origin, when passed, was
suited to the circumstances of the country ; one
which has been attended with the unexampled pros-
perity of this country, and which has confirmed the
impression of the country in its favour. But it
cannot be denied that this settlement laboured under
the defect that it drew too tightly the line which
separated the middle classes from the working
classes ; that it was framed too exclusively under
the view of giving the Government of the country
to the middle classes ; and that it left behind it a
soreness of feeling on the part of those who were
excluded, which found its expression in the Chartist
movement, in frequent agitations, and in that sepa-
tion between different classes in this country
which, in itself, impressed largely all who took
an earnest interest in the political condition of
the country, that though it might be staved off for
a time, and though we might escape the
effects of this uneasy condition, yet it was ono which,
unless it were timely met, might ultimately lead to
that ugly rush of which we heard so much. Now,
for myself, I admit fairly to you that this is a ques-
tion which has for many years impressed strongly
all the leading persons in the country as to the im-
portance of the change. It is more than 15 years
since the necessity was recognised on the part of all
the great Liberal leaders, combined with all those
who represent the people's opinions in Parliament.
It is nearly 10 years since it was recognised even by
the Conservatives themselves. But, gentlemen, for
myself I am ready to confess that my change of
opinion in this respect has been a slow one. When
I first had occasion to come before this great con-
stituency, I for one fairly admitted the difficulties
that belonged to this question ; that, looking to the
state of the burgh constituency, it would have been
far more desirable, if we possibly could, to enlarge
our franchise rather in a lateral direction than to
enter upon a question of lowering the franchise in a
way calculated to increase largely the dangers to
which we were exposed. And I for one freely admit
that the dangers I apprehended are not of that cha-
racter which would imply any great democratic
change in the constitution of this country ; inasmuch
as we know from experience that in a large number
of the constituencies of the country there does exist
a mass of indifference with regard to great political
questions which we know, when exposed to corrup-
tion, has ou more than one occasion been the grave
of representative government in its largest and
widest sense. I think these are not grounds for deny-
ing their privileges to men of education and indepen-
dent feeling, as we know there are in this class ; nor
any reason why, on account of this defective class,
they should be excluded from the representation. Did
I not feel strongly convinced that the better elements
so predominated that we might safely proceed in the
course of a large extension of the franchise in this
direction, I for one would not have given my vote
for the measure which has now passed. But this is
not the whole question. I think for myself that this
question of the emancipation of the working classes
has occupied—l won't say a too large—but a dis-
proportionate share of the attention of the public
mind ; for though the question as regards the great
counties was dismissed in Parliament in the course
almost of a single night, yet it involved questions to
which I have always attached the greatest import-
ance, and regarding which 'think it is in the highest
degree important that Parliament should take a large
and liberal view. It was impossible, in my opinion,
to maintain that high qualification for the occupa-
tion franchise in counties, which, even as regards
the agricultural subjects, was too high ; but, as re-
gards the many large towns not included in any
burgh or system of burghs, it excluded a great part
of the population from having their fair weight in
the representation of this country. There was a